Why tearing naturally during childbirth ‘might actually be BETTER for your sex life’
Women who have episiotomies, a surgical cut between the vagina and anus, have poorer body image and less satisfying sex lives, new findings suggest
IT'S one of the terrifying realities of giving birth, but the chances are you probably will suffer a tear "down there" while pushing your little bundle of joy out.
Just the mere idea is enough to bring tears (torrents) to the eye.
Recovery can take time and for new mums the thought of getting frisky between the sheets again after childbirth can be petrifying.
But a team of experts have found that a natural tear could be better for your sex life in the long-run, than a surgical cut.
In many cases, medics will anticipate a tear and step in to perform an episiotomy - a cut between the vagina and anus to enlarge the baby's exit.
Now, new findings from the University of Michigan, show women who have episiotomies are at risk of poorer body image and less satisfying sex lives than those who tear and heal naturally.
The study challenges the conventional thinking that a surgical cut is more aesthetically and visually pleasing when it comes to recovery.
Past research has questioned any apparent health benefits of an episiotomy.
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But, the new study is the first known to look at how women feel afterwards.
Dr Ruth Zielinski, a clinical associate professor of nursing, said: "The women we would expect as providers to be unhappy with their genitals might not be the ones who are."
The researchers asked 69 new mums about their genital body image and sexual esteem after giving birth.
Of those, 84 per cent said they had experienced vaginal and rectal changes.
But, those women who had an episiotomy were found to have the most negative experiences.
Dr Lisa Kane Low, the study's co-author, explained a surgical cut and stitches can call more attention to the area, as well as increased pain during healing.
Most new mums pay microscopic attention to their body's after giving birth.
From stretch marks to tears and stretching of their pelvic floor, most will experience at least some of the major changes.
Dr Zielinski said research "is lacking", and "jokes in movies about vaginal looseness following vaginal birth, and cosmetic websites that offer solutions", have made the issues more prominent.
Cosmetic ops, such as labiaplasty, are growing in popularity.
The women we would expect as providers to be unhappy with their genitals might not be the ones who are
Dr Ruth Zielinski
A recent report from the American Academy of Plastic Surgeons showed a 39 per cent increase in the procedure, which reshapes the labia through surgery or injecting fillers.
The researchers said the key message is for medics to listen to women, to try and pick up if they are at risk of low self-esteem after giving birth.
Dr Zielinski added: "Nationally, about 12 per cent of pregnant women still receive episiotomies.
"But there is wide variation in the practice among hospitals and providers.
"What is very concerning to me is that we exported the practice to developing countries where the rate is extremely high, particularly among first-time mothers."
The findings are published in the International Journal of Women's Health.
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