What is a Husband Stitch?
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The husband stitch, also referred to as a ‘daddy stitch’, is an unnecessary surgical stitch given to women following natural childbirth. In a process known as episiotomy, a doctor cuts the opening of the vagina in order to widen it and give the baby more room to pass through. After the baby is born, the doctor commonly stitches the perineum back up with a few additional, unnecessary, stitches. This practice is referred to as the ‘husband stitch’ as the traditionally accepted purpose of it was to increase the woman’s tightness for her husband’s pleasure, without regard for the woman’s comfort or opinion.

Women’s Experiences with the Husband Stitch
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For decades, the husband stitch has been performed without the mother’s knowledge or permission. In addition, women frequently had a husband present during childbirth to keep them from voicing any issues with the post-birth stitch procedures. The husband would often encourage the doctor to pull the stitches tighter, potentially without the knowledge of the recipient.

Medical professionals have long defended the use of the husband stitch as a repair technique and medical necessity, but recent evidence suggests otherwise. Many women report experiencing additional and unnecessary pain as a result of the stitch. Women are also criticizing the practice on the basis of consent and bodily autonomy – questioning why they have to undergo a procedure in order to satisfy their husband’s needs.

Questions are being raised as to why this stitch even exists, because it has been found to be both unhelpful in the healing process and potentially painful. Experiences of pain and long-term vaginal discomfort have been widely reported, along with painful sexual intercourse, pulling, and burning sensations.

Letting Go of the Husband Stitch
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Recent advocacy and awareness efforts are challenging the use of this procedure, forcing medical professionals to reconsider their justifications for the stitch. In some countries and states, laws have been passed that require explicit consent from the mother prior to any procedure being carried out. It has become clear to many that the husband stitch is nothing more than a male-centric, outdated practice that should no longer be employed.

The gender imbalance in healthcare is steadily decreasing, and the husband stitch is one of the many areas that are being re-examined in order to better serve the needs of women. Women are no longer allowing their bodies to be used as objects to be ‘fixed’ in order to satisfy the needs of their husbands or medical professionals, and fighting back against this practice is an important step in the right direction. The husband stitch is an outdated and unnecessary practice that should no longer be employed, and the fight to end it is one that women are leading.