One of the less fun consequences of childbirth, okay there are many more, but what many women don’t really look forward to is tearing during childbirth. Then the question is, can you prevent tearing?
Let me first say that tearing during childbirth is very common. And that is not surprising, because it remains a case of ‘pushing the piano through a skylight’. It is therefore impossible to guarantee 100% that you will not tear during your delivery. But don’t worry, you don’t have to worry about it beforehand.
Tearing during childbirth
When we talk about tearing during childbirth, we are talking about the tearing of the tissues between the vagina and rectum (i.e. the perineumalso buttock and not to be confused with butt crack). Basically, your pelvic floor, vagina and perineum (buttock) can stretch to let the baby out. The ideal is therefore that the vagina stretches just enough without tearing, but a tear often occurs. Whether you can prevent tearing is therefore the question.
There are many factors that have to do with the risk of tearing during childbirth. For example, a quick delivery, because the tissue has less time to adjust and stretch as the baby comes down, can have an impact. But overweight or the position of the baby can also be a factor of tearing.
Before childbirth
So you never have full control. In any case, it is good if you keep some control during your delivery. Well, good preparation is half the work. There is something you can do before giving birth to prevent tearing.
Perineum-massage
You could prevent tearing by regularly doing a perineal massage in the last weeks of your pregnancy. Perineal massage is a technique where you gently massage the tissue between the vagina and anus to help relax it and stretch it out a bit.
How do you do perineum massage?
- Wash your hands thoroughly and make sure your nails are short and smooth.
- Choose a comfortable position, such as sitting with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. You can also place your feet on a stool or cushion. Actually, the position doesn’t matter that much as long as it’s comfortable for you.
- Apply a few drops of a natural oil to your thumb and two fingers.
- Place your thumb and two fingers on the perineum, just above the anus.
- Gently press towards your vagina.
- Hold this pressure and slowly move your fingers back and forth.
- Massage the perineum for about 2-3 minutes. Start with light pressure and gradually increase the pressure as the muscles relax.
- Repeat this massage daily, and as you get closer to the delivery date, you can perform the massage a little longer.
During childbirth
Immediatelyperineum massage can therefore prepare you for your delivery and hopefully prevent tearing. But there are also a number of things you can do during childbirth that tear out be able to prevent.
Warm cloth
Using a warm cloth on the perineum during labor may help relax and soften the tissue. AND that can help prevent tearing. But not every woman is waiting on a warm cloth between her legs during childbirth. So you will have to wait and see if this is for you.
Breathing
Your breathing is extremely important during childbirth. Controlling your breathing during labor can help relax the pelvic floor muscles. Puffing to the tune of ‘Kortjakje is always sick’ is a good way. However, you may find that at the ‘moment supreme’Kortjakje shouldn’t complain like that, always being sick with her. But when you get to that point, tearing it out probably doesn’t matter to you either. Even if you tear open up to your navel, as long as that baby comes out.
The right attitude
Your posture during childbirth can be decisive in whether or not to tear. A position that relaxes your pelvic floor muscles and puts less pressure on the perineum, such as on your hands and knees or lying on your side, can help.
The experiences of giving birth on a birthing stool are different. One loved to use a little gravity during childbirth. And the other experienced giving birth on a birthing stool as a rocket launch. With all its consequences.
Percent
Pushing during childbirth is the most important part when it comes to preventing tearing. It is best to wait with pushing until the contractions are really, really real. And once the baby’s head ‘stands’, which is the moment just before the baby comes out, you should actually puff away your contraction.
If this works, it’s great! But you certainly shouldn’t feel guilty if you push through at that moment. Because it’s not the case that at that moment your vagina feels like someone likes youperineum is massaging. No, it feels more like someone pointed a gas burner at your vagina. So yes…
Anyway, prevent tearing during childbirth? Yes, that’s possible! But it’s not really easy.
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