Tearing apart the taboo: Post-natal support needed for new mums

13 July 2019

Many incredible women go through the feat of childbirth every day. Despite many women’s bodies being literally torn apart, it remains taboo to discuss vaginal tears, mental health and the life changing complications that can come with childbirth.

Parenting on Female First

We all know childbirth is not easy and most women accept they may suffer a tear when giving birth vaginally. A tear can occur either naturally as the baby stretches the vagina or a cut can be made by the doctor or midwife to create more room for the baby to be delivered. This cut is called an episiotomy.

The severity of a tear will depend on the thickness and location. There are four different categories of vaginal tears, from first degree (the least severe) to fourth degree (which is much deeper and will require stitches). It is really important that the extent of the tear is identified and repaired properly at the time.

Most women who suffer a tear will recover well and go onto have straightforward births in the future. Indeed, the majority of mothers will receive wonderful medical care during and after the birth. However, occasionally the medical treatment can fall short, such as if the tear is missed or the repair is done incorrectly. This can lead to a number of problems including infection, pain, bowel incontinence, as well as anxiety, fear and psychological injury.

Extensive treatment may be needed for women whose tears do not heal by themselves, including antibiotics and surgery to repair the tear or even create a stoma. A stoma is an opening created on the abdomen. It diverts faeces into a bag outside the body away from the tear, allowing it a chance to heal. Looking after a new born baby is demanding. Managing a stoma and a baby can be completely overwhelming.

I suspect that straightforward recoveries are less common then we think. The focus is on the new baby’s wellbeing. Whilst this is important, the wellbeing of mothers has to be as important as that of their babies. New mums often don’t know what is normal following a birth. We all know childbirth itself is painful but it tends to be taboo to talk about the issues that follow, such as anxiety, bleeding and even bowel incontinence.

I have spoken to first time mums who have suffered bowel incontinence after giving birth but they thought it was normal because no one talks about it. Often mums don’t talk about their experiences because of embarrassment or because they feel ashamed. As a society we need to support these incredible women by breaking this taboo.

The wonderful charity MASIC supports new mums who are suffering alone and in silence by raising awareness of these injuries and campaigning to reduce the incidence of birth injury. I would urge any women suffering to talk to someone; whether that be family, friends or a stranger at a charity. https://masic.org.uk/