Episiotomy (Vaginal Scissors) During Childbirth, Will It Happen?

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Medical Video: Episiotomy

When you give birth in a normal way, some of you may need an episiotomy. Yes, some pregnant women may need it and others don't. An episiotomy is performed to facilitate normal labor. However, what exactly is an episiotomy and why don't all pregnant women need it?

What is an episiotomy?

An episiotomy is surgery in the muscle area between the vagina and anus (perineum) when a pregnant woman gives birth normally. This is done to enlarge your vaginal opening, so you are easier and faster in giving birth to a baby.

Many consider that an episiotomy can help prevent a bigger vaginal tear during childbirth, and this episiotomy wound can heal faster than a naturally torn vagina. In addition, episiotomy is also thought to help protect muscle tissue and connective tissue on the pelvic floor.

However, many recent studies have shown that episiotomy does not really prevent this problem. In fact, episiotomy wounds may be worse than natural vaginal tears. An episiotomy can make you lose more blood during childbirth, recovery of episiotomy wounds can be more painful and longer, episiotomy incisions can be longer, and mothers are also more likely to get infections. Sometimes, a very long episiotomy can cause you to experience fecal incontinence (difficulty controlling bowel movements). In some women, an episiotomy can also cause pain during sex in the early months after giving birth.

Therefore, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and a number of other experts stated that an episiotomy should not be performed on every mother who gave birth normally.

Who needs an episiotomy?

Some pregnant women may be better off experiencing a vaginal tear naturally during childbirth. However, some others need an episiotomy to facilitate the delivery. Some conditions that encourage an episiotomy during your normal delivery are:

  • The size of the baby is very large (baby macrosomia)
  • Babies need to be born as soon as possible. This is due to a condition commonly referred to as fetal distress (fetal distress), such as the baby's heart rate is unstable (increasing or decreasing) before birth. In this condition, the baby may not get enough oxygen, so the baby needs to be born as soon as possible to ensure the baby is born safely.
  • The baby is in a position that is not supposed to be, breech position for example.
  • It is possible that the vagina will experience a very long tear if no episiotomy is performed.
  • Babies have difficulty being born
  • Mothers need labor assisted by forceps or vacuum, so an episiotomy needs to be done for pregnant women to expand the vagina or the way out the baby.
  • Mother cannot control herself when pushing or pushing her baby out
  • The time of birth is near, but the perineum is not wide enough
  • Mothers have serious health conditions, such as heart disease. This makes the mother have to give birth as soon as possible to avoid more serious health risks.

How is the episiotomy done?

When an episiotomy is deemed necessary for you, your doctor will give you a local anesthetic injection to make the injected part numb, so you don't feel pain. Then the doctor will make a small incision around your perineum just before the baby is born. After your baby is born, then the doctor will sew back the incision. You may be re-injected locally if the effect of numbness on you has decreased. After several weeks, episiotomy sutures will usually be absorbed and merged with the body.

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How to recover episiotomy wounds to be faster?

If you get an episiotomy or experience a torn vagina during childbirth, you may need several weeks to recover. If the cut or tear is very long, you can feel longer pain. However, calm down, you can do the following things to speed up your recovery.

  • Apply an ice pack to the wound to relieve pain and prevent swelling.
  • Rinse the genitals with warm water after urinating, then dry them by gently tapping them with a dry towel.
  • Press the pad (pads) clean on the wound when you defecate, this is done to prevent pain and stretch during defecation.
  • Sit carefully, try to sit on a pillow or a soft place.
  • Use drugs according to a doctor's prescription, usually these drugs are given to relieve pain or to soften your stool.
  • You can also do traditional treatments with lavender oil. You can use lavender oil by adding a few drops of lavender oil to the water you use for bathing or you can also apply lavender oil directly to the area between the vaginal opening and the anus (perineum).

If you feel pain that does not go away in the wound (even worse the pain), fever, or wounds emit pus, you should immediately see a doctor. It is feared, this could be a sign of infection.

READ ALSO

  • Normal Childbirth: Here's the Process and Stages
  • Doesn't Want Vagina Torn When Giving Birth? Try Perineum Massage
  • Changes in the Vagina After Childbirth
Episiotomy (Vaginal Scissors) During Childbirth, Will It Happen?
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