TRAUMATIC BIRTH IS REAL AND IT MATTERS ✨ An episiotomy is a surgical procedure. Surgery requires clear, informed consent. Being cut without warning… Being told “if you yell, it’ll take longer”… Being dismissed while your body is at its most vulnerable… That is not care. That is trauma. So many women carry the physical and emotional weight of birth experiences that were frightening, painful, or deeply violating and then are expected to “just move on” because a baby arrived. This is your reminder:

Episiotomy isn’t just a little snip. It’s a cut with surgical scissors to your perineum during childbirth to enlarge the opening. And it's often overdone. In fact, the research is clear: routine episiotomies can increase your risk of severe 3rd and 4th degree tearing. ⁠ They should only be used in rare cases (like forceps or vacuum deliveries) and not be part of standard routine practice. One of the best @wegotherepodcast interviews I ever did was with Dr Michael Klein, a trailblazing physician