How many of you had one? Also if you didn't get one did you naturally "rip"? sorry...I had a friend send me this video on them and I'm scared out of my witts end atm...
Routine episiotomies are not commonly done anymore. Studies have shown that even if you do tear during delivery, it's much easier to repair and much smaller of a tear than having an episiotomy done and you heal quicker too. I did not have an episiotomy and I did not tear in my perenial area. I did have a small tear on the side that required 2-3 stitches. It really was no big deal. It healed very quickly. I still have some scar tissue there, but it doesn't bother me. I would never want an episiotomy. My midwife was really good at massaging my perineum during labor and that allowed it to stretch naturally without tearing.
I'll try to keep it short. For my birthplan I had NO EPI, NO EPISIOTOMY, NO THIS NO THAT, but in the end, the Spinal and the Episiotomy helped me have a baby after laboring for 26 hours! I was told I would have to have a cseciton because I was not progressing after about 25 hours of labor. So we went to the OR to prep me, they gave me the spinal, I dialated to 10cm in seconds, and was ready to push. They had to give me an epi so that they could go ahead and delivery her vaginally , using a little vacuum suction, right there on the operating table. I was so blessed to have my baby in my arms, and no surgery. So it helped me, now I look at it differently. Most docs won't do it unless they see a tear on the horizon and are trying to help get the baby out. God bless,
Keisha
I ripped, and really you dont even notice it, it burned for about a second once it happend. Healing is really not that bad either. Right after my delivery i had to go pee before they let me leave my delivery room, and it only burned a bit, not much. As for going home or walking it wasnt bad either! Dont think about this to much, its really not a big deal at all!
Oh and let me add--your hooha is gonna hurt either way unless you have a csection. I don't think you'll be able to tell the difference between episiotomy pain, rip pain, or just the "burning ring of fire" pain from having a baby come out of there.
my dr had to give me one because i was starting to tare. i had no problems walk it was tender to sit but motrin works great. it didn't burn or anything. everything i read and was told by other people is that it's less painful, easier to repair and heals better than taring.
With DD I had an episiotomy, but I did not with DS. I definitely healed quicker without having one. I did tear a little with DS, but it only required 1 stitch. Not a big deal at all considering that I had 5 stitches with the epis. Perennial(sp) massage generally is a better way to go then opting to get an episiotomy, but I do believe that less and less hospitals are doing them as a first option.
WooHoo!! We made it to 9 months of breastfeeding!!!
I agree with you. When I asked my OB about episiotomies and her feelings. She said she only does them in extreme medically needed sittuations and in her career has only had to perform two of them. She said the same as this poster stated. That it was better to tear because it does heal faster. Also a cut can cause you to tear even further. She explained it like this. Get a towel make a small cut at one end of it. Now pull. Then get a towel with no cut and pull. Which pulls apart easier? She also spoke to DH and I about perineum massages before labor and during labor. I had a 2nd degree tear. The OB did stitch it. It really didn't hurt me and healed rather quickly. Now what hurt worse than that was what my nurse refered to as "skid marks" basically when my son came out he scratched me.
Quoting butterflyblu:Routine episiotomies are not commonly done anymore. Studies have shown that even if you do tear during delivery, it's much easier to repair and much smaller of a tear than having an episiotomy done and you heal quicker too. I did not have an episiotomy and I did not tear in my perenial area. I did have a small tear on the side that required 2-3 stitches. It really was no big deal. It healed very quickly. I still have some scar tissue there, but it doesn't bother me. I would never want an episiotomy. My midwife was really good at massaging my perineum during labor and that allowed it to stretch naturally without tearing.
I had my baby completely natural, at home, and I ended up tearing but not enough that required any stiching. My midwives did a great job massaging me down. Afterwards it was more like a burning sensation, like when you pee in water. I would bathe myself with salt, not tooo much water, but just enough and that helped heal way faster! Don't think about it, just let your body take over, it's all about mind control. Good Luck :)
This may be TMI but I could really use some advice. Please!!!!
- millie1324
on Aug. 13, 2009 at 8:28 AM