The Episiotomy Cut: Debate 2012: In 1935 Aldridge and Watson published their theory that performing an episiotomy, which is a cut in the perineum to widen the vaginal opening for birth, would protect the mother’s pelvic floor, and enable the muscles to stretch less.
In the early 1900s gynecologists and midwives felt that episiotomies would confer protection of various pelvic floor problems, including prevention of prolapsed uterus.
By the 21st century obstetricians were looking at all the factors leading to bladder incontinence and weakness of the pelvic floor muscles, and it was hotly debated as to whether these episiotomy cuts would be helpful or harmful.
Current policies generally recommend avoiding an episotomy.
In a study in Sweden there was really no effect of episiotomy on arousal, orgasm, or satisfaction with sex. But some women had more trouble with painful sex and poor lubrication during sex if they had an episotomy. Complicated labors and deliveries also had an effect on sex after birth as well.
The subject is complicated by the fact that women have some bladder dysfunction, and prolapse, immediately after delivery that resolves relatively quickly. The dysfunction immediately after delivery probably comes from temporary weakness or paralysis of nerves of this area, secondary to the baby’s head pounding against the pelvic floor and it’s muscles.
In a study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology in 2012 a group of researchers from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine looked at women 5 and 10 years after their deliveries to determine how they fared. Specifically, this study was interested in “whether a woman tore” her vaginal area in the process of birthing. And they asked in the subsequent years of a woman had incontinence, overactive bladder, anal weakness and prolapse (dropping) of the bladder. They looked at whether a delivery had forceps or a cut or just had a tear in the process of delivery. And they couldn’t find any association between the pelvic complaints or whether the patient had an episiotomy.
Actually, having delivered by forceps, or if you have had a tear, the pelvic floor is worse. Women with multiple tears were actually worse off, so if you had a tear in one delivery, you need to think about ways to avoid this in other deliveries. Other causes of potential injury are many. Just having a birth through the vagina can lead to more pelvic floor dysfunction. Larger babies and longer times in the second stage can cause problems. So, ‘bottom line’ is how do we protect the pelvic floor. Birthing isn’t the only issue, you can’t strain too much when having a bowel movement, nor lift heavy objects regularly. Oddly either choosing to have no children, fewer children, or no vaginal births (elective c-section) do all work
