Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

Episiotomy and stitches, who normally does the stitching?

76 replies

Kardelen · 17/01/2023 11:07

Hi everyone,
my last birth the doctor did an episiotomy. Was in theatre so they stiched me up.

however, this time I’ll be having early epidural and will be in a room I’ve been told. So in this case does a midwife do the stitches?

heard horror stories so not sure if I should just go for c section instead. If any midwife’s stitched you, how was it?

OP posts:
justasking111 · 17/01/2023 11:55

slytherinabout · 17/01/2023 11:16

My episiotomy stitches were done by a doctor, degraded and the wound still causes me bother. My stitches by a midwife after DS2 healed no problem at all.

Ditto. Doctor first time it was a mess second time midwife Who fixed it for me

stormelf · 17/01/2023 12:00

I was told after my first that I had 40% chance of having a retained placenta again. I was really worried about it but my second birth was completely different (under 2 hours and in an ambulance, placenta came out naturally once I arrived at hospital) and third birth was similar (under 1.5 hours and natural delivery of placenta)

tb4122 · 17/01/2023 12:07

Experienced midwife did my stitches (second degree natural tear not an episiotomy) and they healed beautifully. Within 2 weeks I wouldn't have known I'd been stitched and I'm only 7 weeks post partum now and I can barely tell where they were.

I put in my birth preferences that I wanted any stitching to be done by an experienced midwife and definitely not a student (which I then felt bad about because I had a wonderful student midwife with me for the labour and birth and although I don't think the plan was ever for her to do the stitching, I hope she wasn't offended...).

Babdoc · 17/01/2023 12:07

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a doctor or a midwife- what matters is their level of experience and competence, OP!
I was stitched both times by one of my old consultant colleagues - one episiotomy, one tear - and he made an excellent and comfortable job of both. He knew to leave the stitches loose enough to allow for some subsequent swelling, whereas inexperienced staff tend to knot too tightly. We teach our young surgeons that the wound edges should just “kiss”, rather than be jammed tightly together after suturing.
An old midwife will usually be much better than a junior obstetrician on his first six months in the specialty, and an experienced registrar better than a just qualified new midwife.

Astrabees · 17/01/2023 12:10

The consultant did mine after substantial tear with DS1, she made a good job of it and I had no problems. With DS2 no tear.

Jellycats4life · 17/01/2023 12:12

Just to add a different perspective - I opted for a c section after a third degree tear, and the recovery was a breeze compared with having one’s entire perineum sutured back together in theatre and being expected to get out of bed and walk around within hours.

borntobequiet · 17/01/2023 12:18

40+ years ago a midwife stitched me up and told me “Never let a doctor (implied male) do this, they think they’re doing you a favour by stitching you up too tightly”.
I did think at the time she was joking.

8DPWoah · 17/01/2023 12:22

I had an early epidural in a room with my first and then needed episiotomy, I'm almost certain a MW did the stitches. Healed as quickly and easily as it could.

With my second I just had a couple of stitches on grazes, because DD came out with proper little talon nails. The episiotomy definitely held firm! I'm not even certain it as a MW this time, might have been an MSU? Healed up great anyway but of course grazes were only a minor thing.

AnotherCountryMummy · 17/01/2023 12:23

Midwife did mine in 21 and it healed quickly/looks like before.

CornishGem1975 · 17/01/2023 12:29

Consultant both times because he was already in the room having delivered both my children by ventouse.

OverTheHillAndDownTotherSide · 17/01/2023 12:49

Revjane · 17/01/2023 11:29

My stitches were done by a midwife at 2 in the morning, she made a mess of it and I had a tender lumpy scar. I just lived with it. 30 years later the consultant gynaecologist who had done my hysterectomy said to me "I hope you don't mind. While I was down there I repaired that terrible episiotomy for you." It's perfect!

Wow!

I was refused revision surgery. :(

OverTheHillAndDownTotherSide · 17/01/2023 13:08

Kardelen · 17/01/2023 11:21

Oh no, what was actually wrong with it ?

Not sure if that was for me.

Instead of cutting into the muscle she cut between them. The muscles went into spasm, pulling the wound apart. At 6 weeks, 6months and 12 months was told it was just healing slowly and I should “grin and bear it”. (Sex with an open wound is great fun.)

After 18 months of being unable to climb more than 1 flight of stairs without it splitting I was referred to a consultant. They saw me 2 years later and prescribed botox to try and stop the muscle spasm. It did, but the tissue wasn’t fresh enough to knit together. They refused revision surgery because the scarring was extensive and they would have to remove so much I could end up in even more pain - permanantly.

When DD was 7 I had an accident and slipped, ripping the whole thing open. Waited 5 hours in A+E then told I had 5 mins to decide if I wanted emergency surgery then and there or really high dose antibiotics to see what happened. I opted for the “wait and see” option and miraculously a new bridge of skin grew in closing it up and giving me much more comfort.

When I complained about the cut being wrong they said that that sort of cut wasn’t done here(common in Africa and the Middle East) but as I’d been in labour for 3 days everything would be so swollen and distorted the doctor probably thought she had cut into muscle. (Cover up.)

Same doctor told me (delirious) that I was having a spinal in case a c-section was needed, but it was likely to damage DD pulling her back out of my pelvis. Such a magical experience. 🙄

FatAgainItsLettuceTime · 17/01/2023 13:16

Pretty sure it was a midwife who did it the stitches for my 2nd degree tear but could have been a female doctor. No real idea as never actually got introduced to the midwife as baby was born as I was being wheeled from the ward to the delivery room after I shouted that I needed to push and they looked and saw a head. Someone stitched me up and they did a good job, then they pushed a painkiller suppository up my bum and I went for a shower.

Flapjackquack · 17/01/2023 13:19

Doctor did mine, healed very quickly. For a couple of months afterwards I could feel a slight pull if I crouched for any period of time (I assume where the scar was still healing fully). Now no issues, looks and feels the same as before I had a baby.

WeWereInParis · 17/01/2023 13:23

Dr did mine after DD1 - the midwives weren't sure if it was maybe 3rd degree so had the dr check. It was only 2nd, so they did it in the room but the Dr did it.
After DD2 I had another 2nd degree tear stitched by the midwife this time.
I didn't notice any difference between the two.

Sunnyshoeshine · 17/01/2023 13:30

Dr did mine because they said it was very close to my urethra and the MW was not qualified to fix that type of tear. Healed very nicely and i had no subsequent issues.

AWaferThinMint · 17/01/2023 13:34

I had a trainee midwife do mine.

RustyAnchor · 17/01/2023 13:35

My first was a consultant. He didn’t use enough anaesthesia and tried to argue with me when I told him I was in pain. I had to explain that I could feel the needle moving in and out of my body before he administered more.

My second was a midwife and she was fantastic.

Madamecastafiore · 17/01/2023 13:36

First time amazing, second time bloody awful and had to have corrective surgery. Third time c section.

Milkand2sugarsplease · 17/01/2023 13:38

I was stitched by a mw after ds1. Started off with a newly qualified midwife who was very gentle and took her time but was unsure what she was doing and asking for a lot of guidance from a more experienced mw. More experienced mw took over and bloody hell, she might as well have been knitting a blooming sweater, she went like the clappers and by god did she know what she was doing.

It hurt, I can't lie. But didn't last long.

fpurplea · 17/01/2023 13:56

Mine were for a second degree tear in theatre post forceps delivery, possibly a consultant, want really paying attention at that point lol. Was one of the theatre staff anyway, not a midwife, but afterwards everyone who's seen them has commented on what a lovely neat job was done with them.

BunchHarman · 17/01/2023 14:14

I opted for an elective section as my doctor said women quite often wind up with stitches somewhere, and I didn’t want them somewhere I had to sit on or go to the toilet from.

Daisy4569 · 17/01/2023 14:20

MW did mine after episiotomy, nearly finished then decided she’d done it wrong and got a dr to redo it.

Percypiglover · 17/01/2023 14:31

Similar to you I had stitches I theatre first time as had forceps there in case needed to convert to a c section. With my second he was born in a room with midwives present only needed couple of stitches and no episiotomy and midwife did it. Had the gas and air and was fine. Also much easier recovery second time round as so many less stitches. My birth with my second was so lovely after having first in theatre so I would definitely go for it but it's personal choice.

Whyisitdarkalready · 17/01/2023 14:44

I had an episiotomy with ds and was stitched by a midwife. It took ages to heal, had been stitched too tightly and for years it wasn't great and the scar tissue would cause me discomfort and pain regularly. When I had dd, 7 years later, she was a fast birth and she tore my scar open. The midwife stitched it all up again and she did an amazing job. I haven't had any problems since! So, as with anything, it's down to how experienced and thorough the person is, midwife or doctor.