"Does anyone have experience with EPI-NO?"
"...Since the great majority of the women in our clinic use the Epi-No birth trainer (it is also well advertised in the prenatal courses), the percentage of cuts and larger tears has sunk dramatically. It is more and more frequent that first-time mothers give birth with an undamaged perineum (even if they have larger babies) and that tears are often relatively small.
I have begun to have trouble in training my assistant doctors in the treatment of birth injuries as these simply do not occur often enough. Particularly first-time mothers profit most from this instrument but it is also certainly valuable for subsequent pregnancies. For us this instrument represents a small revolution and we can recommend its use most warmly.
Dr. Peter Böhi
Head physician of the Clinic for Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Altstätten, Switzerland and resident gynaecologist.
"...our son Noah is healthy and lively after 5 hours of labour pains and a completely uncomplicated, trouble-free and natural birth. His head circumference was 34 cm. Thanks to EPI-NO and the perineum massage with the massage oil by my midwife, there was no injury at all. I gave birth as an ambulant patient in the hospital and all 3 of us went home after several hours and are now enjoying our son.
Many thanks and all the very best to your company.
I will definitely recommend EPI-NO and your company ..."
"... In January you very kindly brought me an EPI-NO to the Cantonal Hospital in Lucerne. I gladly send you herewith a feedback: I am absolutely thrilled with the EPI-NO. I began with the exercises from the 36th week of pregnancy ..."
(Note: Please do not begin with the stretching exercises until 3 weeks before the due date of birth)
"... and finally arrived at a diameter of 10cm at date of birth. I carried out the exercises once a day during 15-20 minutes. Finally I gave birth 6 days after the due date so that I did the exercises during almost 5 weeks.
The birth was very quick (2 1/2 hours). I had a very short expulsion phase (approx. 15 minutes) and gave birth with an uninjured perineum. I consider these factors to be due to the EPI-NO. The short opening phase had nothing to do with it. I think that without EPI-NO there would definitely have been a perineum injury, because when practising the exercises one senses the progress and how the tissue becomes gradually more extensible. The handling of the instrument is easy.
All in all I can most warmly recommend the EPI-NO and will also recommend it to my patients. ..."
" ... Hallo, dear Tescana team.
My wife used the Epi-No Delphine Plus for her first birth and all went well without problems and without an episiotomy.
As it will soon be the birth of our second child and we were so enthusiastic about the EPI-NO, we want to use it again for the birth preparation. ... "
" ... Hallo, on 06.09. I had my baby Pia...and I am very happy that the birth is now behind me. You really helped me a lot; nobody else could answer my questions in such detail. I carried out the exercises right till the end and finally achieved a diameter of 8cm ... my goal was 10 cm, but the baby came two days early. The birth took 10 hours and was completely natural.....and above all without perineum cut or tear!!
I am convinced that EPI-NO contributed a great deal to this success.
It is tremendous and I am overjoyed ... and can hardly believe that I actually made it!!
Above all, these exercises helped me to overcome my fear before the birth ... I can only recommend this training to all anxious pregnant women. ... "
" ... I want to thank you herewith most sincerely for the development of the Epi-No and give you my feedback.
My daughter Lana Ariadne was born on 2.9.2003 after 12 hours of labour without problems and spontaneously without cut or tear, thanks to the training with your equipment and to perineum massage.
But the interesting thing about it was that, during the phase of the passage of the baby's head, the thought came to me: you know this feeling, you have managed it before! Instinctively I knew what was happening and, above all, in which direction I should press. (Of course, during the training I did not press, but was conscious of the direction...)
Lana was 50 cm long, exactly 3000 g and with a head circumference of 36 cm, I think these are rather average data! In addition, I cannot forget that I was able to practise the "letting go" in the pelvic floor beforehand and thus, was far less frightened before the birth ... "
" ... My son Fabian is now 3 months old, he was born 2 weeks early. The birth was absolutely fantastic: the opening labour pains began on Corpus Christi day at about 11.30 a.m. with intervals of 6-7 minutes. At 13.47 h I entered my clinic in Memmingen ...
I just made it to the delivery table, and the serious business began, 3 pressing pains and my son was there! No perineum cut, no tear, just a small scratch on the left labium and my baby is perfectly healthy. He was born at 15.17 h, just 1 1/2 hours after entering the clinic! And Fabian was my first child! I began with Epi-No, as you recommended, in the 35th week * and finally achieved a distension of 9.5 cm in diameter. (My baby had a head circumference of 34 cm, weighed 2820 g and was 47 cm long). On the basis of this experience, I can only recommend your Epi- No to other women, and am actually doing just this ... "
* Note: Please only begin with the stretching exercises 3 weeks before the due date for the birth.
" ... Ladies and Gentlemen,
Five weeks ago I gave birth to a healthy daughter - my first child. The birth experience was a thoroughly positive one; I am convinced that this is also thanks to Epi-No. I discovered this prenatal training possibility in Internet while trying to find out more about episiotomy. I was at the time very much afraid of this and had more fear of such an "incision" than of the labour pains and wanted to be sure of avoiding it.
I carried out the training on my own and according to your instructions. Here I have a remark to make: as my pelvic floor is very strong (or so it seems to me), I had to hold the balloon in the vagina with a hard counter-pressure of the hand each time. Thus I did not have to actively press but could, on the contrary, relax with non-pressure (which helps the perineum) in the final phase of the passage of the head by allowing the balloon to slip out as slowly as possible.
I was also able to do this very successfully during the birth: After four hours of labour pains I had dilated 8 cm, shortly after I felt the first pressing pain, an overwhelming unexpected force and after the pain of the transient labour, I was incredibly happy that now the conclusion of the birth was near. After only three pressing pains, the head was ready to appear. Thanks to my training, I was able to perfectly follow the instructions of the midwife not to press. I knew exactly what she was talking about even if now naturally a far more difficult effort was demanded. You should mention this advantage of the Epi No in your enclosure and also give instructions as to how the non-pressure can be practised. As far as I know, pressing during the pressing pains is often not consciously controllable but the non-pressure is controllable (at least this was so in my case).
My daughter was born without episiotomy or any tear at all! My obstetrician said he had never known a first birth which had been so easy. ... Already two hours after the birth I was able to pass water without any burning sensation, I had no problems in sitting and today, five weeks later, I have the feeling that everything is regenerated, almost as before the pregnancy (except for my flabby stomach of course). I am convinced that Epi-No is an absolutely ingenious product, no high-tech gibberish, no expensive course documentation, instead self-responsibility and coming to grips with the forthcoming task and training that concentrates on what is required.
I would like to thank you for the development of the Epi-No and to apologize for my effusive mail! ... "
" ... Ladies and Gentlemen at Tecsana,
I am writing you this e-mail on behalf of my midwife who does not have much experience with computers.
My midwife ... runs a midwifery practice in Otterfing. Approx. 30 pregnant women per month are taken care of there in various courses. One of the most important courses is the prenatal preparation for expectant mothers.
She has years of professional experience and is a practising midwife in the Großhadern Clinic in Munich. Recently she has supervised various births where the women concerned had beforehand prepared themselves with Epi-no. All the births took place without the women suffering either injuries or tears.
These experiences persuaded her to introduce and recommend your Epi-no for the prenatal preparation courses. ... "
" ... Ladies and Gentlemen, In the framework of our midwifery hour in the hospital in Flawil, SG/CH we recommend to interested women that they carry out prenatal training with the EPI-NO and they often experience the positive influence on the birth process ... "
" ... Hallo,
first of all, cheers to Epi-no!!! I gave birth to my son on 29.06. without a tear or cut. It was a fantastic birth to which I looked forward with confidence as I was convinced through my training that all would go well. I now have a question: As I feel top fit and have no problems in the vaginal region, I would like to know if I can begin with the pelvic floor training again, instead of waiting three weeks. I look forward to your answer. ... "
Note: You should not begin the pelvic floor training before 3 weeks after the birth, the lochia should have subsided and possible wounds in the genital area should have healed - as described in the instructions for use.
" ... Hallo, I am quite simply convinced by the equipment and just wanted to let you know this. Have already passed on my experiences to other pregnancy forums and will also continue to do so. I wish you every success with your company and your idea! Cordial greetings to Munich ... "
" ... I would like to inform you that I am extremely satisfied with the equipment and will use it again during the next pregnancy. Unfortunately I often experience that precisely persons who have no experience with the equipment write negatively about it. You should do more clarification work and publish positive experiences in a place where all can read them ... "
" ... Hallo, I too have experiences with the Epi-No and can only say that I will use it in the next pregnancy. (It is obvious that there are not many people who have really tested the equipment and who can base their negative opinion on real experiences - this is not an attack, just my impression). I bought the equipment because I was terrified of having birth injuries. Well yes, a lot of people advised me against the equipment (gynaecologist, midwife) although none of them had ever used or tested it. I nevertheless used it. The birth was unfortunately not easy. Our daughter had to finally be drawn out with the vacuum extractor. And what should I say:
NO TEAR, NO CUT - EVERYTHING INTACT.
My gynaecologist was so surprised (he had never experienced a vacuum birth without tear or cut) that he asked me if I had done any preparation. When I told him what I had used, he was astonished and said he would now examine the Epi-No more closely.
Incidentally, I did not have any kind of perineum massage* with oils or other things. The other women in my circle of friends (approx. 6), who gave birth at the same time as I did, depended mainly on perineum massage and all of them, without exception, either had to have a Caesarean or suffered a perineum tear during birth. I am, as it were, the only completely "uninjured" one.
My pelvic floor was only days after the birth once again in good condition and I even felt fit again on the day of the birth. My attending gynaecologist looked really shocked when 6 weeks after the birth I climbed onto the chair. She said to me: "But you had a vacuum birth - it says so in the clinic documentation - how come you have no cut or tear? Is there a mistake?" When I said that there was no mistake, she said she had never seen anything like it. ... "
* Note: Perineum massage is naturally a further very suitable means of birth preparation and is carried out very competently by midwives. The combination of perineum massage and the use of the EPI-NO is very effective.
" ... Hallo, The Epi No is the very best preparation for childbirth. Women thus have the possibility of preparing themselves on their own a little more each day and according to their own feeling and judgment. Unfortunately I only had this fantastic equipment for my third pregnancy. But it was worth it: after two horror births, this one was a wonderful birth. - I recommend the equipment most warmly to everyone. ... "
" ... Hallo.
During my midwife training, I was confronted with Epi-No for the first time. Since then four years have passed, I have used Epi-No myself very successfully for the birth preparation of my first child and I have experienced again and again positive results in my professional practice. A short while ago I began to work as a freelance midwife and look after women during the pregnancy and in confinement. I am frequently asked questions concerning the Epi-No and for this reason I am writing to you. ... "
You will find the experiences of the maternity clinic in Stans (Switzerland) to download under Studies
" ... The arco Maternity Clinic was founded in August 2000. In summer 2008 we were able to welcome the 550th baby into the world. Since November 2001 more than 500 pregnant women have trained successfully with the EPI-NO pelvic floor trainer . ...
... Our experiences with EPI-NO:
Through the training with EPI-NO, the need for episiotomy and the spontaneous perineum tear rate have sunk significantly. The expulsion phase has in more than 70% of all births been shortened by at least half the time. The anxiety of many pregnant women concerning the "passage of the head" is discussed and can already be dissipated before the birth – many women speak after the birth of a "recognition effect" during delivery of the head because of the preceding training with EPI-NO. In particular with women who have experienced births that ended with forceps - or vacuum birth - which meant they experienced no conscious pressing phase, the "experience beforehand" of the passage of the head by the pressing out of the balloon at the end of the respective training with EPI-NO is of great importance. Without question the pressing phase, as indeed the whole birth, is associated with pain. We, thus, speak quite consciously of labour. EPI-NO helps here too to prepare for this imminent situation, for this extraordinary experience, to accept the pain.
In conclusion, it should be said:
Each midwife learns and knows the active form of perineum protection, for many midwives it is a privilege to be active there where the child arrives and to avoid a rapid passage of the head and thus possible injury to the perineum. We midwives from the arco Maternity Clinic go so far as to say that an active protection of the perineum by the midwife is, after training with EPI-NO, no longer necessary. There is nothing more wonderful and fulfilling for the woman giving birth, her partner and for us midwives than for the woman to push the little head of her child with her own hand or the hand of her partner. She knows herself intuitively also through the training with EPI-NO, how much feeling and dosing this procedure requires. These births are the ones with the fewest perineum injuries and it is the most dignified, active and integral way to accompany a birth. To experience woman and man as an entity, we midwives remain in the background as extras who can call on their professional knowledge at any time and whenever necessary. On the basis of our several years of experience, we can warmly recommend the EPI-NO pelvic floor trainer to every pregnant woman as preparation for the birth as well as for the time after the birth when she is retrieving her figure.
Kehrsiten, 24th of November 2008
Irmgard Hummler, qualified midwife
Maternity Clinic & Midwife Practice Ltd. "
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