Information about having an episiotomy and what an episiotomy is. While not necessarily routine, the doctor may perform one to prevent tearing as your baby is born.
During labor, when the baby's head is exposed to a diameter of 3 to 4 centimeters, the attending physician will pick up a pair of sterile scissors and snip the stretching skin of the perineum downward toward the anus (median episiotomy) or downward and sideways (mediolateral episiotomy) to enlarge the vaginal opening and make it easier for the head to emerge.
Like any surgical procedure, episiotomy carries a number of risks: excessive blood loss, haematoma formation, and infection. . . . There is no evidence . . . that routine episiotomy reduces the risk of severe perineal trauma, improves perineal healing, prevents fetal trauma or reduces the risk of urinary stress incontinence
The fact of the matter is that, sometimes, the birthing canal just doesn't stretch like it ought to. It may be, for example, that the birthing canal is narrow, or that the skin involved does not ...
Tearing of the perineum during delivery is one of the most common sorts of complications that can occur during labor and childbirth. For this reason, many health care providers may wish to perfor...
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