Episiotomy

[Ani]

I have a question for all you mummies. Why do some people have an episiotomy during labour, and then others just tear, and then there are others who just don't need an episiotomy nor do they tear! I am confused... is there anything you can do to maximise your chances of not tearing or requiring an episiotomy? The idea freaks me out completely...

Thanks.

 

[Redshoes]

There's many different reasons why they're performed. In my case it was because I had forceps and they needed more room. Sometimes baby or Mummy is tired so the extra room aids birth, also if there's some urgency and baby needs to be born quickly, its not something they just do anymore because healing from a tear is usually faster and safer anyway because you naturally tear in the best place for your birth, whereas as a cut is where they deem 'best', personally I'd have rather tore, and you won't necessarily feel it anyway as you'll be numbed or giving birth .

The position you're in when you birth can effect tearing, but its not a certainty in any position. You cannot say if you will need one, or if you will tear, you can massage your perineum but nothings guaranteed with birth My episiotimy healed very quickly and I had no problems with it after the birth, its not necessarily a hinderance

Episiotomy

Perineal Massage

 

[leckershell]

I didn't have one, so I may not be the best one to answer you, but I didn't want to read and run.

If the head stretches you a bit too much, there is obviously the risk of a tear (ouch, to be honest I can't even bear the thought) of the perineum to get the baby out. Tears are generally messier, ie you can't control how you tear, it could go any direction, and generally is just uncontrollable and once you have it you have to deal with it. If you opt for an episiotomy, they will give you a local anaethetic, cut you and then get the baby out.

Either way you would have a cut which needs to be stitched back up, but if they do an episiotomy, the cut is likely to be a lot tidier and the doctors have done them before etc etc. The tear on the other hand is unpredictable and could be bigger, need more stitches, and of course you had no local anaethetic there when it happened.

I was lucky in not needing either. I don't know why, I just was, and my Ryan was 8lb 7oz, so not a small baby.

If you google Perineum Massage, that's what people do to *supposedly* help the perineum be stronger and more flexible and less likely to tear. I think you use some sort of oils, but the ladies in 2nd/3rd tri's may know more, or just use google. I was far too lazy to bother to be honest!!!

Also Arnica.. I believe.. is to ease bruising. I think you can take it when you are in labour and if you have cuts or grazes down there it can help to heal them better? I didn't use that either.

But there's a couple of ideas for you and hopefully someone with some experience may be able to help you better!

Good luck with your pregnancy! And you'll see on this thread - http://www.pregnancyforum.co.uk/forum/v ... hp?t=38603 - that I was bricking it about the exact same thing, so you're not alone! x

 

[Gem & Leland]

i was threatend with one cos i was struggling to get him out, within a min of her saying im gonna cut u i pushed so dam hard he was out , and i only tore internally and 2 grazes

 

[NIE]

I had a 2nd degree tear.

I never had an option......2 pushes and Adam was out.

I was told that perineal massage can help reduce your chances of tearing or needing to be cut. Don't know if it works but might be worth a try.

We were given a leaflet on it at our Antenatal classes.

Most people I know, say that it is easier to heal after a tear.

Hope this helps. xxx

 

[Full of hope!]

I had one because Jacob was big (almost 9lbs) and the midwife noticed I was starting to tear. She asked if I wanted to be cut and I quickly said yes! Once the cut had been done Jacob was born after a few more pushes

 

[trixipaws]

it freaked me out too- i bought perinneal massage oil off of the internet and got my boyf to do it on me thru 3rd tri in the hope i'd get away with it- i didnt- i had a 2nd degree requiring 2 stitches
it was nowhere near as bad as i'd thought it'd be tho, healed in a few days. to reduce the chance of tearing u need to take ur time pushing to allow it to stretch slowly and not bust open- but unfortunately some women cant do that if they bebies in distress and needs to get out quickly.
it helps if u can feel the pain too i think- altho i did tear it wasnt a big one (1 or 2 centimetres) coz i wasnt on any drugs so could feel it stretching it burns it stops u from pushing too hard!

 

[Babylicious]

they did one on me as I would have torn prefer that to tearing tbh

 

[happy-chick]

I had an epistotomy because she was distressed and needed to come out quickly.

 

[amzhunny]

I had one but i had no choice, I had a delayed second stage and amber just wasnt coming out! I had ventouse and they needed to cut me to get her head through - her head wasnt big so must just have a small birth canal!!

The midwifes and/or doctors are there if it comes to it and if they are anything like mine they will help every step of the way. The way i see it, whatever happens or is needed to happen will just a bugga about the pain after! lol

 

[lisa282]

I had a 2nd degree tear, due mostly to him being a big baby - 8lb 14oz - and just pushing so hard. I was terrified of tearing before I went into labour as you just don't know what to expect, and the thought horrified me thinking of the pain, but to be honest, you really don't feel it. Once the baby is crowning and forcing their own way out, it already burns and stings like hell so you don't notice much else. I wasn't even aware I had torn until after when they said I had to be stitched. It's not so bad, and it doesn't take too long to heal, I was sore for about a week but I'm sure you would be anyway with everything stretching so much. I don't know so much about an episiotomy as I've no experience but I expect it's probably quite similar. My m/w did say that tears usually heal better than epi's though..not sure how true this is.

 

[Ani]

Ufffff.... not sure if I wanted to know all this, now that I asked... No, I am joking, thank you all for such detailed advice. I never knew about the massage, I guess its worth a try!

The idea of being stitched back up also repulses me... I think I am just thinking about it too much. I am gonna forget about it now, and I will think about it in 7 months time or so...

Thanks again!!