See also:

• Health: Reproductive Health: Pregnancy and Birth: Complications: Obstetric Fistula  (8)

About Episiotomy - - A collection of links to articles on the subject plus information on using exercise to avoid and recover from the procedure.

Baby Center: Episiotomy - - The how and why, including commonly asked questions and their answers. Includes user submitted comments on personal experiences with the procedure.

Benefits and Risks of Episiotomy - - Text of the manuscript subtitled "A Review of the English-Language Literature Since 1980" by R.J. Woolley which summarize the findings of studies on the subject.

Birth Psychology: Epsiotomy - - A description of the procedure, its purposes, and women's responses to it.

Episiotomy: Ritual Genital Mutilation in Western Obstetrics - - An article denouncing the practice of routinely cutting the perineum during hospital deliveries in the United States with abstracts for related studies.

Get Through Childbirth in One Piece - - An article with references about methods for avoiding the procedure, written by the author of the book by the same name.

Much Ado About a Little Cut - - Article from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggesting that routine episiotomy is no longer advisable.

Obstetric Myths Versus Research Realities: Episiotomy - - Summary of significant points, references, and abstracts from related studies from this book on obstetric myths.

Parent's Place: Episiotomy - - Article on the pros and cons of the procedure.

Perineal Massage: Your How-To Guide - - Article on how performing perineal massage may allow the mother to give birth without an episiotomy or laceration.

Perineal Protection - Avoiding Tears and Episiotomy - - Suggestions for avoiding the procedure from midwives, including the use of perineal massage and birth stools.

NPR : Study Questions Value of Episiotomies - - A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds no benefit from episiotomies. Melissa Block talks with Dr. Katherine E. Hartmann, who is lead author of the study. [3:53 streaming audio broadcast] (May 4, 2005)