- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
3rd Trimester
Episiotomy: Is it better to tear or be cut?
What do you ladies think? Im writing my birth plan and trying to decide.
Warning
No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Episiotomy: Is it better to tear or be cut?
My BFP Chart
med-free birth x2, breastfeeding, baby wearing SAHM
My BFP Chart
this! I had a big baby and didn't tear. My mother gave birth to 4, when she had my sister and I it was standard everyone got one. With the next 2 she tore with both but she said the recovery was soooo much better tearing then being cut that she completely understood why they stopped. she also did not have an epi with either of the last 2. My my baby sis she tore all the way said she didn't even know till they told her, and with my brother she only tore a little. I would hold off. Not everyone tears
I am anti-episiotmy! Those scissors will go no where near my lady parts!!!! This is why I have a midwife who also agrees. With DS I took my chances on tearing and only required 3 stiches.
I have read plently of birth stories where the woman is having trouble and cutting seems to help. It is just not my style.
What I've read is you can tear much worse when you have an episiotomy first. After all - if you were going to tear a piece of fabric, it would tear a heck of a lot easier if it had a 'starter' cut, right?
The only reason OBs started doing episiotomies was in the 50s and 60s when almost every delivery was with forceps. They had to make a wider opening for the forceps to go in. Now that we don't use forceps any more (or very rarely) they are not really necessary, but OBs still do them as standard procedure a lot of the time.
I will only have one if the baby will NOT fit through otherwise (which is highly unlikely)
Episiotomies are associated with a higher number of severe tears than tearing naturally.
med-free birth x2, breastfeeding, baby wearing SAHM
My BFP Chart
I just wanted to add something else my doula told me, for those of you who do not want an episiotomy.
My best friend had discussed her birth plan thoroughly with her ob and they were in total agreement about no episiotomies, and was in the middle of pushing and all was going fine when the OB swooped in and cut her open. She honestly thinks he completely forgot about the birth plan.
I asked my doula how you would even prevent something like this, and she said the ONLY reason a doctor will reach for scissors prior to the baby coming out is to do an episiotomy.
So if you don't want one, maybe put your husband on 'scissors alert' - just in case.
Levi 4.21.10
ITA!
I don't have experience with it.
However, my doctors don't "believe" in episiotomyies so looks like I'm tearing if I need to! hopefully it's better to tear.
The Nutty Life
I am pretty anti-episiotomy. DH is instructed to not let anyone near my vagina with a scalpel.
The up-to-date OBs will generally avoid them. My practice does them in less than 10% of vaginal deliveries, and it's usually when there is some kind of instrument assist happening (vacuum, forceps, etc.).
I tore - 2nd degree. Everything I have read said that is easier to recover from under normal circumstances.
It depends on the type (location) and degree of the tear.
I'd prefer a smaller tear than an episiotomy. However, some tears are more traumatic and will seriously hinder sexual life well after post-pregnancy healing has occurred. In this case, I'd prefer an episiotomy.
I didn't read all the responses, but from my research & speaking w/ my Drs & childbirth class instructor it's not a matter of opinion anymore. It's better to tear. A cut will have longer healing times & more difficult healing. Skin heals better when it is jagged, not cut.
I know there are times when an episiotomy in the better choice, like if a baby is huge & a mom will have 4th degree tears or something, but that isn't super common.
DD1 born 5/24/10.
Missed M/C at 14 wks Feb 2012.
DD2 born 5/14/13.
Missed M/C at 9 wks July 2015.
I had an episiotomy with DS (he got "stuck" right at his eyebrows and the cord was wrapped around his neck).
Like some of the pp stated, a tear is a tear is a tear. I still had stitches that needed to heal and were uncomfortable and if it means getting the next baby out faster because she needed it - I wouldn't mind being cut again.
Zachary Ryan - 1/13/08 - 6lbs 15oz, 20.5 inches
Lilia Rose - 5/11/10 - 8lbs 6oz, 21 inches
I went into labor with #1 being totally anti-episiotomy. After 2 hours and 45 minutes of pushing, and meconium aspiration concerns, and no natural tearing occuring, my doc asked if she could perform one. I said yes. Next push, out came my boy. Recovery from the episiotomy was very easy.
Do I want one this time? Not if I don't need it. Will I be okay having one? Yes.
I have always heard it is better to tear on your own. Think of a piece of fabric...if you make a cut and then pull, it tears way easier and further than if you just try to tear it where no tear has started.
I had an episiotomy and THEN tore with DD. THAT was bad. I will do everything in my power to avoid the episiotomy this time around. There is no doubt in my mind that the episiotomy is the reason i tore. maybe i still would have eventually torn a bit, but not a 4th plus tear.