Perineal Tearing and Birth: Causes, Prevention, and Healing| Down to Birth Show

Описание: Tearing is one of the most common fears around birth—and one of the most misunderstood. In this episode, we talk about what really causes tearing, what the research shows, and what you can do to reduce your risk. We cover perineal massage, positions for birth, breathing and pacing, water birth, warm compresses, and what makes recovery smoother.

We also talk about labial tears, scar tissue, pelvic floor recovery, over-stitching and unnecessary repairs, how beliefs and fear affect pushing, poor suturing techniques, the harm caused by routine episiotomies and the so-called “husband stitch,” and why third- and fourth-degree tears are far less common than women are led to believe.

This is an honest, evidence-based conversation about the perineum—how to protect it, how to heal, and what every woman can know before giving birth.
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0:00 Opening story, car trouble lesson & community kindness (beliefs and mindset before birth)
10:00 Most-asked question: Can I prevent tearing?
11:08 Preventing perineal tears – full workshop info and Patreon access
13:16 What is perineal tearing? Degrees 1–4 explained (and which matter most)
14:35 Ina May Gaskin’s home birth stats on tearing
16:06 Birth positions, breathing & perineal massage that reduce tearing
17:58 Touching your baby’s head during crowning – why it helps prevent tears
18:47 Why tears happen – hands by face, early pushing, episiotomy scars
21:26 Labial tears, scar-tissue concerns & “standalone” tears
23:30 Severe tears, stitching, and episiotomy recovery truths
28:23 “Husband stitch” outrage & bad repair realities
33:07 Q&A: upward tears, when to stitch, when to let heal naturally
35:31 Should midwives repair severe tears or refer to OBs?
36:47 Pushing control, older moms & prevention evidence
40:26 Final insights – birth confidence, healing, and beliefs

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#PreventTearing #PerinealTear #BirthPositions #WaterBirth #SpontaneousPushing