Episiotomy—Benefits and why is it required?

Overview

For a woman, giving birth to a child is one of the most critical moments of her life. It consumes immense energy, both mentally and physically. Delivering a child is associated with lots of complications, more in our earlier times than now. 

One such complication is the vaginal tear that sometimes happens during the delivery. There are plenty of causes that may cause a tear, for instance, the size of the child inside the womb, its position, etc. 

To avoid this complication, an episiotomy is performed. It is a procedure performed by a doctor or a midwife who makes a cut along the perineum—a muscular area situated between the vagina and the anus. 

The complications of episiotomy are not negligible, yet the advantages of episiotomy are more than its shortcomings. In this blog, we will see what episiotomy is, how and why it is performed, and whether it is safe. 

What is an episiotomy?

Episiotomy is a procedure that is done by a medical practitioner if you are likely to experience a vaginal tear while delivering your baby during labour. The doctor will cut the perineum area to facilitate the delivery. 

The following situations are the indications of episiotomy:

• If you seem to experience the vaginal tear during the delivery
• If your baby’s position is abnormal
• If your baby is of good size
• In case of early delivery
• In case of forceps delivery
• In case of previous perineal tear history
• If the perineum is rigid

Earlier, episiotomy used to be a normal part of childbirth, but with time, its frequency has come down. This is because people in the past believed that episiotomy would cause reduced pain and complications than a vaginal tear. It was also believed that people could easily heal episiotomy compared to vaginal tears. 

But recent studies say otherwise. Scientists observed that the complications of episiotomy might be more than that of the vaginal tear. Also, it might cause infections and take a longer time to heal.  

How to recover from an episiotomy?

If you undergo this procedure, your doctor repairs it within some time after the delivery. You will experience bleeding until your doctor closes your wound with sutures. 

Unlike stitches, sutures dissolve on their own. So, you do not have to visit the hospital to remove them. They will dissolve and be gone in a month. 

It is common for you to feel pain after your episiotomy. Based on the degree and the type of your episiotomy, the intensity of the pain varies. 

Your doctor will suggest some steps and prescribe medications to relieve you from the pain. Here are some ways that can be helpful after episiotomy:

• Put on a cold pack on the perineum
• Take medications that relieve your pain
• Avoid lifting heavyweights
• Avoid performing difficult tasks that may strain your pelvic area

In conclusion

Pregnancy and childbirth can be overwhelming and put you under a lot of stress, along with fear of physical pain. It is the time when you need to be mentally strong. 

Episiotomy is indeed a crucial procedure to ensure the safety of both the child and the mother. By knowing the complications involved in this procedure, you can be well prepared if a situation arises. 

If you have already undergone this medical procedure, follow the steps that you need to take to get over the pain. However, if you feel severe pain or bleeding, visit your doctor right away.