PREGNANCY-BIRTH Messages for March, 1999: Re: How to Avoid Episiotomy?

Re: How to Avoid Episiotomy?

From: Rachael (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Thu, 11 Mar 1999 18:00:33 -0600 (CST)

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In reply to: anonymous@obgyn.net: "How to Avoid Episiotomy?"

At Thu, 11 Mar 1999, anonymous@obgyn.net wrote: >
>How does a woman avoid episiotomy during delivery?
>Just relax? Can a woman refuse to have an episiotomy if it
>is the doctor's/hospital's routine practice to perform one?
>(I don't know the policy here in Canada). Is it better to get stitched
>up after any tear than to have an episiotomy?
>I read that having an episiotomy INCREASES the incidence of tearing
>because it is like fabric-if you snip the edge it rips more easily than
>if there's no cut.
>
>Thanks for the advice.

I think you will find that this is a very controversial topic. There are about as many opinions on episiotomies as there are health care providers, and some feel very strongly about it, one way or the other. I did a lot of reading about this topic before I had my baby.

Personally, I had an epis. with my daughter, it healed up nicely, and I can tell no difference now 4.5 months later. My daughter was small, and I probably could have had her without one, but I had low amniotic fluid, and she was getting a bit distressed towards the end of labor, and my OB wanted her out ASAP. Good call, I think, I wasn't given much choice and I'm definitely not complaining.

Kegels and perineal massage are thought to decrease the chances of tearing or episiotomy. Unfortunately there is no way to test this, if you think about it. When women tear after one, there is absolutely no way to go back and see if she would have torn without it anyway. I did Kegels faithfully, and I was able to push out my daughter in about 25 minutes.

The best thing is to talk to your health care provider, and get his/her opinion and experience with this issue. There are about a million different things that can happen during pregnancy/labor/delivery, and this is just one of them.

Good luck on your search!

Next message: Deborah: "Surgery during pregnancy"
Previous message: William D. McIntosh, MD: "Re: How to Avoid Episiotomy?"
In reply to: anonymous@obgyn.net: "How to Avoid Episiotomy?"

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