Aside from MASSIVE tearing, or horrendous bleeding, why get stitches?

[holly6737]

Skin will heal together fine if you keep your legs closed, but muscle will not. If you have anything more than a first degree, that muscle does not naturally come back together. It needs to be held together with suture and then it will heal itself. Think of like a rubber band. That's kind of what muscle is like. It doesn't go back together without help. You can choose not stitch the muscle, but if you do, you compromise the integrity of the muscle which puts you at greater risk for problems such as rectoceles or even rectovaginal fistulas.

[holly6737]

For those asking what women do when there is not suturing available, a great film is the documentary "A Walk to Beautiful". Here's a NY Times article on it: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/28/in...pagewanted=all This article more talks about women who had obstructed labors that then led to incontinence issues, but women who don't have their perineal muscles sutured so they can heal appropriately are at risk for the same fate- especially if it's a third or fourth degree.

[JennTheMomma]

Originally Posted by Kiliki Thanks for so many perspectives! And replies! My personal experience with refusing stitches was, again, that it healed up fine. I am curious about why ppl think the skin wouldn't heal together properly. I can't imagine why it wouldn't. I know ppl are saying that area gets a lot of movement, but unless you're doing, like jumping jacks, splits, or deep squats, I can't see why the skin wouldn't just fall where it naturally does, and heal that way... again, unless there was some SERIOUS huge tearing. I wonder if there are any studies out there? I tried a quick google search but got nothing of any seriousness - except for that apparently many women do decline stitches and have fine success, and some decline and have bad stories. As PP's mentioned, intimacy was actually BETTER after all of my births. But, I've never been stitched, so I can only compare it to uncomfortable hugely pregnant intimacy. LOL. Still, we resumed regular bedroom activities within 1-2 wks with each birth, and I can't imagine that being possible with stitches. Owie. what did women do before suturing after birth was available? And, this is totally not snarky or rude or mean, but I am AMAZED that some people get stitches and don't know how many!? Wow! I could see if they were internal stitches, then it would be hard to know. But, with external stitches, weren't you curious enough to grab a mirror and take a peek? I would be. From what I'm gathering, though, I am quite "unique"

Some would heal just fine, others would get infections or fistulas.

Originally Posted by raisingcropsandbabies Isn't there a team like in Africa that helps reconstruct women who've had very bad births and are now incontinent??? I'm sure before suturing was widely used there was more of that and more infections leading to death (and yes, sanitation most likely contributed to that too, but I bet there was a combination). Not saying all women need stitched to heal right, but I am saying that there were probably more issues with serious tears not being stitched up. Oh, and, honestly, after breaking my tailbone, ripping from end to end to end, and worrying about my son's arm/breathing/nursing/redness/bruising ... I could have cared less about the number of stitches in me. I just wanted to get back home and put frozen witch hazel pads on my vagajay and keep an eye on my son. I'm guessing it's the same for many other women.

Originally Posted by AniMommy I saw a documentary about this awhile back. I think that the team was repairing women who had had traumatic births and/or had been the victims of violent rapes. What can happen without proper medical attention is that the tear causes a fistula (or hole) between the vagina and anus. The women end up incontent and outcasts from society because they can't hold their urine and bowel movements. The repairs are life changing and it was a really positive story about how medical teams can benefit to the lives of ordinary women.

Yes in Africa there are special teams and a hospital (fistula hospital) that helps repair fistulas for women who had bad births and rapes. However, a woman giving birth in Africa in those parts and a woman giving birth in America, are very different. America has better tools and the right tools, many Midwives in Africa have no tools for birthing, and this helps keep America's infection rate down. Women in America are generally better nutritionally as well and has better prenatal care. Many women who give birth in Africa may have been subjected to unsafe practices (sitting on the woman's stomach during a shoulder dystocia, using forceps without knowing exactly how to use them, pulling baby out before he/she is ready, forceful pushing, labors that should end in a c-section but don't/can't, etc) and/or violent sexual crimes which may obstruct the birth canal and vagina. The two can't really be compared because so many things are so different.

In places like Africa, proper suturing helps keep them healthy. In the US and other countries, not all women need to be sutured after a tear.

[MommaLEB]

I had some small tearing, but it stopped bleeding on its own. My doctor asked if I wanted stitches, but it just seemed like more work and discomfort so I declined.

[Kiliki]

Originally Posted by JennTheMomma Some would heal just fine, others would get infections or fistulas. Yes in Africa there are special teams and a hospital (fistula hospital) that helps repair fistulas for women who had bad births and rapes. However, a woman giving birth in Africa in those parts and a woman giving birth in America, are very different. America has better tools and the right tools, many Midwives in Africa have no tools for birthing, and this helps keep America's infection rate down. Women in America are generally better nutritionally as well and has better prenatal care. Many women who give birth in Africa may have been subjected to unsafe practices (sitting on the woman's stomach during a shoulder dystocia, using forceps without knowing exactly how to use them, pulling baby out before he/she is ready, forceful pushing, labors that should end in a c-section but don't/can't, etc) and/or violent sexual crimes which may obstruct the birth canal and vagina. The two can't really be compared because so many things are so different. In places like Africa, proper suturing helps keep them healthy. In the US and other countries, not all women need to be sutured after a tear.

Thanks! Good info!

To the bolded, how would a violent sexual crime cause an obstruction in the birth canal/vagina? You can PM if it is too graphic to post. I am trying to understand what that means.

[holly6737]

Maybe she's talking about FGM?

[AniMommy]

No not FGM.. The documentary addressed what was happening to women (in Sudan I think) in areas were there had be practice of gang raping women of different ethnic groups as a form of warfare and what happened after they didn't get medical attention. I believe the teams also helped women who had birth trauma that hadn't gotten attention afterwards. The documentary was very inspiring and makes you aware of how lucky to be a woman in the first world with access to medical choices.

And I wasn't trying to compare birth practices in africa and first world. Only giving info. The OP questioned why to do it with a minor tear. Clearly the kinds of injury in the cases addressed in the documentary were in a different category.

[me_just_me]

Originally Posted by holly6737 Skin will heal together fine if you keep your legs closed, but muscle will not. If you have anything more than a first degree, that muscle does not naturally come back together. It needs to be held together with suture and then it will heal itself. Think of like a rubber band. That's kind of what muscle is like. It doesn't go back together without help. You can choose not stitch the muscle, but if you do, you compromise the integrity of the muscle which puts you at greater risk for problems such as rectoceles or even rectovaginal fistulas.

This is why I choose to get stitched. I tore muscle with my first two deliveries and didn't want to deal with complications from that.