Episiotomy vs. Tearing?

KansasFarmMomma · October 2011

I want to talk to my doctor about this at my appointment on Monday.

From everything I've read it, I feel like it would heal faster & have less pain if I was allowed to tear naturally if that is what my body is going to do, versus getting an episiotomy and still having the risk of tearing anyway.

I don't know what my doctors feelings are because we have not discussed it yet, however he has been very supportive so far in my choices throughout my pregnancy.

What are your plans? Is it foolish to ask to not have one?

stephers_7 · October 2011

My doctor said she hates epesiotomies and won't do them. That made me feel better acutally knowing that. She said there's more risk for infection and she thinks its down right torture for a woman to heal from a scalpel cut down there.

nilly5 · October 2011

I ended up getting cut & I honestly was healed down there w/ in 2 weeks. Being cut helped w/ me NOT tearing.

kaymaroo · October 2011

My doctor doesn't perform them unless absolutely necessary. He told me that very often a tear wouldn't have happened anyway and the mother has to heal from an unnecessary procedure.

[Deleted User] · October 2011

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stephers_7 · October 2011

KimmieS1756:
I took the advice of my mid-wife last time and as we neared the end I started doing perineal massages with a little oil. It helps stretch the tissues and is suppose to help get the tissues to stretch more easily with less chance of tearing.
I think it worked. I ended up not tearing or anything at all. Just a thought.

Can I just spray it with PAM?

kymberleyd22 · October 2011

Can I just spray it with PAM? Bahaha stephers that's hilarious! (but seriously, will that work? Stick out tongue

2gr8pits · October 2011

Everything I have heard says if you do not force the pushing then your body will take care of itself. It is when you are pushing and not ready that you tear.

On another note, my clueless husband wants to know why the doctor can't use vaseline or body balm to help slide the baby out with no tear....everyday when I am balming up my belly, butt and boobs he asks why not just use that up there too!

lala1608 · October 2011

This is a tough one...I usually have an opinion on EVERYTHING but I am on the fence about this. With my first, my doc made a teeny tiny snip when she saw that I was beginning to tear so I would tear along the snip and it was wasn't bad. I think the thought is that a strategically placed straight tear will heal better and quicker than a jagged tear. With my second I tore a little bit along the same line as I did with my first.

But I still wonder if I really would have tore if she had never snipped me in the first place...

dottymobo · October 2011

Current research supports that episiotomy does not heal better or reduce tearing. At the large university hospital I'll deliver at, they are almost never done anymore by any of the OBs or MWs for that reason. It's a useful intervention when getting the baby out ASAP is the concern, but that's about it. A doctor that defended it's regular use would send me running the other way.

acalan13 · October 2011

Our hospital doesn't do episomotomy's anymore....here I tear!

KansasFarmMomma · October 2011

Wow, thanks for all of the opinions & advice! I'm pretty much going to say that I don't want one unless it is an absolute last resort...

lala1608 · October 2011

2gr8pits:
Everything I have heard says if you do not force the pushing then your body will take care of itself. It is when you are pushing and not ready that you tear.

On another note, my clueless husband wants to know why the doctor can't use vaseline or body balm to help slide the baby out with no tear....everyday when I am balming up my belly, butt and boobs he asks why not just use that up there too!

WOW, I have never heard this...I would have to disagree.

mirandagc91 · October 2011

In my birthing plan I have chosen to tear naturally. Heals quicker, less painful healing (from what I've been told), less risk of infection, typically not as deep. I know some doctors, if you don't choose to have an epidural, will go ahead and give you a local anesthesia in case you tear so that you don't feel it so that may be something to ask your doctor about. I haven't talked to my doctor about it yet we will go over our plan between 32-36 weeks sometime. I don't know what the hospital policy is since we haven't gone to classes yet or taken a tour yet, we'll be doing starting the classes on Oct. 26th so maybe we will hear something then.

lala1608 · October 2011

I do know that some hospitals will do perineal massage during labor so you have less chance of tearing. I might ask about it this time around.

alexvause · October 2011

My birth plan will indicate no episiotomy unless the baby is in distress and they have to get her out asap

LDQAM516 · October 2011

Just ask what they do in that situation. I, personally, would rather tear naturally...

MessyMommy · October 2011

My hospital (Naval Hospital) does not do episiotomy ... they actually have you sign a form that acknowledges you understand that they dont and wont.

lageorgiapaperie · October 2011

I thought they were a good idea, however I saw this on TB the other day.

Take a piece of fabric. Try and tear it. Then do a little snip in the fabric and try to tear it again. The cut fabric tears a whole lot easier! I should have made the connection having worked at JoAnn Fabrics for years while in hs and college, but it's so true!

GoldenPeaches · October 2011

lala1608:
This is a tough one...I usually have an opinion on EVERYTHING but I am on the fence about this. With my first, my doc made a teeny tiny snip when she saw that I was beginning to tear so I would tear along the snip and it was wasn't bad. I think the thought is that a strategically placed straight tear will heal better and quicker than a jagged tear. With my second I tore a little bit along the same line as I did with my first.
But I still wonder if I really would have tore if she had never snipped me in the first place...

See this is where I disagree. Everything I've read says that when allowed to tear naturally, the body will take the "path of least resistance" even if it is jagged, which lends for an easier recovery.

My MWs absolutely do not perform episiotomies and I will not be getting one.

KansasFarmMomma · October 2011

I'm not sure if the massage works or not, but I am certainly going to be trying it for the few weeks before labor!

MissBHaven1024 · October 2011

In my birth plan I stated that I do not want an episiotomy unless it's absolutely necessary. My midwife has told me that they have a very low rate of needing to perform them, and that they have found other methods, such as perineal massage and warm compresses to be much more beneficial, rather than creating an artificial tear.

DubsWifey · October 2011

Just speaking from experience, I will not get one! I had one with my son and it took forever to heal I thought I would never have sex again it hurt so bad. I was allowed to tear naturally with my daughter and it healed perfect just your normal delivery pains. and felt normal down there after just 5 weeks actually prob less. I think cutting down there is not normal if your body needs to tear it will where it needs to.

Episiotomy vs. Tearing?

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