As a first-time mum-to-be, I’ve been bombarded by friends, relatives and friends of friends’ neighbours with advice and handy hints.
This advice has ranged from pram brands and words of wisdom (‘no one knows your baby like you do’) to the more icky side of post-pregnancy personal care.
Including one very unexpected tip – train your vagina to stretch pre-birth.
What the, what?
Yes, a couple of people have recommended using a device that is inserted into the vagina and inflated like a balloon to dilate the perineum up to 10cm (which you work up to in sessions over a series of weeks), the equivalent of being fully dilated when giving birth.
And, due to a completely reasonable fear of their perineum (the skin and muscle between the vagina and anus) tearing or needing to be cut, women are apparently taking the practice up in droves.
But, it got me thinking about whether it was worth investing the time, effort, pain and cost (the Epi-No retails for $179) for something that our bodies are inherently pre-programmed to do – give birth.
Do we really need to train our bodies for something millions of women the world over do without an expensive contraption?
According to the website, the “childbirth and pelvic floor trainer” was developed by a German obstetrician to prevent nasty perineal injuries that are linked to “decreased bladder control, long-term incontinence, and sexual dysfunction”.
The website says the product has fared well in clinical trials and there is plenty of anecdotal support for it out there. Take my friend, who recently used it on the recommendation of her fancy (expensive) obstetrician.
When she went into labour she was 8cm dilated by the time she got to hospital. She didn’t tear or need stitches. But whether she would have been one of the lucky ones who came out relatively unscathed anyway, we’ll never know.
Top Comments
I live in northern Germany and just had my second child here in November. Perineal massage seems standard here, so standard that you can buy special women's massage oil which comes in a small bottle with instructions which you buy at the local drug store/ Priceline equivilant
I used one before the birth of my first child with my OB recommendations. And I'm glad I did. Now I had no tearing or anything, whether that was due to the device or me getting lucky we'll never know. But it did help me to learn how to relax with the pain of stretching during delivery. And it did provide with a slight understanding of how things would feel during delivery.
Personal choice but one if you can afford to do it isn't that hard to do. It's a little bit uncomfortable but hey so is giving birth :)