Cassandra, Melbourne

'The Midwives mentioned that they would ask patients in the future whether they had been using an EPI-NO device, and to treat those that had much the same as they treated women expecting their second or third child...'

I first heard about EPI-NO through a magazine that I was reading in the later stages of pregnancy, expecting my first child. I visited the website and read all the information on the product, including the marvelous testimonials from both women who had used the device, and midwives and doctors who had come across it. The theory seemed perfectly logical to me.....why not stretch and exercise the muscles before hand, rather than just leaving everything to the second stage of childbirth. I investigated further, and after a bit of deliberation, my husband and I decided to go ahead and order an EPI-NO, figuring that while it wasn't cheap, if it did all the things that it claimed to do on the website, it would certainly be a worthwhile investment.

My EPI-NO arrived within 24 hours of making the order - what service! The first time I used it, three weeks before my due date, my husband helped a little, and I managed a diameter of 6cm. I must admit that to start with I found it a little awkward to use, especially with the size of my 'bump'. I was also a little uncomfortable on my back by this stage, which didn't make it any easier. After a few days, however, I perfected my technique, and quickly settled into a routine of using the device twice a day and gradually increasing the circumference of the balloon. I found it useful to massage a little lubricant into the perineum before using the device, and also rubbed a little over the surface of the balloon to make it easier to insert.

I was amazed at how quickly I managed to get the balloon up to a diameter of 10cm - it took just two weeks, and one week before my due date. Once I had managed to get to this size, I continued with the twice a day ritual, but now concentrating on holding the balloon in for longer, relaxing my muscles as much as I could, and also practicing my 'pushing' technique. I also explored different positions for pushing the balloon out, quickly deciding that it felt much more comfortable for me to be leaning over the bed on all fours than to be lying on my back and trying to push. I certainly began to feel like I was confident and ready for childbirth.

My labour started ten days after my due date, by which time I had been using the EPI-NO device for just over four weeks. My husband and I had opted for as natural a birth as possible, and we had booked into the Birth Centre at the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne. In the early hours of the morning I woke feeling a little uncomfortable, and within a few hours the contractions had set in. They were fairly steady and consistent from the start, coming every 6 minutes or so, and lasting for 30 to 35 seconds. We initially thought we would be heading into the hospital around midday, but as the day panned out the contractions stayed steady and slow, and it appeared that we were in for a longer ordeal. We handled the contractions at home, and didn't leave for the hospital until around 6-30pm that evening. As this was my first baby, the advice we were given from the hospital was to stay at home as long as possible before going in. By the time we arrived my labour was definitely into full swing, with contractions lasting for about a minute and coming every couple of minutes or so.

After an initial check to see that both myself and the baby were doing OK, we settled down in our room for the rest of the labour. We had been there about an hour when the midwife left the room to fetch a torch for a first internal check. My husband left to make a phone call, and just myself and our other support person remained. Everyone thought there would be at least a couple more hours to go, although they thought I was probably nearing the transitional stage. While they were both gone I had an incredible urge to push, and by the time the midwife came back - just a couple of minutes after she'd left, she was amazed to see that after just one push the baby's head was well on it's way down the birth canal. She now couldn't leave my side, and wasn't fully prepared for the birth, so she sent my husband off to fetch another midwife to assist, pulling her out of the antenatal class she was taking in the room next door! By the third push the baby's head was crowning, and they advised me to stop pushing and allow the head to ease itself out. The feeling was definitely more intense than when I had been using the EPI-NO, although the pushing motion was exactly the same. As the head began to crown I felt a burning sensation as the skin stretched itself further. At no point however, did I feel like I was going to tear, even though that was what the midwives feared. A fourth push and our baby was born - a beautiful baby boy.

After a 16 hour labour, the second stage lasted all of about 10 minutes, and our baby was born with no gas, drugs, stitches or intervention. What a result!! The EPI-NO definitely contributed to this success story.

Needless to say the midwives were amazed by what had happened - we caught everyone by surprise. In discussing the events with them later they were very interested to hear that I had been using the EPI-NO device. While they had heard of it before, this was the first time that this particular team had come across anyone who had actually been using it. They were very impressed. A constant stream of midwives came in to ask me questions about it the next day, and we were certainly the talking point of the Birth Centre! They mentioned that they would ask patients in the future whether they had been using an EPI-NO device, and to treat those that had much the same as they treated women expecting their second or third child. It made that much difference to the progression of the second stage of labour.

For my part, I am certainly very glad that we decided to invest in an EPI-NO before the birth, and it was worth every dollar. I am now recommending it to all my pregnant friends, and I have a friend using one at the moment who is due in just a couple of weeks time. Hopefully she will have as much success with the device as I did. I just can't express how fantastic it felt to push the baby out myself in just a few short minutes, and to be up and walking about a few hours later with no stitches, tearing or damage. And to top it all off, we had a healthy, happy, beautiful baby boy. I felt on top of the world!

Our boy is now six months old, and my pelvic floor muscles are just as strong, if not stronger, than they were before. I've put the EPI-NO away for a while......but who knows, maybe I'll be using it again if we decide to go for number two!!