My doctor used a "new technique"..Not really sure what it is called but she massaged me down there the whole time I was pushing ..She told me that it helps you relax and streches the hole wider in order for the babys head to slide on through easily...Although I did end up with 3 stiches ...I never felt or had trouble with them..The only thing that ended up causing me trouble after having my son was my hemroids(sp)...Those things were horrible..--and I hardly could sit down because of them...But babys are wonderful gifts and in the end its worth all the pain ...And you'll look back and be glad!...


Good luck...!!

I dont think there is a way to prevent tearing or a special way to push. It has nothing to do with the way you push........It depends on you, your size, the baby's size.......If there is some new thing im not awre of ladies share! Besides the massage!

Tearing was, by far easier than the episiotomy I had. That was awful! The tear was quite small compared.

Your doctor / midwife can talk to you about techniques to use - like pushing slowly when the head/shoulders are coming out. Using mineral oil as a perinatal massage. I don't think this works leading up to birth, use it during birth. However, I could be wrong on the leading up to birth part.

By the time you are that far, you won't care - that is the truth. You will have been through approximately 40 weeks of weight gain, puking, breast tenderness, heartburn, stomach upset, constipation, constant peeing, irritable hormones, crying hormones, weight gain, greasy skin - or dry skin, greasy hair - or dry hair, stretch marks, shifts in balance, no sleep, restless leg syndrome and/or cramps in your legs, wiggly baby from the inside, too small of a bladder, etc, etc, etc.

By the time you get to birth you are like, ".F.I.N.A.L.L.Y! Let's get this baby outta here!" ;)

hey,how early can the leg cramp thing start?

mel, they can start right away! Some women actually say it was one of their pregnancy indications.

Ok im not sure if this actually helps but ive been trying it...I was given advice from my friend who said it works anyway. If you massage vaseline down below where the tearing could occur, it apparently softens it and makes it less likely to tear. Ive stopped doing it now that ive got to put my thrush cream on, but its worth a try

Rose, .I've heard that actually does work. My doctor told me it may seem weird, but massaging that spot can actually help, because it increases the elasticity. Anything is worth a try. Especially if you have a ridiculously tiny vagina like me! :p

omg,are you seri? Lol I woke up with a massive leg cramp in my right leg yesterday and its barely gone now. Its in the back of my leg.

ive stopped doing that now since ive had to put my thrush cream on four times a day, but thats still massaging the area isnt it? Im scared of it tearing since I have the same problem

Yeah .I'd say it'd still help, .Rose.
I'm terrified, too. I'm seriously so small.
It's really hard for .Chris to get inside me after
we don't have sex for 2 days. :shock:
&.It hurts me pretty bad.
Sometimes even fingering hurts.
Yikes.

ingi's telling the truth, you truly don't care. Besides all the preggo complaints you just get sick of being in labor. The head is the worst part. Afterwards the shoulders and the rest of the body feel like a relief. You seriously don't even notice you're just glad it's over. I had a some stitches and while the area hurts afterward it's not intolerable pain. And the sitz baths and dermoplast really help the second day. Just buy one of those butt donuts and remember firm chairs are better than soft ones when it's time to get up!

i get the exact same problem which is really frustrating. It hurts alot more having sex during pregnancy with me because I am never really in the mood and go weeks without having sex and it hurts when it comes down to it. I guess we wont really notice when the baby comes because we will just want it to be over and with the pain afterwards, we wont care then either because all well be thinking about is our babies.

this is called perineal massage and is practiced all the time during delivery.

Http://en.Wikipedia.Org/wiki/perineal_mass age

are you having twins rose?

It really hurts to tear but its over in a second and afterwards I never have stitches and am in a lot of pain for weeks after, but im sure it would be more tolerable if you had stitches. After my 2nd i had to pee in the bath for a month! im terrified of tearing again with my 3rd so am gonna try the perenial massage, its the only thiing I can find which is meant to help! Good luck all!!

TO: JESSIEJAY
Thats crazy I've never heard of not being stichted up afterwards! It's my first time being PG so im trying to learn everything I can....I'm terrified of ripping my friend tore all the way to her butt, What was the reason they didnt stitch you???

I'm 11 days away from my second child, with my first the doctor had to use forceps and i tore from the inside out. I am so scared of this happening again. it was very painful and the scar still hurts from time to time, and after sex. It has definently killed my sex drive in some ways.. just knowing its going to hurt afterwards is enough to make me second guess doing it. I dont know of any ways to prevent it tho, i think overall it really depends on the size of the baby, my first was only 6.9 but he had a huge head!

With my first child I had grazes rather than actually tearing so I was not stitched and it hurt when I went to the toilet for about 2 weeks and had to pee in the bath. It did hurt alot and I think it had a part in the reason why I suffered from post natal depression. But once it healed all went back to normal and Ive have a second child and luckily I did not tear or graze at all and so I had no pain at all after birth. Im 27 weeks pregnant with a third (must be a nutter) and am scared of tearing as I have 2 other children to care for and do not think I can cope with that type of pain again. Think I will try the masssage gel. I didnt feel pain while giving birth as I had an epidural but it was the after pain that I felt. Wish there was something out there to prevent this!!!