How to Avoid Perineal Tears During Childbirth
Introduction
How to avoid perineal tears during childbirth ?
This is a very important question, at the center of the questions of all future mothers. If you are asking yourself this question too, this article is for you!
To make it easier to use, I have prepared an index.
Thanks to it, you can, if you want, delve deeper into the aspects that interest you most simply by clicking on the title of the corresponding paragraph.
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Now enough chit chat: the time has come to discover, with the help of the precious advice of Doctor Maria Chiara Alvisi , independent midwife and pelvic floor expert - she has dedicated to this wonderful area of the body the video course that you can find at the end of this paragraph - the details of a crucial topic for any expectant mother.
How to avoid tearing during childbirth
The question “ How to avoid perineal tears during childbirth? ” is one of the most frequently asked by mothers.
It can be defined as one of the most widespread fears. It is no coincidence: in fact, the focus is on the need to protect an extremely sensitive and delicate area of the human body.
There are many things that can be done to protect the perineum (its well-being should always be assessed with the help of a specialized midwife) .
First of all, it is a good idea to train it, or rather activate it, right from pregnancy.
Sweet waiting , in fact, can be considered a gym in all respects. Let's find out how to proceed in the next paragraph.
Perineum Massage
A very important moment, as recalled by Doctor Alvisi in this video , is the perineal massage.
If you have no idea what the perineum is, let's do a quick review .
As always underlined by Doctor Alvisi in this second video-pill that I invite you to discover, our pelvis is open in the lower part .
This is a fundamental peculiarity for the response to physiological functions and for the fulfillment of various tasks in which it is involved throughout existence.
In the aforementioned lower part, it is supported by a series of structures - nerve bundles, muscles etc. - with a spectacular anatomy.
This structure is called the pelvic floor or perineum. It can be found in the female body, but also in the male body.
In the first case , however, it is possible to speak of specific peculiarities for accompanying the puppy from the womb to the light of birth.
Why is it essential to take care of the pelvic floor or perineum during pregnancy ? For a very simple reason: it is an area affected by one of the most radical transformations during the months of growth of the puppy in the uterus.
If you prepare her to do a job for which she is already basically ready - the woman's body is made to give birth - she will be able to manage it in the best way, minimizing the risk of trauma and problems.
Perineal massage during pregnancy makes sense for the purpose of protecting the pelvic floor from the risk of serious lacerations and episiotomy if performed starting from approximately 34 weeks of gestation and at least once a day for 5/10 minutes.
It is useful to practice it in a comfortable position , with the pelvic floor relaxed.
The aim of the massage, in fact, is to open the area described in these lines, so that the fibres are prepared for the puppy's passage from the darkness of the uterus to the light of life.
An effective position is the semi-squatting position - the one you assume when you sit on the bidet - or lying down in bed , preparing to perform the massage with your legs bent.
Now let's move on to the practical part. To best perform the perineum massage , a key reference point when wondering how not to tear during childbirth, it is necessary, first of all, to understand where it is located.
At 4:21 of the second video I proposed to you, Doctor Alvisi shows, with a model in hand, the specific point where you need to apply compressions (short nails and clean fingers, please).
It is essential that the finger comes into contact perpendicularly with the area to be massaged.
Sudden stimuli should be avoided as they cause the muscle to contract and, with the massage, an opening is aimed at.
You must then proceed with slow, deep compressions , taking care not to let go, for at least ten times.
The next phase involves focusing on lateral slides, which should be performed with slow movements (again, it is advisable to repeat this at least ten times).
Subsequently, always starting from the centre of the perineum, draw semicircles on both sides and try to stretch the muscle tissue well.
If you feel no discomfort, you can now continue with the second part of the massage.
Simply insert a phalanx of your finger into the vaginal opening (you need to enter from the lower part of the vagina).
Once inside the orifice, you begin to exert back pressure.
In the previous phases you pushed from the outside to the inside, now you will do the opposite. Depending on the position chosen to perform the massage, you can select the most comfortable finger.
The phase just described involves performing ten compressions, after which you must release.
Always inserting a phalanx into the vaginal entrance, you need to perform some sliding in correspondence with the internal wall of the vagina.
The last step of the massage focuses on the upper part of the vaginal canal .
Always focusing inwards, you need to draw semicircles, applying mechanical stresses that must not cause any discomfort , but rather encourage relaxation.
To minimize friction, you can use an oil. Which one to use? Doctor Alvisi recommends vegetable oils such as almond or calendula . Even better is St. John's wort oil .