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Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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Episiotomy

Home Care and Complications

What happens later at home?

Keeping the area clean is the key to preventing infection and to helping speed healing. The stitches will dissolve after a period of time and do not need to be removed.

To help heal an episiotomy, a woman should:

take sitz baths or sit in a tub of warm water a few times a day. Wash the area gently with a stream of water after using the bathroom.

relieve pain and swelling with Tucks pads and ice packs. Sitting on an inflatable donut helps, too.

avoid constipation to keep this tender tissue from stretching too much. Take stool softeners, such as docusate, and drink 8 to 10 glasses of fluids each day.

use over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, as needed.

avoid sexual intercourse for 6 weeks after the birth.

A woman should see her doctor for follow-up visits to check on how the episiotomy is healing.

What are the potential complications after the procedure?

Very rarely, an episiotomy may extend into the rectum. More stitches than usual would be required to repair the cut. The increased risks of this problem are:

infection

bruising

the forming of a hole between the vagina and rectum that is called a fistula

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