Beth Kruger

NO!

Of course not…I gave my post that title to generate a little interest!  But perhaps, first of all you might want to know what an episiotomy is.  Many of my yoga students do not know what this is, and hopefully their doctors will help them to avoid one at all costs.  However, with our over-medicalization of childbirth in this country–episiotomy continues to be one of the most frequently performed surgeries on women in America.  An Episiotomy is really simply put, an cut in the skin between the vagina and anus.  The procedure is intended to make the vaginal opening larger to help the baby out, and is often used in conjunction with other interventions such as vaccuum extraction, or less likely these days, forceps. 

As a midwife I met recently put it, the main problem lies in the repair of the incision, not always the cut itself.  The repair can cause lasting damage to the pelvic floor if the cut is approximated, that is, not lined up exactly-perfectly right.  So–if nothing else–DO NOT LET A RESIDENT SEW UP YOUR VAGINA!!  The pain from a botched job on our holiest of holies can not only make sex eternally painful, but can also make simple bodily functions, such as urinating or having a bowel movement difficult or painful. 

There are many websites out there that have better and more thourough information than I can or want to give here.  My purpose is simply to bring the issue to your attention, and perhaps get you to think about how to avoid an episiotomy for your birth.  See below for my list of resources for more information on Episiotomy.

Lamaze Website is always a good resource for Evidence based Information.

 Childbirth Connection has tons of information on Pelvic Floor Dysfunction.

And the Mayo Clinic site has good information, but more of a technocratic feel.