If you're like me when I was pregnant, you are probably being bombarded with information. Between reading and getting so much advice about everything from what to feed your baby to which diaper cream to use, you might find that you have more questions than answers. You are also probably wondering about what to expect on the BIG day.

He quickly positioned a hypodermic needle and injected anesthetic into a section of my wife's perineal tissue - the skin between the vagina and the anus. Next he grabbed a scalpel and carefully addressed the freshly anesthetized area. The attending nurse and I instinctively wheeled our heads to the side so that our eyes could not see what happened next. "I never watch this part," she told me, as the doctor quickly performed a simple procedure known as an episiotomy. Our daughter was born minutes later. As mother and daughter were meeting face-to-face for the very first time, the doctor was busy stitching the incision created during the episiotomy.

If you have had an episiotomy your medical team has carried out a surgical cut through your perineum. The reason for carrying out this procedure is to make the vagina larger with the intention of easing the birth of your child. This is normally carried out when the medical team are worried for your safety during a complicated and prolonged birth, or worried about the safety of your child. A surgical cut is preferred to a natural tearing that might occur if the birth goes ahead without an episiotomy because a natural tear will cause a ragged tear which is more difficult to stitch.

Homeopathy is a natural and complete system of health care. It works by finding the cause of the problem, and/or by your unique set of symptoms. The cause is what is blocking your immune system from functioning as it should. Free the block, by undoing the cause, and away you go. Your natural healing abilities return.

o Keep it and spaces around the cut clean with regular showering or bathing.

o Clean up from front to back to avoid infection.

o Apply ice packs, enfolded in a towel, for the first 24 hours after delivery.

o Frequently change your pads (choose a peripad--a sanitary napkin that absorb the normal bleeding that occurs after you give birth--or a witch hazel pad, or a medicated pad recommended by your practitioner) to help avoid infection.

o Sit on a donut pillow while your bottom is still sore. So you can sit down and nurse your baby.

o Reduce swelling by applying a cold pack to the incision for 20 minutes at time for a few days.

One of the best things you can do is prepare some frozen menstrual pads before you have the baby. Disposables work best for this. If you can get witch hazel from the store to saturate them with, all the better. Witch hazel acts to reduce swelling. If you can't find any, water will work as well. Saturate the pads and form them into "C" shapes (a cereal bowl works great for this) and freeze them individually. After the birth, wrap this around your tender nether region.

Read about parenting tips and also read about postnatal depression symptoms and postpartum exercise