An episiotomy is a surgical incision that can be done to widen your vaginal opening during childbirth. During this procedure, your doctor makes a small, straight (midline) or angled (mediolateral) ...

Episiotomy during vaginal delivery was first recommended in 1920 as a way to protect the pelvic floor from lacerations and protect the fetal head from trauma. It was rapidly adopted as a standard ...

You're currently following this author! Want to unfollow? Unsubscribe via the link in your email. An episiotomy is a surgical cut into the perineum, the area between the vagina and anus, made during ...

1. Which doctor should I consult to know if I will require an episiotomy during delivery? You should ask your obstetrician during your prenatal visit regarding an episiotomy. However, in many cases, ...

Episiotomies have a place in maternity care but should not be routinely performed. Paul Curto/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA It’s difficult to imagine how something as big as a baby’s head can come out of what ...

In instrument-assisted births, especially those with forceps, episiotomy should be considered, as it can help protect against severe perineal injury. "Episiotomy use among vaginal deliveries and the ...

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am pregnant with my first child and was told by my obstetrician that in some circumstances an episiotomy is necessary. I thought this was no longer done and that it's actually ...

Rebecca Woolf did not want to get cut. In 2005, Woolf was in labor with her first baby, a boy, at a large Los Angeles hospital. She had pushed for no more than two minutes when her doctor announced he ...

In Canada, the rate of episiotomy during childbirth has declined in recent years, but when it comes to births assisted by forceps or vacuum, this downward trend warrants a closer look, suggests new ...