Lynn & : diet during pregnancy and big babies

[Guest guest]

Dear Lynn & :

Lynn, there are very few cases in which an episiotomy is necessary. As far as

tearing there goes, the episiotomy has been used for years to supposedly

reduce tearing and enable healing, but has been found to sometimes do the

reverse and most often not to be any better than letting a little tearing be

stitched up and heal on its own. If a doc says you absolutely need an

episiotomy in all cases, he is NOT armed with current facts.

Lynn & , my baby was only 7 lbs. 9 oz., but I wanted to let you now that

my childbirth instructor recommended massaging oil (olive, I think we used)

into the perineum (sp?) before the baby came, and my hsband did this

ardurous task, not as much as we'd planned or had been recommended, but in

the end... I had no tearing of my perineum, only a few skid marks my little left

on the way out. (They healed quickly.) So, you both migt consider this, if

you're

not familiar with it already.

Kathy Ridenhour