Aniball - any reviews/ would recommend?

[squashie34]

Hello,

My greatest fear during my upcoming labour is that I end up with a huge tear and/or episiotomy as I am a FTM and very petite (I struggle with a small speculum during smears and even a large tampon) it's really starting to make me fear a vaginal birth now it's getting closer.

I've been reading a lot about perineal message and am going to try and give this a go, but I've also seen the Aniball mentioned in lots of adverts on my social media, however I can't seem to find any recent reviews on this - has anyone used this and can comment, either positively or negatively about using it? It's quite a bit of money to invest if it doesn't help, but equally if it does I'll pay whatever it takes just to not end up with the Grand Canyon down there after birth 🙁

Thanks x

No help I'm afraid but I'm thinking about getting one to prepare - also a FTM. Would be really interested to hear how people got on with it.

You’ll stretch. You really will. I assume you’ve had sex with a penis if you’re pregnant, and it’s very likely that was also bigger than a tampon or the smallest speculum. It’s sort of the same. Your body is capable of amazing things, you’ll have a sort of muscle relaxant going around as you get closer to birth and everything gets a bit looser and stretchier. Honestly, try not to overthink it and go with your body. The conscious mind isn’t a lot of help though I remember how hard it is to switch it off!

It was really helpful tbh.
It teaches you the sensation of what it feels like to have something in your birth canal that's about 5-8cm. (Wouldn't use it to max until due date).
It also helped with ideas of what worked for positions, difference of breath out or pushing.
Great for using your pelvic floor post natally too.

@Nartl0ngNow thank you for that- May I ask if it helped with tearing during birth? (Please excuse me if TMI!) it says to use it after your completed 36th week so would you say to keep it small and not increase it until nearer due date?

@squashie34 I don't have any advice exactly as I'm also FTM PG, but I just want to say I'm exactly the same, can only use the tiny purple Lite tampons (that tampax have now discontinued in cardboard) and the yellow Regular ones if I'm super calm. Also I've always had huge problems with speculums and smears. However I agree with @Sportsnight that we'll stretch, and (sorry this is tmi) I remember being pleasantly surprised in the past when I first managed to have sex with a shockingly enormous now-ex-bf without any pain or discomfort (hoping my DH doesn't read this). As long as I'm calm and relaxed and it's very gradual...which hopefully will be the case during birth!
FWIW we have had a go at perineal massage, my DH doing it for me with oil, I was so daunted by the diagrams but actually it wasn't too bad and even kind of nice. We're going to try and do it once a week even though I'm still quite early (only 31w), just to get me used to it, then try twice a week from 36 weeks or so.
Also I'm using the Elvie trainer, which like the speculum, is nothing like a husband and really quite uncomfortable to insert, even though it's quite small. so if you're anything like me physically, I would just stick to the perineal massage

I ended up having a c section in the end (after a 40 hour labour!) because baby was stuck at an awkward angle in my pelvis, so I didn't ever get to test out whether it helped with tearing/pushing, but in the lead up to the birth I was able to 'birth' the Aniball with a 32cm circumference pretty comfortably (after a few weeks of regular training to help the muscles loosen gradually), and it gave me so much more confidence that I'd be able to manage to birth the baby's head without tearing (usually around 35cm circumference). A good friend of mine also used the Aniball daily from week 37 and gave birth vaginally with no tearing at all. It was a little tricky to insert at first and you need to take time to find a comfortable position, but I found it easier to do than perineal massage - you just need to persevere with it and try to relax. You can also use it after the birth to help with pelvic floor strengthening exercises.

Just found this thread looking for reviews. Also FTM and interested in this. I know 7 in 10 FTMs tear to some degree so it might be inevitable, but I’d like to do anything I can to prevent it and this seems logical.