For those who've had vaginal births

[Raene]

Did you end up doing the perineal massage for weeks in advance? If NOT, did you tear? Feel free to write in if there were special circumstances.

Just a note: I didn't do it the last time, but midwife supported my perineum. I didn't tear (well, I tore internally, but that is a different story). This time from HypnoBabies I was going to do the massage but the midwife said it was not helpful and I shouldn't. ??

[Youngfrankenstein]

I wrote other....I had tiny tears that was 1 or 2 stitches so I did tear but barely. I don't "believe in" the massage. I think blood flow to the area during labor, no forced pushing, and support will help you through.

[spiritedmama]

nope, with #1, I had 1 stitch and with #2 I had none......

[brooklynbabymama]

No tears, no massage, I pushed fast and started to worry about damage, but the time I took to breathe stretched me adequately. MW supported my perineum.

[Koalamom]

I did do massage with #1 kid, I rubbed epo religously all over there for weeks prior to labor. I tore a very painful 2nd degree, almost 3rd degree. Stung to pee, so I wonder if that says anything about how bad it was.

This time, no massage, and no epo, and I tore only a little. My midwife said it was a second degree tear, border 1st degree, but I had no stinging even when I use the bathroom.
But I did have a water birth this time around. Not sure if that helped to minimize the tearing.

[mamadelbosque]

never did massage and didn't tear with either birth - not one iota as my mw said this time around

ETA: Oh, I thought I should add that I while I didn't birth in water with either, I did labor in it right til the end with both - with DS1 I was in a tub for the 2 hours before pushing (1 hour of pushing), and with DS2 I was in a tub for an hour before pushing (20 minutes after I got out he was born - I pushed 4 times, was in transition when I got out to poop

[wombatclay]

With dd1 I did the massage but had a c/s.

With dd2 I did the massage and had a 4th degree tear.

This time I'm not doing any massage (what I've been told/seen in threads here is that there is some concern that the massage actually causes swelling and can damage the tissue in the 2-3 weeks prior to the birth... sort of like bruising. This swelling and minor bruising then makes the tissue more likely to tear when stressed. The "compromise" position I often see is to do the massage in the 1st and 2nd trimester and then not in the 3rd. During the birth no hands but those of the mama should be anywhere near the perineum.)

[LilWin]

With DD I had an episiotomy (horrible) because she had to come out fast (I'll never know if this was really necessary, but well).
When DS was born I didn't do any massage and no perineal support from MW but still no tears, skidmarks or anything.
This time around, I'm hoping for the same as with DS.

[Mamabeakley]

I've never done it b/c it seemed so uncomfortable.

1st degree w/DS1 - mw was doing stuff down there, I had my hand down there too. Birthed on left side. Had a stitch or two, which had to be removed @ 6wks pp b/c they didn't dissolve (OW!), dtd was uncomfy for a long time.

1st degree w/DS2 - born posterior, nobody's hands but mine there (I caught baby), in the exact same place as w/DS1, no stitches, healed fine. Birthed on left side.

No tear w/DD! DH & mw caught baby but didn't touch my perineum, birthed on hands & knees.

[thepoet]

I did 0 massage, and just supported my perineum during birth by myself. Because I let my body birth and wasn't yelled at to push, I believe that is why I did not tear.

I tore with my previous births because I was told to push with the first and instructed to not push with the second.

[Pernillep]

I did not tear at all. Surprising as DS was vacuum extracted out. I would have assumed it would cause some tearing but it didn't.

[redpajama]

(I'm still pregnant, but referring to my *last* birth.)

I did tear, but I don't attribute that to not having done massage. I gave birth on my back, pushed very forcibly/fast, and had an episiotomy during my first birth (which essentially tore back open during my second). I don't believe that any amount of massage would have prevented that tear.

I'm not doing any sort of massage this time around either, but I hope to avoid tearing by giving birth in a more upright position (perhaps on hands/knees, kneeling, squatting, standing, et cetera), laboring and, if it feels right, birthing in water, and generally slowing my second stage down a bit and not "blasting" through it. I'll let you know how it goes.

[Michigan Mama]

No massage, no tearing. Did most of my pushing on hands & knees, then at the end switched to a mostly sitting position at the side of the bed. m/w used hot compresses and olive oil and coached me to do very slow/controlled pushing with lots of breathing.

[NaturalMindedMomma]

both my births there was no tearing. My first I had a few skid marks but nothing that required stitches or really hurt much. I did warm compresses and was massaged DURING labor.

With DD2, no time for a massage, 4 minutes from first push to baby on chest!

[Heather Marie]

No tear and no massage before or during labor. Baby came fast. I didn't really "push", just allowed my body/contraction to do it.

With my first I had an episiotomy.

[Stephenie]

Tore both times, just a few stitches. Did massage the first time, didn't seem to work so I didn't the second time.

[marlygf]

I said other. I've never done massage. With my first, I tore. With my second I got what would be skid marks, so no tare. With my third I tore a tiny bit but didn't get stitches. It healed on its own and I supported myself. It was the first I did.

[GenomicsGirl]

I did ZERO massage or labour prep (expected a 4th c-section), and I had a 2nd degree tear. Big ouch since no meds.

[Mamatoabunch]

We did perineal massage before our third was born, first vaginal. I had a few skid marks, no tears. Never did it after that, never torn in 8 vaginal births. All born in water.

[saoirse2007]

with ds 1 epi induction and 14 stitches
with this one no epi...I went from 5 cm when i got there to birth within 1 hr
i didn't push once!!!!
my body took over fast and furious...a bit scarey actually
but great and powerful....and not 1 tear

i do have roids that now need surgery, but hey i guess thats another thread.......