Epistomy Or Not? [HELP ON THIS ONE asap]

Ok so im due this upcoming friday but my doctor is talking about inducing my labor and i have a feeling its all going down on wednsday so im so nervous an dont know what to concentrate on. Welli jus recently discoverd that tearing is very common in fact my cousin that just had her baby last month told me about her getting stiched up & i was like WHAT! lol. It jus hadnt crossed my mind before, i was doing so good not being worried until i started looking it up online & it seems as though i can do nothing really some tear -n- some dont. Well i readabout this Epistomy thing an it sounds like it would help get the baby out faster & heal quicker BUT could cause a bigger tear & cause pain in future sex. Im confused on the pain though some say its less pain some say its more. Anyone actually experience a epistomy???? Should i bother go stuff myself with nuts & fruits an excersize my area for the next couple of days (was suggested onsome website) & possibly end up with a ruined genatal areab4 20, letting nature take its course-OR-go with the epistomy & possibly have painful sex for the rest of my life...

HELLLLPPPPP! UGH! MY COUNT DOWN HAS DEFFINITLEY STARTED!

i was cut from hole to hole down there.... my sex is just about the same.. some positions are more uncomfortable but its fine... bostons head was 14cm round so they had to cut me! i only dilated toa 9 1/2

all i can say is OUCH!

I had an episiotomy, the stitches were painful, but it hasn't bother me since about 8 weeks PP, reguardless of whether you rip or tear you'll need stitches, so I wouldn't stress about it. Especially since you may do neither. Usually your doc will have a wau he usually does it and it's best to discuss it with them.

It depends.
I tore 4 times and the least severe (and quickest healing) of my tears was external. the rest were internal.
had i had an episiotomy, it would have made the healing process even worse.
all in all it's up to you and your doctor but keep in mind, just because you get an episiotomy does not mean you're in the clear as far as tearing goes.

i only pushed twice and my baby was OUT! There wasn't really time for the doc to give me an epistomy so i ended up with a first degree tear.. i only got 2 stitches and it was healed in a couple of weeks... i feel totally back to normal now!

i have 2 kids and the dr's here make you tear. anyways i only had 2 stiches and i was healed in 2 weeks. i dont think that by having an Epistomy it will help the baby come out faster ( i could be wrong there) but yes you will be most likley cut from 1 hole to the other (tmi sorry) and it will hurt worse.

No to the Epistomy! I've had an episotomy and it does not heal faster then a tear. It also does hurt years later for some including me. With this last pregnancy (I'm 1wk post) I tore and couldn't be more thankful I didn't have the episotomy. It hurts so bad to be cut compared to a tear. Do some more reasearch on it. You'll find that a tear is recommended over an episotomy. You should probably talk to your doctor about it to because when I mentioned it to mine they said that they will not do an episotomy unless completely necessary (like tearing in a crazy line that would make it heal wrong) and like to allow the woman to tear.

Oh by the way my episotomy was almost hole to hole and it took 8 weeks to heal and I was in pain the entire time. Couldn't sit, sneeze, cough, laugh, pee nothing without being in so much pain. My tear this time I don't even know where it is or where the stitches are. I can't even feel it. It's great! lol. Oh also my episotomy was pretty bad and they were afraid I would end up having a c-section so that probably has something to do with me needing one and the pain I went through due to the deeper incision/more stitches. The tear I only needed 2 stitches and it was very minor but had they actually cut me I may have ended up needing more stitches because it would have been a deeper cut.

I do not believe you heal faster with an episiotomy, as you stated...

I did not have one with my first born. I did not tear either. I will not have one with my second born unless the doctor absolutely says I need one (as in the case with the previous post of a baby with a large head)....

Episiotomies don't make sense... If you have a piece of material with a tear already in it, it will easily tear more. If there is no tear, than it has to work harder to tear to begin with....

Quoting Carrierut:“ i have 2 kids and the dr's here make you tear. anyways i only had 2 stiches and i was healed in 2 weeks. ... [snip!] ... ( i could be wrong there) but yes you will be most likley cut from 1 hole to the other (tmi sorry) and it will hurt worse.”

That's not true...my episiotomy was tiny...like 4 stitches.

I didn't tear or have an episiotomy with my first, but I just had my second 10 days ago and had an episiotomy. Other than my stitches pulling, and some swelling (which happens either way) I haven't really felt differently than I did after my first. Really the only difference between being cut and tearing is that the episiotomy is controlled and the tearing isn't. As someone else suggested, discuss it with your dr if you are concerned.

Ok well how its look everybody has their own opinion on the pain but its sounds like my best bet is to probly not go with an epistomy unless my doctor says i have no choice, hopefully i dont tear but if i do there will probly be some kind of pain somwhereexcept the epistomy will probly be a little worse & i can see how that works so im try not to thnk bout it & let my doctor do what he does best & jus to be on the safe side i'll probly be eating nuts an fruits all day, lol. THNX LADIES!

Quoting Katesmama:“ That's not true...my episiotomy was tiny...like 4 stitches.”

Same here. Mine was only about 1 in long and had 6-7 stitches. I am 10 days pp and can't even feel it.

I had mydaughter in a stand alone birth center so no episiotomy however i did tear. My midd wife was unable to stich me up because i had to go to the hospital after the birth ( long story ..nothing to do with the actual birth) So im healing on my own. No stitches. Im doing great. My advice is not to worry youd get stitches either way. And no matter what your bodys going to heal the way it wants to. just enjoy your birth expirence.