Perineal massage
Using a childbirth trainer
Panting, not pushing
Water birth
If it is your 1st or subsequent baby
Women having their first baby are more likely to tear than women having a subsequent baby. For women who had a 2nd degree tear or an
episiotomy for their first birth, it is not unreasonable to expect a first degree tear or an intact perineum with a subsequent baby. Usually the more babies you have the less likely you will tear (even if the babies are larger). This is probably due to the increased flexibility of the pelvic floor after a vaginal birth.
Some women worry about scar tissue from a previous tear or episiotomy but unless you had a
3rd or 4th degree tear, or an infection afterwards this is usually not a problem. If you are concerned about this, some
perineal massage or using a
childbirth trainer in the last few weeks of the pregnancy may help to give your perineum more flexibility.
Perineal massage
Perineal massage in the last few weeks (or months) of pregnancy has been shown to be of slight benefit for some women. You may feel that by doing this you have done everything possible to avoid sustaining a tear. You may wish to read
perineal massage.
Using a childbirth trainer
A childbirth trainer is a commercial medical device purchased for use during the last couple of months of pregnancy. It is designed to replace
perineal massage. A childbirth trainer is essentially a small non-allergenic silicone balloon that the woman (or her partner) places just inside her vagina and then uses a hand pump to inflate it to a small degree (depending on her comfort) before pushing it out, similar to giving birth. The manufacturers recommend using it for ten minutes once or twice a day and during at least the last 3 or 4 weeks of pregnancy (or earlier). Over a period of days or weeks, the device can be inflated slightly more than before, possibly to a maximum size of 10 centimetres in diameter (the size of a baby’s head).