I read about it recently.
If you lube up well and insert finger or thumb and stretch the bit of skin between vagina and butt till it stings a little bit and gently massage and do it like several times a day (then you'll get a really baggy *****) lol sorry no then everything is stretchier and less likely to tear.
The site I was reading actually says more prople tear if they have an episitomy. Think like a sheet of fabric - if you just pull it doesn't tear but if you cut a bit first and pull you can rip it all the way (ouch)
also some episitomies are done straight (with a risk of anal tearing too ) some are done on a slant but are a bit longer and take a few more stitches

Legs crossed nice and tightly now

Hmmm I think I wont have an epistiotimy. That sounds horrible.

Lol alot of places wont give u the choice will they? They'll have to cut u...

I got cut like eight inches lol, but that was on my belly! Lol

Jordan you seemed to have had no problems with anything, why did u have to have a c section?

Just hope this baby doesn't do to me what I did to my mum - she tore and then had to be cut as well and they had to use forceps and to top it all off I put her in intensive care for 3 days! - nice baby huh

If I was your mom I woulda had soooooo many planned punishments in the future for you. Lol I hope my baby just comes on out when I was born I was head down and coming, and all of a sudden my mom says I turned sideways and she had to get an emergency c section, and on top of that I was premature.

Well river's head was right there I was going to tear anyways so she decided just to cut me that way it would be a clean cut to repair...I had to get 5 stitches! Stacie called me while I was getting stitched up!Lol!! It wasnt to bad!

I tore twice with josh, they were just two little tears. My doctors try to avoid episiotomies, and do them only when necessary. They were about to do one on me and I just pushed really hard one more time and his head popped out. The stiches hurt but not too bad. And that afterwards like when u start walking and sitting.

The day b4 I had jaydyn I had an u/s and I had verrryyy lil amniotic fliud--that was the main reason....But she was supposed 2 b a larggeee baby and my cervix wasnt changin'

I didnt have an episiotomy but I had a slight laceration (a little tear that only needed 2 stitches) and that was my biggest fear in labour! Was feeling myself rip! But it really doesnt hrut that much and it heals quite fast. I wasnt numb or anything, so I felt every pain but I thought the tearing was the least bit of pain.

Strangely enough natural tears are supposed to heal easier than straight cuts - (so it says on about dot com) its natures ways of making sures the edges have better bonding properties

They are called kegel exercises. All you have to do is squeeze together down there, like you are stopping your flow of urine. Hold it for eight seconds, and then release. Do it about 20 times an hour. This can also help prevent you from becoming incontinet (can't control your bladder) after pregnancy, and in old age.

I had a small tear only had to have 2 stitches but he put 3 in I dont know why. Lol. We didnt have a choice though, he(the doc) said that they dont do episiodomies(sp?) because they are risk of anal something. Lol I cant remember but the doc said they dont do em also because they dont heal as well as natural tears. I was afraid I was gonna tear and feel it but u dont feel a thing, your just concentrated on gettin that baby out and once he/she is out you are concentrated on him/her in the box gettin measured etc. While they are doin the stitches. So its all good
~heather ryan and mackenzie

Here's another question if you have an epidural will you feel the tearing... I think this is my newest fear.

I have heard that with an epidural, you won't feel much, put that all depends on how much you are given.

Well, for many women, by the time you're pushing, your epidural may very well have worn off. If your epidural is still affecting you during the pushing, you aren't going to feel anything! But if its worn off, yes, the pushing will hurt. It just makes sense to me that in the heat of the moment, you won't be able to discern what pain is from contractions, what pain is from vaginal stretching, and what pain is from tearing. Labor hurts, and tearing is part of it, but you probably won't be able to distinguish one from another.

Newlife - kegal exercises are something different.
Kegal exercises are to help with muscle control and as you say helps prevent incontinence.
However the perineum is the bit of skin between your vagina and anus which is at risk of tearing during labour, if you stretch this piece of skin and make it nice and supple there is less chance of it tearing when you give birth.

Yea, I am in healthcare, and I am also a nursing student, so I know where the perineum area is. My information about kegel exercises has come from various sources, including an old teacher of mine who is an rn, msn, and my doctor as well.

When doing kegel exercises, what you are really exercising are the pelvic floor muscles. And if you know anything about the pelvic floor muscles, you know that the surround both the vaginal, and rectal areas. So by tightening and releasing these muscles, you are stretching and strengthening the perineum area. Which in turn, if done properly, can help to prevent tearing during childbirth.

About the epidural, I got one with mackenzie and I was numb as can be. I didnt feel a thing but they had me on an i.V. Type epidural, they left it in until I was done with labor.. It was the best lol so my epidural never wore off. So I didnt feel the tearing all I felt was the burning sensation of her head coming out. They call it the ring off fire I dunno lol. Get the epidural I recomend it especially if u have back labor. Thats the worse!! I had it for 8 hours.
~heather ryan and mackenzie