Crystal Yellowhair, a 31-year-old mother of three, has publicly shared her experience of enduring months of pain and bleeding after the birth of her third child in May 2025. She alleges that a doctor at a rural Arizona hospital, whom she had not met previously, performed an extra suture, known as a 'husband stitch' or 'daddy stitch,' without her consent. Yellowhair claims the doctor made a comment to her husband about making her more 'taut' after the birth, a remark she initially dismissed as a joke but later came to believe was a literal description of a procedure.
The 'husband stitch' is an extra suture sometimes added to a woman's vaginal opening during childbirth, ostensibly to tighten it for sexual pleasure, a practice with roots in the mid-20th century. While medical consensus today is that such stitches offer no benefit to the mother and can lead to complications, women have continued to report experiencing them. The Journal of Gender-Based Violence has documented hundreds of suspected cases in the US and Europe in recent years. A 2025 study in Belgium indicated that approximately six percent of new mothers received an unnecessary suture, with higher rates in more remote hospitals.
Following her childbirth, Yellowhair reported experiencing persistent pain and bleeding, which she believes were consequences of the alleged extra stitch. She claims her concerns were dismissed by hospital staff, and a nurse practitioner allegedly removed a stitch without pain relief. These ongoing issues led to corrective surgery in April 2026, which included a painful cauterization procedure.
Yellowhair has filed formal complaints against the hospital and medical licensing boards in Arizona and Missouri, where the doctor involved resides. The hospital's response, in a letter to Yellowhair, acknowledged her medical complications but disputed her explanation, stating that medical records showed no causal relationship between the birth and her subsequent issues. The hospital also noted the doctor was not an employee and that he denied adding an extra stitch, with hospital records indicating he recalled the discussion as a joke initiated by the husband. Yellowhair and her husband strongly deny this account.
While some legal professionals have reportedly declined to take her case due to insurance-related reasons, Yellowhair has initiated an online fundraiser to cover legal costs and support her family. She has also become an advocate, sharing her story on social media and amassing a significant following. She stated her goal is to raise awareness and empower other women to speak out if they experience similar situations. Medical experts, such as OB-GYN Dr. Daniel Niku, advise patients to report any mention of unauthorized extra stitches to authorities immediately, emphasizing that the vagina heals well with standard repairs.
The experience has led Yellowhair and her family to relocate to St. George, Utah, seeking better healthcare facilities due to a loss of faith in their previous medical providers. She views the alleged practice as an underrecognized form of female genital mutilation/cutting and an affront to a woman's bodily autonomy during a vulnerable time.