Preventing side cuts and tears and what to do when you’re pregnant

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For a sister who is pregnant for the first time, everything is strange and new. There is fear and nervousness about labor, but more than anything else, there is the surprise of being a first-time mother and the love of the child to come. As the joy of the baby’s arrival ended, I realized that my body hurt everywhere. Especially if you’ve had a perineal circumcision, you’ll have pain and swelling until the wound heals. Today, we will talk about perineal circumcision.

01What are the circumstances under which a side cut may be

Not every pregnant woman will undergo perineal circumcision. Doctors will choose circumcision only when the following situations occur.

1, maternal factors: some diseases such as maternal heart disease, high blood pressure, etc.; labor is too long, when the physical strength is insufficient.

2、Fetal factors: fetal distress syndrome, preterm birth or overweight macrosomia (≥4000g), natural delivery can not be successfully out of the birth canal before the possibility of lateral incision to assist the fetus out.

3. Anatomy of the perineum: If the perineum is not flexible enough to hold the baby, or if there is localized edema or severe inflammation, then a lateral incision is needed.

4、When forceps are needed to assist labor: if forceps are needed to assist labor in a natural delivery, lateral incision will be needed to facilitate the operation of forceps.

02How side cuts are performed

The midwife evaluates the condition of the mother and the fetus, and when it turns out that a lateral incision is necessary, she informs the mother of the need for a lateral incision and begins to prepare for the incision.

Anesthesia will be given to the mother before the lateral incision is performed. The anesthesia, combined with the contractions, greatly reduces the pain associated with the lateral incision. Therefore, the mother should not be overly nervous when the midwife performs the lateral incision.

According to the requirements of the delivery, the mother needs to be in an upright position, avoiding twisting from side to side, so that the midwife can choose and position the angle of the lateral incision. The procedure is quick and can be completed in a few seconds.

Once the labor is complete, the side incision will be closed. Normally, it takes about 20 minutes to close the incision and the mother only needs to be comfortable with the closure.

The incision is 4 to 5 centimeters in length and is closed gradually in layers. How well the side incision is sutured is directly related to the ability to control bowel movements and sexual satisfaction after delivery. If the mother responds that the wound is painful during the suturing process, the midwife will add an appropriate amount of anesthetic according to the situation.

03What to do to reduce the probability of side cuts

As mentioned earlier side cuts are not performed in every labor. We can pay attention to the following points during pregnancy, which can effectively reduce the probability of side cut.

1、Control weight

Reasonable weight gain can make the baby develop healthily and will not turn into a huge baby, so that the baby is more conducive to natural delivery, which can reduce the occurrence of head circumference is too large and need to be cut sideways.

Methods: It is recommended to eat small meals during pregnancy, and the weekly weight gain should not exceed 0.5 kg. Specific weight control varies from person to person, and you can consult your obstetrician for details.

2, appropriate aerobic exercise

Choose the aerobic exercise that suits you to consume excess calories and control your weight, and at the same time, you can also achieve the purpose of exercising the pelvic floor muscles.

Methods: During pregnancy, choose to walk briskly, with the intensity of a slight sweat. Do this twice a day for 30 minutes each time. You can also adjust the length of the exercise according to your personal strength.

3、Kegel exercise

The gradually growing uterus during pregnancy increases the pressure on the pelvic floor muscle groups. Contraction exercises help to improve the elasticity and extensibility of the local muscles. During natural childbirth, the exercised pelvic floor muscles can better release a larger space for the fetus to be produced, reducing the possibility of lateral incision.

Methods: Imagine holding your urine, do it 5-10 times continuously and quickly, then keep it tightened for 10 seconds, relax, and then do it again for the next 10 seconds. Do 10 sets a day and be careful not to hold your breath during the exercise.

Lateral perineal incision was very common in the past and is not an operation that can jeopardize the life of the mother or the baby, so there is no need to be too afraid. Just pay more attention to the above points during pregnancy, so that the baby develops healthily, and naturally there will be no need for a lateral incision during labor~.