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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Epi-no -- anyone used one to prepare for their delivery?

47 replies

lalibela · 14/12/2006 13:41

and would you say it made the delivery easier? The theory makes sense, but given the price I really want to hear some product reviews before deciding!

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TransatlanticCityGirl · 20/05/2011 22:21

Really interested to find out how it goes Lilly.. Anyone else tried it?

lilly13 · 21/05/2011 13:50

i am 41 weeks and haven't had the baby yet... i had to stop using it a couple of weeks ago as i got droplets of blood after using it and thought that was the mucal plug... i just restarted again as i am worried about labour... definitely lost a lot elasticity... i think one must use it consistently, but not overdo to avoid tearing cervical tissue... maybe start earlier than 36 weeks, too, to get to 9-10 cm eventually... i didn't manage to get past 8cm and it has been painful... ask me next week

marie14 · 21/05/2011 16:35

I'm due in august and seriously considering buying one! Please let us know lilly!!!

SnoozingCyborg · 24/06/2011 17:56

bump!

I will get any gadget that reduces chance of a tear; would love to hear any more experiences. It's cheaper than an iPhone 5 that's for sure.

Chocolocolate · 27/07/2011 23:33

Really interested to hear how lilly got on?

vallinnapod · 28/07/2011 16:07

I am another 'in use'....I too was at the price but to be honest I would pay double/treble/quadrople not to tear (obviously no gaurantees on that front )

It is very uncomfy when I believe I am using it properly but I guess so is labour!

Will report back but have 5 weeks to go (started using it earlier than the 37 recommendation....just thought the bucket crotch approach was for me!)

Chocolocolate · 29/07/2011 11:51

Well, I've ordered one.

I figure if it helps my perineum at all - it will be worth it.

Not due till November, but I'll report back too.

How many weeks were you when you started using yours vallinnapod? Are there any risks starting quite early but only going up a very tiny bit each week?

iWILLdothis · 29/07/2011 12:53

I got one loaned to me from SIL for my first DC. I found it horrendous to use. Hated the thing. Seemed so unnatural what I was doing. But stuck with it in the hope it would help. Sorry to say I still needed an extensive episiotomy and had MEGA difficulty healing afterwards. (still sore 2.5yrs later). Sorry to be so pessimistic, but you are asking for shared experiences!!..... but to finish on a more optimistic note, SIL swears it helped her have quick & easy deliveries with no tears/cuts etc.
Good luck to you all!

vallinnapod · 29/07/2011 15:32

Don't apologise iwill! Sorry you had such a bad experience. Very useful to hear though in terms of an Epi-No review!

Chocolocolate - I started at 33 weeks but only once or twice and not 'stretching' much. Now 35 weeks and aiming for everyday. I think they advise you not to start sooner than 37 weeks in case it starts labour? Maybe if the balloon is in too far it could inadvertently stretch the cervix too [notacluereally emoticon]

fatsowhale · 03/08/2011 17:27

Hello - I had an 8lb baby 2 weeks ago after using the Epi No and had no tears whatsoever. Not even a graze.

I know 8lb isn't huge, but I felt I could have had a bigger baby and been fine too.

I'm sure the Epi No is responsible for this. It's quite expensive and you have to work hard on it to get the results but to my mind it's worth every penny and every minute you spend on it. I felt back to normal downstairs within 3/4 days of giving birth.

rooks14 · 03/08/2011 23:30

All the good reviews always seem suspiciously like they were written by someone from the press office....

newmum1211 · 12/09/2011 22:29

I am just about to buy one after a friend raved about it at a party on saturday night. From memory, she only got to 8cm and she said she practiced giving little "pushes" to push it out as she got more confident with it. I don't think you're meant to inflate it so much that it hurts, she said it was just a sting.

She said she didn't get the crowning pain during birth that others talk about - for her it was more pelvic bone pain. And no tearing at all.

I'm sold as that part is currently my biggest fear, though sorry to hear not many other reviews.

I'd be interested to hear whether anyone who has tried it has also tried the perennial stretching recommended in Dr Gowri Motha's Gentle Birth book - or at the clinic. I was going to do that myself but this sounds a bit easier...?

kbsydney · 13/09/2011 08:56

Yes I used one for my DS and thought it was very good. Prepares you physically but also mentally gives you the feeling of what it is like 'pushing' something that size out! Unfortunately I ended up with emergency c-section so can't say how much it worked - but I did feel confident that I could push him out so I guess that is helpful??

My obs here (in Australia) recommends them and all the midwives at the hospital say they have seen some amazing results. So probably worth a try I'd say. The obs here recommends use from 36 weeks.

Asturimama · 13/09/2011 11:58

I am using mine at the moment and I am due with my first in 9 days, so I will let you know what the results are if I (hopefully) deliver via VB.

As for easy of use, I would say it is not that easy, especially the stretching part.

You are meant to insert the balloon halfway and then pump it until it gets a bit uncomfortable but not painful. I may be a bit useless, but I find it hard to know whether it is half way, especially once you start pumping it as it tends to slightly push itself out. You are meant to go by feeling as to how many centimeters it is inflated to (you can't check how big it is until you get it out) and so far I have been managing 6 -7 but, like I said I find it hard to gradually increase it as I am guessing some days the balloon is slightly further in than others so maybe one day I do 7 cm and then next only 6... Still it is an improvement on the 4cm I started with so I am persevering with it.

Will let you know once LO is here how things have gone.

Asturimama · 10/10/2011 10:31

Back to report.
I had a VB and ended up with 5 stitches on the outside due to a small tear (in different places, one or two at a time, not all together in a line as with an episiotomy) and "a few" on the inside.

The midwife said I didn't tear during crowning but due to the shoulders coming out (I was so exhausted then I couldn't push anymore..., especially given that naively I thought once the head was out it was all over, except for the placenta, so I was not happy I had to continue pushing )

So, I remain unsure as to whether this thing actually helps or not (maybe I would have ended up with a much worse tear or episiotomy) and also not sure if I was using it correctly all the time. I should also mention that even though I used it everyday until the last 3 days I never managed to go over 7cm, so this probably has a lot to do with it.

HTH

waterbirthbaby · 30/10/2011 17:45

I know this is a really old thread now, but thought I'd share my experience. I used the Epi-No with my daughter and I am so glad I did. I had 48 hours of labour, so I was pretty exhausted when I gave birth to my back to back baby girl. She crowned four or five times, and then shot out in one. No one was ready for her. We were waiting for the head to come out, not expecting the entire body! ;) So... I am REALLY glad I had the epi-no, and didn't tear at all - just a slight graze. I am convinced it was thanks to the epi-no. I'm now 23 weeks pregnant and need to buy a new one. (Only intended to have the one child, so got rid of the other one ;)

HitTheRoadJack · 30/10/2011 21:57

In an effort to give some of you hope; I had my son 20 months ago naturally, and had no tears internally or externally and I DIDN'T use the epi-no.

It varies from woman to woman.

Don't be sucked in to clever marketing!

hiss42 · 31/10/2011 00:11

I agree. Was so tempted to buy one and am sooo glad I didn't!
When you're pregnant with your first, if you're like me you have lots of time and enthusiasm looking on the internet and researching things and something like this seems like a miricle worth spending £100 on.
At the end of the day, a baby's going to fit out of you and stretching it a bit cannot prepare you for that! If this could do to you what pushing a baby out would it would be excruciating and dangerous. I ended up with an emergency forceps delivery and had an episiotomy and stitches all the way inside to my cervix.
I'd spend that £100 on something for the baby and an ice pack for your bits! Much more useful!

Purplebuns · 31/10/2011 09:02

I didn't tear, I religously did Perineal Massage as I figured if it hurts that much now, then I need to do it. I did have two cuts, as DD came out with her hand by her face and cut me with her long nails as she was 13 days late. PM is a lot cheaper for same effect as far as I can see!

BackToParis · 03/11/2011 16:55

I started my pregnancy in London and had to move back to France during 2nd trimester for personal reason. My obgyn in France told me he only does episiotomy very rarely because all his patient are using the Epi-No. I am seing a nurse to help me progress with it. the process is very different from what I have read everywhere including on the manufacturer website. He recomend to start using it 2/3 times a week at 17 weeks and then 5 times a week starting week 30!

firstbun · 05/09/2012 03:54

I used Epi-No on my first pregnancy two and a half years ago successfully and I am definitely planning on using it on my second (I am now 35w). With my first, I had a very short labour for a first-timer; waters suddenly broke, 6hrs later I was holding my daughter! I pushed once. I started using the Epi-No for pelvic floor exercises at about 30w, started inflating it and pushing it out at 37w. I had no tears whatsoever and have not had any urinary problems since delivery. It really, truly works. The price put me off at first, but now I realise it was worth every penny.

My thoughts are that Epi-No is better than perineal massage, particularly if you are a first-time mum. It simulates the feeling of something similar to a small baby's head down there, as opposed to a few fingers performing a U-shaped movement. It also helps to give an idea of what it is like to push a little, which muscles to use. From personal experience, for a first time mum the scariest thing is not knowing what to expect to feel down there. The Epi-No is very re-assuring with these fears and makes you feel more confident, especially knowing that you've already pushed out a balloon that was 10cm diameter before. It really boosts your confidence and lessens anxiety, as well as stretch the perineum. And with the pelvic floor exercises, it's nice to see the needle on the pressure gauge move with your squeezing. It reassures you that you're doing it right and, if you're competitive like me, eggs you on to exercise more and obtain higher readings and therefore stronger pelvic floor muscles!

JaneStinson · 12/02/2019 14:54

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