P massage with second pregnancy?

[flopsybunny45]

Do you recommend doing perianal massage with a second baby?
I did it religiously with my first and had a small episiotomy (back to back).
Less motivated this time, but not sure if I'm making a mistake not doing it..!
Any experiences?

Thanks

How funny - I was just coming on to start the exact same thread!
I did it (well, DH did it for me) with my first, and coupled with a lonnnnnng labour in water, which probably also helped soften things up down there, I didn't tear. (Baby also back to back, but maybe it helped that he was a slender wee thing, and not a huge baby. Have heard second babies are usually a little bit bigger though.). 35 weeks now, and gah, don't really want to do the PM again if we don't have to!

I did it every day for the last four weeks with DC1, had a second degree tear and stitches. Second time round, I only did it a couple of times as DC2 came two weeks early. No tears, very quick easy labour. Third time around, I will try to remember before my due date but I'm so tired that I will probably forget! Good luck with your birth!

Thanks Mango! Good info :-)

35 weeks too Feelingswell!! Think they gave me an epis because labour was only 2.5 hours long :-o and baby was coming so quickly they were worried b-2-b might result in bad tearing...

Hmm, maybe I should be grateful then that my b2b baby took 25 times your labour so I had time to stretch slowly!

I discussed this with a mw today, and came away having decided we (DH and I, not me and the mw!) WILL try the PM again. I think I'll start next week at 36 weeks, so a week til full term, and if baby comes then, ideally s/he'll be on the smaller side, and if we get to 40/41 weeks, we will have done four weeks of PM, so hopefully enough to help.

35 weeks TODAY here, what about you? Good luck with the birth. I ain't doing this again!!!

35+5 today... currently breech :-o
These babes!!! Don't know if I can do this again.
My DD is also teething so feeling generally wasted... Have done PM once but it hurt more than I thought it would now I'm saggy! SO, thinking maybe I should do it if scan next week confirms head down... fingers crossed!