Opinions and stories on episiotomies?!

Question

I’m wanting to do a “natural” birth with no epidural but I am open to taking pain medications. I am wondering how and when they do the episiotomy during labor and do doctors still recommend getting it done as opposed to not getting it done?
Did you get to choose if you had one if you had one done? If you DIDNT have one done, did you end up wishing you had gotten it done? 
I’m looking for stories from both sides of the spectrum! Thanks!

Answer

It's rarely justified, and I'd recommend looking into the episiotomy rate at the hospital you're going to deliver at. Some are terrible. 
In terms of personal experience, I birthed a 9lbs 4oz baby unmedicated and in the water. I had two tiny lacerations that didn't require stitches, and my perineum was totally intact.

Answer

I agree with the people saying it’s used as a last resort. My doctor waited until the last minute to do it once (in his professional medical opinion) he knew I would tear if he didn’t. He called it a “1st degree episiotomy” aka he cut the smallest amount possible. Very easy recovery for me I think I only had a few stitches and they didn’t bother me at all.

Answer

I have had 3 births 2 of which I needed an episiotomy. 
My first birth I needed one because I was going to tear up towards my urethra which would have caused me to need a catheter placed until the tear healed. 
My second birth I had one because my sons heart rate was in the 40s and not rebounding so we needed him out on the next push. (His cord was wrapped around his neck twice and his stomach once. He had been struggling all through labor). 
My third birth all went well with baby and I wasn’t going to tear in a bad location so no episiotomy. 
Just like with pain meds it’s fine to say your plan isn’t to have one but be open to the idea should you need one.

Answer

I didn’t have any pain medication. My labour was going well till I started pushing. After an hour of pushing baby’s heart rate started dropping with every contraction and I needed to move to the bed and have continuous monitoring. After another hour of pushing the OB was called to help assist delivery. Baby started to really struggle and the OB attempted a forceps delivery and her heart rate plummeted, at that point he did a quick episiotomy and delivered her using forceps. In my case I was told it was forceps and an episiotomy or an emergency c section. I’m very glad to have avoided the c section although the delivery was beyond painful, I can’t even describe how much it hurt. I’ve delivered two more babies naturally and med free and they weren’t even close to as painful.

Answer

A tear will heal better (the jagged line grows together easier) so they don’t usually cut you. 
They still did an episiotomy with my first as the head couldn’t come through without a tear anyway and the tissue was so thick that the doctor expected at least another 1-2h of pushing so after I already had a 21h labour I decided to get it done. She was there after two pushes then and I was glad it was over. But it was my choice and of course it is done in the very end to help the head be born.
As to healing - the cut opened up again after four weeks and had to be stitched again 🙄 but in my situation it was still the right decision

Answer

With my first my midwife had to cut me. It was used as a last resort. On my last push she cut me. My sons shoulder was in the way, so I would of had a nasty tear anyway. They also needed to get him out quickly and safely due to his heart rate dropping during labour.

Answer

Neither of my hospitals do them. Both of my babies ended up being emergency deliveries because of very low heart rates and they went right to the vacuum, no discussion of an episiotomy at all.

Answer

I don’t think they are recommended unless it is a last resort. The practice is becoming outdated.

Answer

I don't believe it's recommended anymore. I've heard from multiple sources, if you do tear, natural tears heal better. I had 2 second degree tears and the recovery wasn't that bad with padcicles and my peribottle. I couldn't imagine dealing with an incision down there!

Answer

I really didn’t want one, but while I was pushing my doctor said I would tear pretty badly and it would be harder to stitch/heal. My baby wasn’t large, but his head was 99th percentile at birth (still is!) so could have done some damage. Haha.

Opinions and stories on episiotomies?!

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