Is episiotomy necessary for normal delivery?

Many mothers hate episiotomy wounds and are worried about them, but episiotomy wounds are actually one of the ways to protect the mother's body tissues. We all know that a cesarean section involves an immediate cut in the abdomen, so no episiotomy is required. So, on the other hand, will choosing a natural birth definitely result in an episiotomy?

Whether or not to have an episiotomy is different for everyone. It does not mean that every mother who chooses a natural birth must have an episiotomy. Whether the episiotomy wound is caused by the size of the fetus and the elasticity of the mother's birth canal is greatly related. If the fetus is relatively large and the elasticity of the pregnant woman's vaginal muscles is relatively poor, it will easily cause serious tears in the perineum, such as the anus and vagina. Therefore, episiotomy must be performed at this time.

Isn’t it easier to feel the pain of episiotomy wound when giving birth?

Every pregnant woman experiences pain differently, so the degree of pain felt by everyone from the episiotomy wound is also different. Some mothers have a higher pain threshold, coupled with the pain of childbirth, so they basically cannot feel the pain of the episiotomy wound. On the other hand, if the pain threshold is relatively low, pregnant women can still feel it.

How to prevent episiotomy wounds?

Expectant mothers can practice some yoga exercises, such as breaststroke and weighted squats. These two methods can improve the elasticity of the pelvic floor muscles, and you should also pay attention to controlling your weight to avoid making the fetus look too big.

Many small doubts about episiotomy wound

1. What is episiotomy?

Episiotomy refers to making an oblique incision on the vulva, which can prevent perineal tearing in pregnant women, protect the pelvic floor muscles, and the surgical incision is easier to repair and heal better.

2. What kind of pregnant mother needs an episiotomy?

When the fetus is delivered in the head position, the perineum cannot be fully expanded; it is estimated that a tear of degree II or above will occur when the fetus is delivered in the head position; forceps or vacuum extractor are required for midwifery; if the pregnant woman suffers from heart disease or high blood pressure, the second stage of labor needs to be shortened.

3. How long will the episiotomy wound take and how much will it cost?

It does not need to take time to cut slowly, but can be cut quickly in an instant with medical scissors, and the length of the cut is only about 2-5cm. When the pain from an episiotomy is severe, you may not even realize that it has been cut!

4. Will the wound recovery period affect the couple's life?

It's not easy. First of all, the wound in the vagina is sutured with catgut, which will be quickly absorbed by the body, so there is no need to worry about discomfort during AA; the elastic fibers in the female vagina are like rubber bands, which will stretch when pulled hard, and return to normal when let go, so the vagina will not relax!

Therefore, expectant mothers should not think too much and let the doctor decide whether an episiotomy is needed during delivery!