Warm compress in labour

[Jurassiclover]

Hey guys,

I've been reading that a warm compress applied to the perineum during labour might help reduce tearing. Has anyone done this and found it helped? Also who holds the compress is it a midwife? Or you/birth partner? Sorry I know that sounds daft haha!

Thanks guys

Is it just for specific points like crowning or for the entirety? Surely a midwife won’t have time to stand with you for the whole of your labour holding a warm compress to your fanny so imagine it’s you that does that!

I don’t know if it works and you might end up taking it and not using it, but it won’t hurt to pack one.

@YelloYelloYello from what I've read it's just during crowning! Yeah I'm thinking of packing some soft flannels and if I don't use them there's no harm!

In my experience you have to specifically ask someone to do this for you in advance as at the time there's so much going on and they will need consent.

I think my midwife did this - or she supported it with her hand? I hazily remember her doing something down there through the drug fug! Think I had mentioned it on my birth plan as I’d read similar, so maybe ask when you arrive? I only had a very tiny first degree tear despite a baby with a 97th percentile head! Barely noticed it and it healed really well

The midwife does it and we use sterile gauze for it, I am sure they’ll be happy to talk about it. It’s done with routine support of the perineum at the end of pushing and is usually offered as part of a package of care designed to prevent injury to the anal sphincter.

I have never cared for a woman who knew about it by the way and would be very impressed and keen to discuss it all with you. Are you planning perineal massage too?

My midwife did this as standard, it was to help with the crowning stage, I had no idea it was a thing, but remember her doing it

Without asking mine used a cloth and bowl of cool water and kept ringing out the cloth over me when crowning, helped cool down the fire! Didn’t tear too badly either so maybe that helped

With my first midwife did this with a cloth (or her hand?) to apply almost counter pressure in that area. With my second, the midwife was squirting lovely warm water over the perineal area during each crowning push. Would recommend either anyway as they both helped pain-wise but worth noting that I also didn’t tear with either!

Im a midwife, I do this as standard while supporting the perineum. We use sterile gauze from the delivery packs. Never had anyone specifically ask for it mind you!

I remember reading the research surrounding this before birth and one of the point that put me off was that it can be more likely to redirect tearing to the clitoris.

I think it was mentioned in Milli Hills book give birth like feminist, she went over the research and concluded that it had only become standard practice because it’s easier for a hospital to get sued because someone has fecal incontinence than for loss of sexual function. That’s how I remember reading it anyway.