Experiences of pregnant women, midwives and physicians with
EPI-NO
From the Forum “baby-united.ch” (Switzerland):
“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
From Schönaich (Germany):
"... 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 ... "
From Lucerne (Switzerland):
" ... 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 ½ 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. ... "
From Ziertheim (Germany):
" ... 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. ... "
From "the North" (of Germany):
" ... 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. ...
"
From Frankfurt a. Main (Germany):
" ... 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 … "
From Dettingen (Germany):
" ... 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 ½
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.
From Zürich (Switzerland):
" ... 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! … "
From Dietramszell
(Germany):
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. ... "
From the
Flawil Hospital (Switzerland):
"
... 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.
From Germany
(various e-mails to our info@):
" ... 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.
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. ... "
From Rubingen
(Germany):
" ... 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
Here some statements:
" ... The
arco Maternity Clinic was founded in August 2000.
In
January 2005 we were able to welcome the 300th baby into the world. Since
November 2001 more than 220 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,
12th of april 2005
Irmgard
Hummler, qualified midwife
Maternity
Clinic & Midwife Practice Ltd. "