Malvika Sitlani Opens Up About Her Difficult Birth Story, Reveals She Had An Episiotomy
16 Jun 2023 | 5 min Read
Sudeshna Chakravarti
Author | 799 Articles
Ever since she announced her pregnancy, influencer, and actor Malvika Sitlani has been extremely raw and candid about the difficulties experienced in this journey. And, now that she has given birth to a lovely girl, Abigail, the new mum has finally opened up about the complications she experienced during delivery. In a series of Instagram stories, Malvika revealed that while she gave birth vaginally, she had to get an episiotomy to deliver her baby.
Read on as we give you more deets from Malvika’s birth story, and discuss about the episiotomy procedure, its different types, and healing tips.
Malvika Sitlani Reveals She Had An Episiotomy
Malvika announced her baby girl’s birth on May 10, 2023, with an adorable Instagram post. In the post, the actor briefly mentioned experiencing birth complications and assured her fans that she will speak about it in-depth soon.
Recently, the new mum took to her Instagram stories to open up about questions she received from her fans and the difficulties she went through during childbirth. Malvika revealed that she had a normal birth, but due to some complications, she had to get an episiotomy to deliver her baby.
Malvika revealed, “As I had an episiotomy, it’s taking me double the time to heal, and that’s why I have been in and out of the hospital. Also, I am anaemic and my blood count was low, but fortunately, I am on the healing journey and following my doctor’s advice to regain my health.”
Malvika also added that she will soon do a detailed storytime about the rare complications that she experienced so that she can raise awareness of these issues and bring the difficulties that women face during childbirth to the spotlight.
Ahead, we give you a breakdown of the episiotomy procedure, its different types, and healing methods. Take a look!
What Is An Episiotomy?
An episiotomy is a surgical operation, which involves making an incision in your perineum (area between the vagina and anus) before a vaginal birth. This enlarges your vagina’s opening and helps your baby’s head and body emerge smoothly.
When Is Episiotomy Considered Necessary?
There are a few situations where an episiotomy is considered crucial, such as:
- Your delivery requires the use of vacuum or forceps: These tools need space to operate and hence an episiotomy is considered necessary.
- Your baby’s head is big: If your baby needs more space to exit, your doctor might consider an episiotomy to enlarge your vaginal opening.
- Certain pregnancy complications: If your baby has shoulder dystocia (a condition where their shoulder is stuck in the birth canal), or they are in a breech position, then episiotomy is considered crucial.
- Fetal distress: If your baby is in distress or their heart rate is low, your healthcare provider may perform an emergency episiotomy.
Types Of Episiotomy
The two types of episiotomy include mediolateral and midline incisions. While a midline episiotomy is more common in Canada and the United States, the mediolateral incision is widely preferred in other parts of the world.
Midline Episiotomy
In midline episiotomy, the incision is made in the middle of your vaginal opening up until the anus. The advantages of this process include improved healing and low blood loss.
The main disadvantage of this process is the increased risk of tears in your anal muscles. In this case, you may experience long-term complications, such as bowel incontinence.
Mediolateral Episiotomy
In this process, the incision is made in the middle of your vaginal opening and extends toward your buttocks at a 45-degree angle. The main advantage of this procedure is the reduced risk of muscle tears.
However, there are many disadvantages of mediolateral episiotomy, including:
- Increased blood loss
- Severe pain
- Difficulty in healing
Healing Tips To Recover From An Episiotomy
Like all wounds, the site of episiotomy will also take time to heal, usually around 10-14 days. To prevent inflammation or infection, your healthcare provider may recommend the following postpartum perineal hygiene tips:
- Pain relief medications: Your doctor might prescribe a numbing cream or spray or over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen.
- Using ice packs: Cold compresses or ice wrapped in a washcloth helps ease pain and reduces swelling.
- Keeping the surgical site clean: Pole a small hole in a plastic bottle and use it to spritz your perineum during and after urinating to keep the incision site clean. Use a soft towel and gently pat the area dry.
Conclusion
As Malvika shared, an episiotomy is only considered necessary in case of a pregnancy complication and is not recommended routinely. So don’t be alarmed, as your doctor will only consider this procedure if you experienced any of the complications we discussed above.
To be on the safe side, discuss the possibility of this procedure with your healthcare provider before your due date, and get all your queries addressed beforehand.
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Also Read:
Debina Bonnerjee opens up about breastfeeding struggles: Check out what Debina had to say about her breastfeeding journey after both of her pregnancies.
Neha Marda reveals daughter’s face: Neha Marda drops adorable pictures of her daughter from her newborn photoshoot. Take a look.
Aashka Goradia highlights prenatal yoga benefits: Mum-to-be Aashka Goradia revealed her prenatal yoga regime and emphasised its benefits in a recent post. Check it out.
Cover Image Credit: Malvika Sitlani / Instagram
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