Hi Cathy.........

It does sting a bit, around the edge, but I found it to be not as bad as I had imagined.....you are concentrating on so many other things (pushing and breathing and what the Dr & midwife is saying, the fact that you are SO close to meeting your baby..........) that it was the least of my worries......honest!

In terms of "preparing" the vagina for birth, from about 35 weeks pg, you can try daily prenatal massage of the perineum (the area around your vagina). Perineum massage may increase the stretching ability of the area, decreasing the chance of an episiotomy and less chance of natural tears. (There is no medical evidence that this technique avoids an episiotomy, but it can't hurt if you want to try).