Posted by My OB said WHAT?!?.
Jul
4
Posted by My OB said WHAT?!?.
“…You Might Lose Your Clitoris.”
“If you don’t have an episiotomy, you might lose your clitoris.” – OB to mother during pushing.
There are 37 comments to this post.
She might win the lottery too. Why don’t you forget the scare tactics and let her push?
[Reply]
Krista Reply:
July 5th, 2011 at 8:14 am (Quote)
Jane, Jane, women don’t push lottery tickets out of their sparkly vajayjays, they push ICE CREAM out.
[Reply]
Mama Wrench Reply:
July 5th, 2011 at 8:23 am (Quote)
Better yet, let her labor down till her BODY is ready to push… I’ve never heard of a mother having a serious tear when she’s given space to wait for her body to push on its own in the position of her choosing.
[Reply]
Sarah Dorrance-Minch Reply:
July 5th, 2011 at 9:59 am (Quote)
I tore near my clitoris despite being in an upright position during my third birth, but labour was one hour and ten minutes long – not just precipitous, but volcanic – and my nine pound three ounce daughter had two nuchal hands (maybe she’ll be an Olympic diver).
I wouldn’t call it a serious tear, though. It healed on its own eventually. Peeing was a bit of an adventure, but I survived.
Clitoris is still there, too, right where it’s always been.
[Reply]
I might tear without an epi, or you can guarantee I will have a cut and probably have a much deeper tear extend through that with one. Oh and LOSE my clitoris? How bad of a doc are you that I wouldn’t just tear the tissue covering it but would lose the whole thing!? What a terrible experience for the OP!
[Reply]
Maybe this doctor thinks that part is detachable? And that if you don’t cut an episiotomy, the baby might knock it off during birth and it’ll get lost in the bed sheets and they won’t be able to find it again?
[Reply]
Sarah Dorrance-Minch Reply:
July 5th, 2011 at 10:01 am (Quote)
So instead of a “husband stitch,” this doctor instead helpfully attaches some Velcro?
[Reply]
Jessica had this to say,
Jul 4, 2011 @ 6:20 pm (Quote)
Has there EVER been a case of a woman losing her clitoris during childbirth? Ever? I’m thinking this OB may be referring to his colleague’s brother’s friend’s cousin’s husband’s sister who heard through a friend that it happened to someone else. Way to practice some evidence based care, Doc. Mighty proud of you!
[Reply]
Jessers Reply:
July 4th, 2011 at 6:54 pm (Quote)
Well, I’m pretty sure it can’t “detach” like a limb, as it doesn’t protrude enough, otherwise in FGMs they’d just yank it out, instead of cutting it. I mean, there can be tearing near/at the urethra site, but usually those are the ones that even heal faster! And to reach the clitoris, you’d have to tear all through the urethra, which sounds pretty impossible, to me, barring any bizarre instrumental intervention.
[Reply]
This insane comment reminds me of one I heard several years ago – a MD told a woman that she would have to have a hysterectomy if she didn’t have an episiotomy. I don’t understand how physicians can just LIE to women like this and continue to practice medicine!
[Reply]
When my daughter was born, I had two skintags that didn’t stretch, so I tore. I was embarrassed about the skintags, not the tearing. The midwife reassured me that it happens sometimes, it’s ok. Well, then I tore I tore down at the one tag, and up at the other. Even with Lidocaine, that repair was not fun. Still… I didn’t lose it. Repair, recovery, and I can attest that it is still there, and working fine, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[Reply]
Jespren had this to say,
Jul 4, 2011 @ 8:03 pm (Quote)
While this doctor is a lying puppy-poo, epis *increase* your risk for a bad tear, ‘lose your clitoris’ as in lose the function of the clitoris is clinically possible from a bad tear surrounding birth. And it can happen on an otherwise normal delivery. I know, in my personal rl experiance, two women who have lost all or most sensation in their clitorial region due to tears during normal, uncomplicated deliveries. They just tore up instead of down and either the inital tear or scar tissue injured and/or blocked the nerves. It *can* happen, but an epi isn’t even a fix, much less a good fix, mother directed pushing with guarding of tissue plus non-lithotomy position is a much better indicator of no tears, in any direction. Although still not a guarentee, I tore both up and down (but thankfully no long term issues) with my 1st baby.
[Reply]
I think we had a post like this before.
And I’m sure there’s been a doc in the past that botched up a repair and cost the woman some important parts. Like, a one-in-a-million type thing.
But then, if they’re willing to count rare occurrences like this one, they have to also acknowledge ‘rare’ occurrences like the dangers of induction.
Double standard, anyone?
[Reply]
Uh, correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the clitoris on the top, and the perineum on the bottom? And the perineum is what you cut during an episiotomy, right? So how does not getting an episiotomy, and risking tearing my perineum mean that I’ll lose my clitoris?
Do you even hear the words that are coming out of your mouth Doc?
[Reply]
Jenny Islander had this to say,
Jul 4, 2011 @ 8:52 pm (Quote)
And if you don’t keep your mouth flapping endlessly, your tiny brain will overheat and you will die. No wonder you just make up any old crap in order to keep air moving through there. You poor thing. Now GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY NETHERS. Nurse! Nurse! There’s a psychiatric patient loose in the labor wing!
[Reply]
Lindsey had this to say,
Jul 4, 2011 @ 8:58 pm (Quote)
This isn’t mine but I had a similar comment made during my second delivery. I ended up with a 3rd degree tear, a 2nd degree episiotomy on the opposite side and my right labia was torn off. The OB chalked it up to my sons 37cm head and weighing 9lbs 2oz.
This morning I gave birth to a 9lbs 2oz baby with a 37cm head AND a nuchal hand and ended up with a minor laceration (didn’t even necessitate a stitch). The difference? My child born this morning was born at home with a midwife.
[Reply]
Fiona Reply:
July 4th, 2011 at 9:45 pm (Quote)
Congratulations on your birth!
Both of mine were born at home with a midwife.
First, a 9-pounder (can’t remember head circumference), didn’t rotate shoulders, 2nd degree tear that necessitated a hospital transfer for stitching.
I assumed it was the lack of shoulder rotation that did it.
Second, 10lb 2oz baby, 37.5cm head circumference, no shoulder rotation, pushed out in 13 minutes, 1st degree tear, no stitching (didn’t even feel it).
[Reply]
Lindsey had this to say,
Jul 5, 2011 @ 12:11 am (Quote)
I am not sure how it was possible for a labia to be torn off. Apparently it is not common (thank goodness) but the force of the quick emergence of his head caused it. I pushed once and he went from 0 station to +4 (you could see his eyebrows) that is where the damage was done. I essentially had a combination of tears/episiotomy that formed an X, I had a minor tear up my left labia as well, but they didn’t stitch it.
[Reply]
Lindsey had this to say,
Jul 5, 2011 @ 12:35 am (Quote)
I should say that the OB did manage to repair my labia, it just took a long, long time (my labor was only 2hrs and the repair took 1.5hrs).
I thought it was rather ironic that in his one-man quest to save my clitoris )you know the important part…) I did end up with a different part being damaged. I need to have reconstructive surgery but that is considered “cosmetic” 
[Reply]
[Citation needed]
[Reply]
I tore through my clitoris. It hurt wore than anything I’ve ever felt. I did NOT get stitches. I let it heal on it’s own. It took 3 months before I could walk without pain, and 6 months to where I wasn’t in constant pain. But guess who could could orgasm a mere 2 weeks after birth? Yup, me. It was in 2 pieces for a while, but letting it heal on it’s own has allowed it to fix itself and now almost 3 years PP everything works better than it did before I had my daughter! FTR, I had a natural birth out of a hospital in a free standing birth center in their giant birth tub. Trust your body! It has amazing powers!
[Reply]
Add Your Comment.
Previous Post
« “No One Ever Died From Being Induced.” Next Post
“BWAHAHAHAHA!” »
« “No One Ever Died From Being Induced.” Next Post
“BWAHAHAHAHA!” »
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. Seriously? SERIOUSLY?
I didn’t have an episotomy and my clitoris is juuuuust fine. I did tear pretty badly both outside and in my vagina, but my feel good button is still there.
[Reply]