Childbirth

What is Episiotomy?

If you have heard about pregnant women getting an Episiotomy to facilitate labor and delivery, you are probably are wondering what it is.

An Episiotomy is a common surgical incision through the perineum, which is made to enlarge your vagina and assist you delivering the baby, it is more likely to be performed in those mothers-to-be suffering from hemorrhoids, but there are many other factors leading to this surgery.

The incision can be made in the mid-line or at any angle from the posterior end of the vulva. An episiotomy is usually performed under local anesthetic and will be sutured closed after giving birth. There are no side effects, and the procedure is one of the most common performed on women.

However, in various nations around the world, an episiotomy has been accepted as a medical practice for many years, while in some other countries it is not. There are many urban legends circulating on the fact that after very rapid natural births, student doctors would still make episiotomies so as not to displease their professors.

Such legends contributed to the decrease in popularity of Episiotomies among midwives and obstetricians since 1960 in Europe and the United States . In fact, a research published in 2002 showed that 31% of women having babies in American hospitals received Episiotomies in 1997, in comparison with 56% during 1979.

Although undergoing Episiotomy surgery is no decided by its popularity but a possibility if your obstetrician finds the need to perform such procedure to facilitate labor and delivery. Among the number of reasons that can lead you to Episiotomy, we can mention these:

• Need of a forced assisted delivery
• Your baby is in distress
• You are unable to control your pushing
• The baby's head is too large for your vaginal opening
• Your baby is in a breech presentation
• There is a complication during delivery
• Birth is imminent and there is no time for your perineum to stretch

It is known that an Episiotomy can lead to potential side effects, such as future problems with incontinence, infection, bruising, swelling, bleeding, extended healing time, and painful scarring which causes a period of abstinence from sexual intercourse.

If you are getting an Episiotomy, there are some precautions to take. After surgery avoid complication that put your health at risk, including the use of portable baths to place over a toilet to let warm water cover your wound, use medication to relieve the discomfort, and use a personal lubricant when you resume sexual intercourse.