My midwife told me that a good diet can contirbute to a lesser chance of tearing (if your putting in the right nutrients, your skin and muscles are at their best perhaps). My first bub was 9lb 5oz and I didn't tear. Some of this may be to do with the diet thing, but I also concentrated on feeling very open down there. The thing that I noticed most as bub was crowning was the pressure on my anus. My husband thought it was amusing that I kept saying that my bum was going to turn itself inside out. I think an important thing is to know that you may experience this sensation and you have to go with it. You feel like you are going to poo, and you just might. BUT if you fight that feeling, you are going to tense up, the pushing and crowning is going to be harder and you might tear. I also agree that you have to listen to your midwife/doctor and take it easy as bub is being delivered at the very end.

All the best

Kara