Husband stitch


The husband stitch or husband's stitch, also known as the daddy stitch, husband's knot and vaginal tuck, is a purported surgical procedure in which one or more sutures than necessary are used to repair a woman's perineum after it has been torn or cut during childbirth. The claimed purpose is to tighten the opening of the vagina and thereby enhance the pleasure of her male sex partner during penetrative intercourse. Evidence for benefits is lacking.

Medical perspective

While repair of the perineum may be medically necessary, an extra stitch is not, and may cause discomfort or pain. Use of the term in the medical literature can be traced to Transactions of the Texas State Medical Association in 1885. There is also a reference to it in What Women Want to Know, a book co-written by an American gynaecologist.
It appears that no studies exist to determine whether the procedure occurs and how many women have been affected beyond anecdotal evidence. Some medical practitioners view reports about the procedure as an urban legend. One writer suggests that it might be a joke made by men to relieve tension after their partners have given birth. However, there are several accounts of women who claim to have undergone this procedure without their consent.

Popular culture

A short story by Carmen Maria Machado, "The Husband Stitch", first published in 2014 by Granta, describes a woman undergoing the procedure.