I was so curious about the process of episiotomy and vaginal tears that I read a lot about it before going into the labor room, but I tell you, no amount of reading prepared me enough for the pain I felt during the surgical procedure of the tear.
I heard the doctor say, episiotomy is better than having vaginal tears so it was done on me, but after delivery, I still had extra vaginal tears which made it worse ( I guess).
Let's begin with episiotomy is all about, it is a procedure that involves an incision made in the perineum, the portion between the anus and the opening of the vagina.
Image source
The procedure is carried out whenever the opening of the vagina does not stretch well enough for the baby to come out easily. When the baby's head stretches to several centimeters in the vagina opening, a physician would usually carry out an episiotomy.
After the successful delivery of a child and placenta, the physician will stitch the incision. The major goal of episiotomy is to prevent serious tears from affecting the perineum, there are various degrees of vaginal tears.
Physicians recommend episiotomy for various reasons, a large baby, vacuum delivery, complicated baby positions, fetal distress, premature baby, and when the labor pushing stage is taking too long. The procedure for episiotomy can be categorized into seven;
Image source
Median or medial episiotomy which is a middle incision, this incision begins at the fourchette and then extends to half the length of the central tendon of the perineum.
Modified median mean is another type where the incision is done in the subcutaneous tissues transversely.
J-shaped episiotomy requires the incision to start at the midline and later directed towards the ischial tuberosity, and because it has a J-like appearance.
Lateral episiotomy is around 1-2cm from the midline, and the incision is directed toward ischial tuberosity.
Radical lateral is the same as lateral episiotomy, except for one variation in the direction of the incision, the incision starts from the midline and is directed towards ischial tuberosity and in the region of the rectum, this is only recommended when there is a case of complicated delivery.
Anterior episiotomy begins at midline, and the incision is directed towards the pubis direction.
Posterolateral episiotomy incision starts with 3mm from midline and is laterally directed toward ischial tuberosity at about 60 degrees.
Episiotomy could have its aftermath complications which include; infection, swelling, pain during sexual intercourse, anal sphincter muscle, and rectal tissues. There is also a chance of blood being collected in the perineal tissues and an increased risk of other health conditions depending on individual health.
Preventing perineal tears or an episiotomy is not within a person's capacity, because these things are usually out of control. Although some health care providers would prefer stretching the perineum of a pregnant woman to prevent tearing, or massaging the perineal tissue in weeks that leadup to delivery, this act is believed to reduce the chances of tearing or the need for an episiotomy.
It often takes up to a month for a stitch to heal, when the stitches are exposed to fresh air, it helps with healing and there are times when the scar tissues get itchy, some people believe it is a process of healing that makes that happen.
Episiotomy causes pain in the place of incision, and studies have shown that around, 1% of women experience so much pain that their quality of life even gets affected. The incision area should be kept clean and dry to prevent infection from happening. Using warm water to rinse after using the toilet will help to ease discomfort.
In the case of painful bowel movements, stool softeners may be recommended. Of course, limitations should be placed on activities that involve the lifting of heavy materials, engaging in sexual activities, and the use of tampons until complete healing is ascertained, except of course, it was recommended by a physician.
Local anesthetic should be given before episiotomy to help the mother not to experience pain but I wonder why I didn't get one during the surgical procedure of fixing, or is it possible I got one and it was still as painful as that? (Now, I don't know, I should probably call the doctor and ask him certain questions). Thank you for your time, I will see you soon.
For Further Studies
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546675/
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/episiotomy
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22904-episiotomy
https://www.news-medical.net/health/Episiotomy-Procedure.aspx
https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/labour-and-birth/what-happens/episiotomy-and-perineal-tears/
Hi, I am Tobi, a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people. If you want to hear me speak on relationships and general life issues, you can find my YouTube channel where you can watch any episode for free, please do not forget to subscribe, friends. I sincerely appreciate every love I get from here, Kindly do well to keep them coming.
