Strengthening the perineum

[Antheia]

Is there anything I can do to help strengthen my perineum so that it's less likly i will tear again for my next birth? I had a 2nd degree tear with my first and also with my 2nd but the 2nd was not as bad and healed in about a week. I would rather not tear again though. So was hoping there was something i could do even before pregnancy and also during. I'm also having a hard time even touching the area just out of fear that it will hurt even though ti doesn't if that makes sense so i'd like to get over that too which i think will help also in not tearing as i will be more aware i suppose of it. Because both times i didn't feel the tearing at all.

[Matryoshka]

There are manual stretching exercises you can do, or get your dh to help. I have some diagrams on how to do them but i never got around to it and i had a 2nd degree tear to so i wish i did and will be doing them throughout the pregnancy this time - maybe try a google search as i'm not sure where i got this pamphlet from.

Also if you find the scar tissue is still tender or uncomfortable you can have a pessary treatment which somehow heals it. I did this as mine was still too painful to touch after 11 months, after the treatment it was fine.

[Claire]

Getting in touch with the area may not stop it tearing but will certainly connect you with that part of your body again.

I tore to 4th with my first through an episiotomy and forceps. With my second I did internal work using the Pink Kit and had a very small 2nd degree tear and a graze.

I do think the internal work helped - I stretched out the scar tissue from the inside and initially I was very tense and it was very uncomfortable. With very gentle manipulation from my husband (he did all the work as my tummy was too big) the pain quickly subsided (within the first week) and I really started to feel a difference.

Importantly I also learnt to direct my breathe there and relax the area thoroughly. It was interesting as sometimes I thought it was, but my husband would say the internal muscles were not relaxed, so I would direct my breathe there and feel the muscles loosen. Really interesting stuff.

[Tobily]

I was going to suggest the pink kit too - the internal work in it is much more comprehensive than most of the directions you can find out there online, and you get a cd that talks you through it along with the directed breathing that Claire mentioned. Plus you get heaps of other fantastic birth skills as well