How episiotomy can ruin your sex life

It is not usually spoken openly in childbirth preparation courses, but it is likely that your sexuality will be relegated to the background for a while, especially because the baby takes everything the time and energy that you have left to both of you. So, make no mistake, it will be some time befor

Some discomforts can postpone sexual life after delivery and other complications, such as episiotomy, we tell you why.

When episiotomy affects sexual life after pregnancy

There are many causes that, in 89% of cases, women experience loss of sexual desire in the first 3 months after giving birth, and even in a 50% of them, until the first year after delivery. The main causes are the hormonal revolution that invades the body, especially during the breastfeeding period, but also due to the physical changes of the body, inside and out.

However, a more unknown fact but to a lesser extent, is that episiotomy has had traumatic consequences in the sexual life of many women tanto, as well as to diminish their sexual frequency and even to disappear altogether.Episiotomy: is it effective?

Episiotomy is a surgical cut that is made in the female perineum (between the vagina and the anus) to enlarge the vaginal opening. The reasons that are alleged for thousands of doctors to put it into practice, almost like an ordinary procedure for years, is that

prevents the natural tears of childbirth , so that there is less fetal suffering at birth, and that prevents the distention of the perineal muscles that cause urinary incontinence. Lo But the truth is that there is no scientific study to support this data and, on the contrary, yesthere is much evidence that the episiotomy does not prevent tears of any kind

, nor does it prevent the relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles , it does not heal better than tears, nor are they less painful and it does not prevent brain injuries in the fetus. So why is it still being used so frequently? The problem lies in the fact that the use of the epidural does increase the need for an episiotomy by paralyzing part of the musculature, as well as the lithotomy position, that is, lying on its back, so its use has become so widespread that there are many doctors who do not attend a delivery without performing it.Why episiotomy can ruin sexual life

There are many evidences that indicate that episiotomy should not be done routinely since it involves

many complications, such as risk of bleeding, infections, bruises and painful and bothersome scarring

that can last a long time Although in principle the healing of the stitches and the period of quarantine should not be longer than 4 or 6 weeks, the fact is that in most cases the scar left by the episiotomy produces a painful sensation in the perineum that persists after the disappearance of the points for several months in the best of cases, and all life in the most serious cases. An infection of the spots or poor healing can lead to desensitization of the area, or on the contrary, an excessive sensitivity that leads to pain. Sexual relations can be a real nuisance when this happens, and there are cases of women who tell how they could not have sex again in the same way as before, although it is true that in very exceptional cases.

The discomfort or lack of sensitivity in the area, result in a lower vaginal discharge, fear of penetration, and as a result a lack of libido.