Top ways to avoid a torn vagina and painful and expensive vaginal reconstructive surgery.
You want to have your birth your way. When contemplating whether to do a natural birth, many women get nervous about if there are complications of natural childbirth.
Is having a home birth with a midwife safe?
We get this question all the time from women at every stage of pregnancy, from those just planning to those who just got the results of a pregnancy test to women already in labor. They often want to consider if there will be physical challenges from home birth. They may want to factor in if their recovery r\ may keep them from returning to work, enjoying an active lifestyle, or taking care of other responsibilities, family, and children.
The ‘horror stories of natural birth
Have you heard a story about a woman whose vagina tore? Have you seen or listened to the price tags for how much vaginal reconstructive surgery costs? If these stories have planted seeds of doubt in your mind about having a natural birth, the good news is we have some answers for you.
Women have been having babies naturally for millennia. Modern medicine has helped in some ways, but returning to nature can do wonders for your natural home birth. Before we get into some sure-fire ways to avoid these challenges, let’s understand what it all is.
“Things happen, but let’s be clear. Your vagina is resilient in its strength and elasticity. Under optimal conditions and proper preparation and care, avoiding severe vaginal tears during birth can be a reality for most women. This is all about empowerment. Once we help women understand proactive things they can do through preparation, the fear subsides so they can be in the right frame of mind for a positive home birth experience, according to Weluna Finley, a licensed counselor, birth worker, and the president of the United Black Birth Collective.
What is a vaginal tear, and how is this managed?
A vaginal tear happens when the skin around the vagina gets stretched past its elasticity. In worst-case scenarios, it can be excruciatingly painful and span from the vagina down to the anus. This happens because the elasticity is insufficient to support the stretching needed for the baby to emerge.
The situation can be different for everyone. Some women may simply stretch a little too far and experience redness and swelling. Other women may experience a small tear that can be treated and repaired by a midwife or professional without going under the knife for invasive surgery.
Vaginal tears vs. episiotomy procedure
Tears can happen at home or in a hospital. To avoid a tear, doctors can sometimes perform an episiotomy, a procedure in which the perineum is cut to allow for additional stretching of the vagina. Both tears and episiotomies can be extremely painful and result in a complicated recovery. The episiotomy rate in the U.S. between 2006-2013 was almost 12%, while that number is a decrease from nearly 18%; being the 1 out of 8 women to undergo this procedure can be challenging nonetheless.
The good news is that minor tears, while inconvenient, can be healed at home naturally. Also, midwives are trained to repair minor tears with suturing. Epsom salt, warm baths, and aloe vera gel directly from the potted plant can all aid in a swift recovery because the soft tissue and blood flow are good, so when the area is kept clean and dry, it can facilitate faster healing.
For other women, the tear can be so severe that invasive surgery is the only option. Surgery could be the only option to avoid infection, chronic pain, or severe long-term damage.
When you’ve just given birth, all you want to do is be with your baby, and these are horrible outcomes that no one should have to deal with.
Again the good news is that there are natural ways that women have been preparing for birth for thousands of years. We champion modern technology for helping with some aspects of the birthing process, but the saying holds true in this case. An ounce of prevention is definitely worth more than a pound of cure.
We’ll share some tips to help you have a safe and natural childbirth so that you can spend the next few hours nursing your baby rather than nursing your delivery wounds after your delivery.
How to avoid a split or ripped vagina
Stay or get active
If you are going to the gym, taking the stairs, staying active, or even dancing, we have good news. You’re already halfway to preparing yourself for a natural birth.
Being active plays a huge part in your body’s ability to handle going into labor. It’s not just the vagina part, though. Staying active means spreading your legs as wide as they need to. It can also mean your body is used to undergoing some physical exertion. If you’re exercising correctly, you’re used to always doing a few extra reps to push through to the next level. That extra little push you give yourself is exactly what you need to push through any childbirth sensations and discomfort from labor.
If you’re already living the kind of lifestyle or doing exercises that stretch your thighs, glutes, and legs, great! With all pun intended, you’re in good shape to decrease the chances of having stretching challenges and increase your and your baby’s chance of having a successful vaginal birth.
Vaginal Exercises
Believe it or not, African women have known for centuries about techniques that allow you to exercise your vagina. Our elders passed down methods that worked way before hospitals ever existed.
Your doula can help you perform specific vaginal exercises that prepare you for delivery. These physical exercises are simple, don’t take a lot of time, and doing a few, even in just the last weeks before delivery, can make a world of difference.
Topical Solutions
Some natural chemical-free plants and herbs can be applied outside the vagina to help build elasticity. There are a couple of factors to consider. Still, your doula or midwife can assess your situation and make recommendations that could work in as little as one month before your delivery date. But it’s never too early to get started. We recommend you begin exploring ways to improve your vaginal wall elasticity early in your pregnancy.
The power of water
Drinking water and staying hydrated is already a key component of pregnancy and your baby’s health. Hydration equals elasticity. Doctor Laila Africa used to say it all the time. “If you wait till you feel thirsty to drink water, you are already dehydrated.” The vagina is a muscle just like any other that needs hydration. The more you drink water, the more you aid in keeping everything working well inside and outside.
So here is our pro tip. Set reminder alarms, calendar alerts, and anything you need to remind you to intake some water twice an hour. Check out our water guide on UBBCconnect.com to get more insight on how much water you should intake every day.
Also, note if you are trying to stay hydrated, you may also want to avoid eating dehydrating foods. Foods that are extra salty, sugary, oily, or fatty reduce your hydration, affecting your organs in unhealthy ways for you and your baby. Don’t undo all your hydration goodness with foods that undermine all your efforts.
Internal Solutions
We just discussed some foods that can hurt your elasticity and hydration, but the good news is other foods can help it.
The old adage is true; you are what you eat. We just talked about the importance of drinking water, and don’t forget that you ingest water through the food you eat. Fruits and vegetables like watermelon and cucumber are loaded with water and nutrients you and your baby need. If you want to improve elasticity and your overall health going into your delivery, remember to avoid foods high in salt, sugar, saturated fat, and oil. Load up on nuts, greens, whole grains, fruits, and high-protein plant-based foods.
Every time you reach for something to eat, just think of it this way. If the food is loaded with water, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, then you and your baby would be too.
About the author
Weluna Finley is a birth worker.
