Are you planning for vaginal delivery? Then you should be aware with episiotomy, in which a surgical incision is made in the muscular area of perineum to enlarge your vaginal opening.
Most of the obstetricians used to cut episiotomies routinely to speed the delivery and also to prevent vaginal tearing, especially during the first vaginal delivery.
But, many studies and researches over last 20 years have disproved this theory of episiotomies and most of the experts now believe that episiotomy shouldn’t be done routinely.
Conditions that leads to episiotomy!
Even though many experts don’t encourage episiotomies, there are few conditions that can necessarily recommend episiotomy for your own or for well-being of your new born baby. These particular conditions mainly include:
- Birth is about to happen and your perineum hasn’t had any time to stretch slowly.
- Your baby’s head is too large for your vaginal opening and your health care provider needs a little extra space to manipulate the baby, so that he\she can come out.
- If your tissue is starting to bleed or looks like it is about to tear in different places as your baby’s head begins to crown. In this kind of situation, episiotomy is strongly recommended for your baby and also for your wellbeing.
- When your baby is in abnormal or breech position and there is a complication in your delivery, episiotomy is recommended. Even, if you are not able to control your pushing during delivery, this particular surgical incision is recommended.
If you need an episiotomy, you’ll receive an injection of local anesthesia to numb the tissue. You will not feel any pain while your surgeon makes an incision or repair it after delivery.
Healing from episiotomy!
If you have an episiotomy or tear during delivery, you can suffer with wound for a week or two, particularly when you walk or sit. If this incision or tear is extensive, the tenderness can last longer. So, here are few tips for you that can possibly help you in healing the wound.
- Always keep the wound clean. You can use squirt bottle to rinse the wounded tissue and anus after toilet.
- Sit down carefully. If sitting is really uncomfortable for you, use a doughnut shaped cushion to ease the pressure.
- Regularly practice kegel exercises. This can help you to tone your pelvic floor muscles and also to tighten the pelvic floor muscles.
Follow these necessary measures after your episiotomy to prevent various complications associated with it. Consult your doctor regularly and consider all essential measures given by him to get well soon.
