Re: controversy regarding episiotomies
From: Barbara (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Fri, 23 Oct 1998 19:22:40 -0500 (CDT)
I had no episiotomy and no epidural when my daughter was born 13 years
ago. Came to the hospital at 4:30 in the morning, had her three hours
later. Nurses insisted that because I was first time mom I probably
wouldn't have her until late that evening. They were a little off.
I tore badly and had many stitches. Healing was not fun but sex
afterwards was great and always has been.
We celebrated our 20th wedding anniversay last week...I'm convinced it's
the stitches from the birth of my daughter :).
At Thu, 22 Oct 1998, Connie wrote:
>
>At Sat, 10 Oct 1998, emily wrote:
>>
>>hello,
>>I am a nursing student at the university of southern maine and am doing
>>a project on episiotomies during childbirth. I would like to hear some
>>opinions from health professionals and women about whether or not you
>>advocate them and why and vice versa.
>>thank you
>
>HI EMILY -- I am responding to your request -- Today's date is Oct. 22
>
>I am a mother of one -- my son was born 2 1/2 years ago.
>He weighed 7 pounds 10.8 ounces at birth -- normal sized baby.
>
>My response to your episiotomy question is: EPISIOTOMIES ARE TERRIBLE.
>Ideally, the OB/GYN should try to do the perineal massage -- MINE
>probably never even heard of that. And all OB/GYN's should try as much
>as possible to deliver the child naturally, and help ease the baby out
>-- with minimal or no tearing. I wish my doctor had done this. Instead
>-- this is how things went.
>
>My pregnancy was GREAT -- no problems whatsoever. Child was in
>EXCELLENT position for delivery --head totally engaged, etc...NO signs
>of fetal distress whatsoever. Had passed the NON-STRESS test with
>EXCELLENT accelerations etc.... BABY was born just 2 days after due
>date.
>
>DELIVERY -- well -- my water broke at home at 4:30 am -- and I called
>doctor who said to go to hospital -- No meconium was present -- no
>problems -- all clear liquid -- EVERYTHING excellent. I got to hopsital
>-- was 2 to 3 centimeters. This was around 6:00 am.
>By 8:00 am was 6 centimeters -- pain was obviously getting a bit hard.
>My hubby and my mom were there and so was the nurse who didn't have a
>single CLUE about natural childbirth or helping me with breathing or
>supporting me -- you know it is really scary having a first child -- and
>my mom was totally useless in there. Well, doctor showed up -- at the 6
>centimeters mark and told me to take epidural -- that "if I don't take
>it now -- I'll never be able to take it later etc.." You know -- the
>WHOLE convincing argument to take it. I said "NO" - I said it is not
>good to take it. He said I was stupid -- that everyone takes it etc...
>and that his wife had taken it all 3 deliveries. Guess what -- turns
>out later -- I find out AFTER I DELIVERED that his wife had had 3
>cesareans -- I mean what was she supposed to do -- bite down on a cloth
>???? Of course she had an epidural.
>
>Well, my chances of natural childbirth went out the window -- as a first
>time mom who didn't know much -- my BIRTH PLAN and all these hopes I had
>for drug-free delivery went out the window--
>It was stupid that I was so easily convinced to take it -- but there was
>my doctor calling me stupid. I thought I was.
>Well, he wanted to go back to his office to examine more patients and he
>wanted to speed things up for me too. I believe this was due to the
>whole managed health care system -- NO TIME FOR PATIENT. In addition,
>unfortunately, he really believes in the whole drug thing. He gave me
>pitocin too. I mean I had gone from 2 to 6 cms. in 2
>hours -- what did he want to speed up????!!!!
>
>So he said, that the baby would most likely be ready to come out around
>12 noon time, and he left.
>Well, there I was UNABLE to move -- nurse wouldn't even let me drink
>water -- she said it would make me throw up-- I kept asking for some
>water or chewing gum -- my mouth was dry -- she said NO -- ONLY Ice
>chips. And she barely let me put any in my mouth. I mean, I hadn't
>thrown up my ENTIRE pregnancy -- not once!!! Why would I throw up now??
>And if so, BIG DEAL. I was thirsty. Guess what??? NO WATER. SHe said
>the IV fluid was enough. SO I was stuck there on the bed the whole
>time.
>
>Guess what ??? Doctor thought baby was going to come out at 12 noon.
>Well, Baby wanted to come out at 10:15 am -- just 2 hours later. I was
>at 10 cms. And TOTALLY UNABLE TO FEEL A THING!!!!!! So I was unable to
>push. I was so afraid. I couldn't feel ANY contractions. NOTHING!!!
>so the doctor was called back to the hospital and when he came he said
>NOT to worry -- he would get baby out.
>I said PLEASE no episiotomy -- he said AGAIN that I was being ridiculous
>-- that if I didn't have one that when I would laugh or sneeze my pee
>would leak out -- "God Forbid," I thought. And how naive I was. I
>mean, I had read SO MANY books on childbirth -- and this was an UNTRUE
>statement according to those who believed in natural childbirth. And my
>opinion was with the natural childbirth and no episiotomy school of
>thought.
>
>Anyway, well, there I was -- legs spread eagle -- I was so naive -- and
>I said do whatever you want. So he cut me and vacuumed the baby out --
>because I couldn't get the urge to push. He did not want to wait for
>the epidural to wear off. I got a 3rd degree tear of course. Right
>through the anal sphincter. AND I got another deep tear in the vaginal
>wall inside on the right side -- one that really still hurts -
>especially when it rains or is very humid. And on the tears, the doctor
>sutured TOO tightly.
>
>HEALING WAS TERRIBLE. My sex life was terrible after that. And still
>is. My husband left me because of all that pain and sexual frustration
>that eventually set in in his life with my problem. This is very sad
>for me -- because we had been married for 7 years and had had a GREAT
>sex life. I was a very healthy woman. I am 32 now. My vagina is a
>mess. To top it all off -- the OB/GYN didn't cut and sew me
>symmetrically. Right at the vaginal opening -- the skin is totally
>asymmetrical. So the healing of the scar and the skin is overlapping,
>and it still hurts me after such a long time. My sex life is a TOTAL
>ZERO!!!! And of course, as you can imagine, I also carry many emotional
>scars because of this.
>
>I was checked by some other OB/GYN's and they all agreed it was a lousy
>episiotomy. They also read my hospital charts and the baby's status
>during the delivery. The heartbeats etc... EVERYTHING WAS very normal
>with the baby. The other OB/GYN who I saw afterwards was a woman -- she
>told me that she has no problem giving an epidural to her patients - but
>that she does the entire perineal massage with warm oil etc.. and she
>waits for the epidural to wear off. She told me that the OB who
>delivered me should have never given me the pitocin because I had shown
>such good dilating pattern etc. But he wanted to speed things up.
>
>MY MESSAGE IS: listen to what I wrote above and don't let this happen to
>anyone. Episiotomy is terrible. The scar tissue is painful. And worst
>yet when the doctor who performs is isn't skilled. The female OB I
>mentioned above told me that when she performs an episiotomy (in those
>cases when it is necessary for the safety of baby) she does it as if she
>were a plastic surgeon. VERY CAREFULLY. The vagina is a sentitive,
>sexual organ. And if a doctor has to perform an episiotomy -- well, he
>better do it SKILLFULLY. Cut clean and sew it back the way you found
>it. You would think that my doctor had never seen a vagina before. I
>had plenty of supporting medical files to sue him. But after my
>divorce, the last thing I wanted, was to be in another courtroom and
>re-live the episiotomy horror that still haunts me.
>
>To conclude, to all doctors out there delivering babies-- AVOID
>EPISIOTOMIES!!!!! And IF in fact you must perform one -- do it nicely.
>Finally, I think that when one must perform an episiotomy -- one must be
>talented and able to perform a surgical procedure NEATLY in such a small
>and sensitive area of the body. There is no reason to rush it and
>suture it up as if you were sewing up an animal. GOSH -- imagine if it
>were a man's penis -- the DELICATE care a male doctor would put into it.
>What I have found out speaking to other women who have delivered is that
>most of the women OB/GYN's are more careful to prevent the episiotomy.
>And that when they perform one -- they do a better job cutting and
>sewing it up than the male OB/GYN's.
>
>Emily, I hope my remarks have helped you. I would appreciate any
>comments you could send me about what I said.
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