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May 2016 Moms
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Any opinions/experiences with Epi-no?

KidShrinkKidShrink member
in May 2016 Moms
I see a pelvic health physio who helps with all kinds of pregnancy related pains. I was asking her a bunch of birth plan related questions today (and can give out some of the advice she provided if anyone is interested), but one thing she highly recommended was getting an Epi-no to start using at 36 weeks to help stretch the perineum and therefore significantly reduce the risk of tearing and/or having an episiotomy. Has anyone here ever used one? What was your experience?
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Re: Any opinions/experiences with Epi-no?

  • JessicaB0627JessicaB0627 member
    I've never heard of it so I googled it. It looks intimidating!
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  • KidShrinkKidShrink member
    Yeah, I probably should have described more of what it is. So you put this wonderful device up your vagina, and gently inflate it to get used to the sensation of your perineum stretching to accommodate for a baby going down there. So it not only helps with stretching, but also with getting used to that kind of pressure to feel more confident during labour. I've read some really good reviews online, but of course most people can't say if their experience of little to no tear is due to the epi-no vs being freakin lucky. It's on the pricey end (around $200), but if that means salvaging my lady parts, that's money well spent in my opinion. It apparently can also be used post-partum to regain control of your pelvic floor to avoid those snissing incidents...
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  • Bltbear82Bltbear82 member
    Intimidating is just the start! That looks and sounds intense. 
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  • JessicaB0627JessicaB0627 member
    @KidShrink Wow! That's expensive! Have you looked into perineal massage? I've heard that helps some and is free.

    FWIW, I didn't tear in the traditional sense (I didn't have a perineal tear, but did have an internal tear) and I didn't do anything at all to prevent it. 
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  • thismakes4thismakes4 member
      :s  
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  • KidShrinkKidShrink member
    @JessicaB0627 that's partly what I was wondering about (this vs perineal massage). I have severe endometriosis which has messed up some stuff done there (lots of adhesions, and therefore tightness). Should be better since I had surgery right before getting pregnant, but considering that every 30 min session with her costs me $90, I figure that spending $200 to save a few sessions can't hurt. 
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  • kbrands7kbrands7 member
    I'd recommend looking into massage too-- or even sex positions with your SO behind will stretch the perineum  (just another reason to stay intimate in the third tri!)
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  • MercielMerciel member
    No prior experience, but I've been seriously considering getting an Epi-No because I cannot think of anything more horrifying than an uncontrolled tear down there.

    Unfortunately by the time I'm in any position to post a review it'll be way too late to help out any of the other ladies here, so all I can say at this juncture is that I've heard of them too and I'm seriously tempted. Anything to avoid that.
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  • araecaseyaraecasey member
    I wish I could easily post a screenshot on mobile. This app freaking sucks. I digress. I think you'd have just as much success using daily perineal massage starting about a month out from your due date. Research suggests (which I can't screenshot, sorry, Google Evidence Based Birth for the link to the article and related studies) this routine does decrease tears requiring suture repair for moms delivering vaginally for the first time. It was uncomfortable and honestly kind of weird. It's not sexy or pleasant in my opinion, and feels like butt pressure. But I wish I had done it anyway. I tore vaginally and had a second degree perineal tear. My undercarriage was very sad. But having said that, the vagina has so much blood flow and the tissues structured such that it heals relatively easily.
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  • ayeshaoharaayeshaohara member
    I had a friend use something similar. You only need to start in the last few weeks, but my understanding is that perineal massage will do the same job. I think if it was cheaper then it would be worth more of a discussion but that seems ridiculous! 
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