Expectant Mothers: I Suffered Through an Episiotomy; Here's Some Advice

Many pregnant women across the world will decide to read about the process of labor during their pregnancy to emotionally prepare themselves and understand different techniques that will make labor easier. Throughout this process of educating yourself, you will come across many terms that you've probably never heard of but will soon become more associated with. One of those terms may be episiotomy.

An episiotomy is a surgical cut made just before delivery in the muscular area between the vagina and the anus. This enlarges your vaginal opening, allowing for an easier delivery.

Before my first pregnancy, I don't think I had ever heard this term. It was a new word, and a new meaning for me, and to be quite honest, after learning what it meant, I became very intimidated. I wasn't quite sure whether or not I was ready for such a thing. Soon after, I slowly began to stop worrying and forgot about it all together. At the end of my pregnancy, I ended up having to be induced. Turns out, my daughter was completely stubborn and was not ready to make her entrance into the world. My doctor had other plans, and scheduled me to be induced at 41.2 weeks.

After forgetting all about episiotomy, I became very familiar with it when at the end of my active labor, my doctor performed one. Looking back, I truly question whether or not I needed one. After all, I did make it through a second normal delivery without having one. I sometimes feel as if my doctor took the easy way out, rather than attempting to avoid one. However, that is a different topic all on its own.

After having my first child, which happened to be a beautiful little girl, I struggled with the pain and problems associated with my episiotomy. I had several problems with it, and ended up having to start a steroid injection program to rid myself of pain. This was just an incident that happened to me personally, and I can assure you that many women across the world have normal episiotomies and recovery periods. To make a long story short, my first experience with an episiotomy was a horrible one, and as I began my second pregnancy, that was the first thing that entered my head. I was scared to deal with this again, period.

A little over eight months passed, and in the middle of the night, I went into labor. It was a shock considering I had to be induced with my first child, but I was more than happy to have a natural labor. Having a wonderful doctor the second time around made things a lot easier. She made sure to try everything she could to avoid performing an episiotomy, and it worked. My son was born 7lbs 5oz, and no episiotomy was needed. Although I did tear slightly, it was nothing compared to the episiotomy.

So, after dealing with a bad episiotomy, and a slight, but painful tear, I thought I would share my personal experiences with ways to relieve the pain and become more comfortable. All of these techniques can be done in the comfort of your own home, which is exactly where you want to be at this time!

The first tip that I am going to offer you is a very simple one. During this time, you want to keep yourself extremely clean. Not only will this protect you from developing an infection in this area, but it will allow you to be comfortable, and make the muscles in that area more relaxed. I personally took two very warm showers a day. A good soap to use is Summer's Eve, for sensitive skin. Not only does it have a calming scent, but it's specifically made for females and is hypoallergenic.

The second tip I can offer you is to allow yourself air. Air aids in the healing process. Make sure to avoid tight underwear and clothing at this time.

The third tip comes in the form of a product. It can be found at most local grocery stores, and let me tell you, it is unbelievable. With my first child, I was not told about this product, but my husband happened to come across it at the store. After having my second child, not only did the hospital recommend it, but I was already prepared at home. The product is called Dermoplast. It's a hospital strength pain relieving spray. Look for a blue and white can on the shelves. This helped me tremendously. There's nothing better than having severe pain diminish for a while.

Last but not least, I recommend ice. After I had my daughter, my husband found reusable ice packs at the local store. I simply inserted them on top of my pad, and it would numb the area for a while. The good thing about this is that not only does it numb the area, but it reduces the swelling, which in turn causes more pain! Most hospitals also offer pads that have ice in them. These were also a big help too.

Now that I have shared several ways to help relieve episiotomy pain, I truly help that anyone out there can use them. After having a child, you want to be able to enjoy every minute shared with them. There's no room for pain at a time like this.