Episiotomy. Nobody wants to tear down there. Right? An episiotomy is a surgical incision in the perineum (the area of skin between the vagina and the anus). For many years, episiotomy was a routine childbirth technique thought to prevent more extensive tears and heal faster. Actually, there is little evidence to support the routine use of this procedure.
I am sure most of you , just like me, want to avoid this procedure at all costs. There are some things you can do to keep your perinium in tact.
Stretch it out: Six weeks before your due date you will want to start massaging your perineum. You will need a perineal massage oil like Peri massage oil from Wish Garden Herbs.
Do you Kegel? You can exersise your pelvic floor muscles just like any muscle in your body. Toned pelvic muscles will reduce perineal tearing and it will make birth easier. Start gradually. Ten kegels five times a day, working up to 200. You will heal faster, and you will also enjoy better sex.
And last but not least waterbirth. If you want to avoid an episiotomy, you will want to have acess to water at your birth. Bouyancy relaxes the pelvic floor muscles and softens the tissues around the perineum making them more pliable and able to stretch. Not to mention pain reduction, shortened labor, and gentle birth just to name a few other key benefits.