Avoiding Episiotomy???

[bby55]

I have heard of perineal stretches you can do to stretch everything down there so that you will reduce the risk of an episiotomy. I know that these are to be done starting at about your 34th week of pregnancy.  I have also heard of women doing kegals throughout their entire pregnancy. Has anyone tried either of these to prevent having an episiotomy? Did it work? Or has anyone tried some other practical way to avoid one? I am not looking forward to being cut or ripped down there and would love some advice on how to avoid it :)

[snagglepuss1]

I had an episiotomy with my first baby my dd, she was not a big baby (7lb 6ozs) but she was back to back when I was in labour and so episiotomy was performed. It was painful as hell afterwards everytime I moved for the first few weeks was pure agony! I've even been told by a mum who had a c-section and episiotomy that she thought episiotomy was much worse pain as you are sat on it all the time.
I had stitches with my 2nd baby (9lb born) thte pain was much less, but I had internal skin that healed over the external skin down below and everytime i went to pee it stung like mad, i suffered it until he was 12 weeks then made a docs appt. The doctor burned the skin that had healed wrong and i was fine after that.
with my 3rd baby (8lb 15ozs) i ended up with a 2nd degree tear, it took them 45 mins to sew me up and i had to use gas and air as the injection they gave to numb me didnt work. i was never in as much pain from tearing as with episiotomy is the top and bottom of it!

[jschoch8]

i tore naturally. it was really no big deal. just had to get stitched up afterwards. you will not feel yourself tear at all.

[elayaa]

With my first i had to have an episiotmy it was so painful. My seccond i tore a little but i didnt know at the time. Both healed fine though :)

[Rhi315]

I asked my doctor how she felt about an episiotomy yesterday. And she said that most doctors really only do it unless it's absolutely necessary, like if you're going to tear in a funny way or something like that. She said that it's more work for them to cut you and then to have to stay and stitch you  up, so they really try to avoid them. Tearing is USUALLY better, as far as healing goes. My aunt just had a baby though, and she tore TERRIBLY, from her butt to her clit, she had to have stitches all the way up her vulva. So I personally would not request to not have one done, because you don't know how you will tear. I think that you should trust your doctor to take care of you. As far as preventing tearing, I heard the massage works, and one of my friends said that she asked her nurse to massage her while she was pushing, and she didn't tear at all. My OB says that if you stay well hydrated and eat a lot of protein, it helps with the elasticity in your skin, which helps with stretch marks and also helps keep you in tact when pushing.

[chantal21]

With my first I did some massages and whatnot but my son was over 8lbs and did tear me a bit on the inside. Never needed stitches though and it healed very quickly. My midwife does not cut anyone, unless it's an emergency. With my second (he was 7lbs) I did not tear at all. But from what I've heard, being cut is way worse that tearing naturally.

[mami2karina]

With my first they had to cut me from front to back because her head was so big, they stitched me up and I healed very fast. I had an episiotomy with my 2nd as well and was stitched up and healed very quickly. With my last he was so small (35 weeker) and came so fast I tore and it was the most painful recovery that I had. I am praying that they will have the chance to do an episiotomy this time.

[Clysta]

It's not. It might be cleaner, but it takes a lot longer to heal. The jagged edges make it heal together better than a cut will. Often a cut will be much worse than any tear will.

[bby55]

Well, I have heard some people say that if you are cut, then it leaves a cleaner cut rather than a more ragged rip. Not sure if this is true. Im pretty sure Im going to try the perineal stretches, it couldnt hurt.

[Clysta]

I know there are massages and such you can do that might help. What makes you think you would get an Episiotomy done though? You can request it not be done. I did, and only tore twice. I was completely healed in 2 weeks. Most women will tear in varing degrees and heal just fine.

[marisol_jose]

I would rather be torn naturally then having the doc cut me lol but either way I'm sure you will be torn .