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With DS I had to have a episiotomy. With DD I had a second degree tear along the scar from the episiotomy. Everything I have read about perenial massage says to start after the 3rd tri or in the last few weeks. Would it hurt to do it right through the pregnancy or at lease use olive oil and massage along the scar??
I dont really have any advice about when it would be ok to start but I did massage and religiously used a certain expensive product to prevent and/or reduce tearing.....I sustained a lovely 3rd degree :o. I guess Im a little pesimistic about massage etc now, a midwife informed DH some women just tear :rolleyes: sux for those of us who do if thats the case! Maybe someone else can give you some better advice but still wishing you the best of luck to avoid it with # 3.....Love to hear if anything you do does assist. Best of luck hun x
I don't think there's any reason why you couldn't do the massage now, but I really don't know if it will help. I've heard taking vitamin E can be beneficial. It is supposed to improve skin elasticity. Having a warm compress applied to the perineum at crowning to support the skin, and help it relax can help. They did that for me with DD1, and it felt SO good, and I didn't tear. You might want to look at water birth, if it's an option where you live. Birthing in the water is also known to reduce tearing.
Talk to your OB/midwife about your options, and let them know that you REALLY want to avoid a tear. On your birth plan, make a note about being reminded to pant and breathe the baby out, rather than pushing at the end, and ask that anything possible be done to avoid tearing.
All the best! :)
It probably wouldn't hurt to start now, but from what I've read it's in the last few weeks of pregnancy that a certain hormone kicks in which helps with perineal elasticity. (that's why the instructions for EpiNo say not to start using it til 37 weeks I think)
Like someone else said, some people are much more prone to tear than others. Apparently it does have a lot to do with the degree of natural skin elasticity you have. I've also read that people who have a lot of stretch marks are more likely to tear than those who are blessed not to have any, as this is an indication of skin elasticity ITMS.
I've actually been reading an Ina may Gaskin book recently which has a chapter about the "Power of the Perineum" it talks about how many of us are scared of our bits being "damaged" by birth and interestingly compares it to the fact that mens private parts engorge and grow much bigger without any damage (and it's a given), so women need to have confidence that their vagina's can do this too. She suggests at the time of crowning, focusing on this part of your body and believing in it's ability to engorge with blood and stretch. Apparently if we focus on this area (one woman said over and over in her head "I'm gonna get huge, I'm gonna get huge)and it engorges with blood (as it's mean't to) it definately helps the area to get bigger and stretch without sustaining as much damage, whereas if we're scared, more damage is likely. Interresting concept, I thought.
I'm a believer of listening to your midwife... they can see what's happening down there and mine told me what "kinds" of pushes to do to help stop tearing (and I didn't tear :)) Honestly, tho... I think it's down to pure luck, unfortunately.
Thanks ladies. :)
Just a quick thought about the stretchies/tearing thing - I have a bazillion stretchies. Everywhere. And I've never torn. So if you've got 'em, you don't have to think you're cursed to inevitable tearing. :)