Time for a rethink in the choices presented to mothers-to-be

The assumption that vaginal delivery is always to be preferred must end and a more patient centred approach adopted, writes Doireann O’Mahony.

We need to end the silence around the devastating impact vaginal births can have on women and rethink the assumption that this type of delivery is the preferred option.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ (RCOG) own figures show fourth-degree tears — the most severe type, which involve the perineal muscle, anal sphincter, and/or rectum being damaged — increased three-fold in the 10 years to 2012, and are now at an all-time high.