Labour Lessons: 5 Things you need to know before getting an episiotomy

updated the 20 March 2017 à 12:38

Future mothers, there’s no point eschewing this topic. Here are 5 things you need to know before you make the cut.

As the day approaches, all you soon-to-be mothers are bound to be more expectant than ever. In the tumultuous wave of emotions that lead up to the big day, you may be whirling in jubilee one moment and tossing in anxiety in the next. It doesn’t help that your gynae is beginning to walk you through the different medical aspects of the labour. One of them stands out in particular, and that is the episiotomy – a surgical vaginal cut carried out during childbirth in order to ease the labour process.

Many mothers face this tricky dilemma, engaging in countless internal debates on whether they should opt for it or not. But, before you rush to a decision, we believe it’s vital that you’re first made aware of five crucial things regarding this common procedure.

1. It is highly common in Singapore

Studies show that a whopping 95% of Singaporean mothers undergo this minor surgical procedure. This is because the distance between the vagina and the perineum is shorter in Asian women, which unfortunately makes the risk of tearing higher without an episiotomy. If you’re thinking of opting for this procedure, you can rest assured that you won’t be the rare few who go through with it.

2. Types of episiotomy

There are three types to be aware of – midline, medio-lateral and J-shaped episiotomies. The midline cut involves the downward cutting of the skin of the perineum towards the anus. For the medio-lateral cut, the skin is cut in a downward and diagonal direction. As for the J-shaped procedure, the skin is cut downwards and either in the left or right direction.

3. There might be side effects during the recovery stage

Unfortunately, going through with an episiotomy does bring with it some negative issues. For instance, urinary and fecal incontinence is very common in the recovery process. Also, the post-partum abstinence period would be longer, as the cut would take a longer time to heal before the mother is able to comfortably engage in intercourse again.

4. Possible prevention

For first-time mothers, you can opt for a perineal massage to soften your vaginal tissues in preparation for the labour process. This involves massaging the area between the vaginal opening and anus in the weeks leading up to the big day. This could ease delivery and reduce vaginal trauma during childbirth. If this is not your first time giving birth, chances are you may not require an episiotomy, especially if your baby is small and your perineum is already wide and lax.

5. Duration of recovery

Although the healing duration depends on several aspects, such as the length of incision and the extensiveness of the tear, most mothers take up to six weeks to fully recover. As for the stitches, you can rest assured that they will dissolve by themselves two weeks after the wound has healed.

Yes, childbirth certainly isn’t a walk in the park. But ultimately, whatever you choose, you can be certain that the experience will be more than worth it when you meet your little darling infant face-to-face.

For more information on episiotomies, you can head over to Singhealth where they’ll take you through the vital details and recovery pointers of this process.

Lim Han

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Marie France Asia, women's magazine