05/06/2026
Perineal tears are super common, but not necessarily normal.
We can sometimes prevent them, reduce the severity and improve recovery with pelvic floor physio.
It’s important to understand that even with all the prep, you can still go on to have a minor tear or even are severe tear. It won’t prevent everything and there are lots of situations in birth outside of our control. But you’ll certainly be better off in your recovery if you prepare, but again your recovery also depends on the quality of the surgical repair and your tissue integrity and healing, constipation, straining and so many other things!
Don’t blame yourself if you had a tear, as most likely the preparation and education your recieved, and the care during birth, may not have been up to scratch with the latest evidence, or you may have had risk factors for a tear that you didn’t know about. Even being over 30 years old with your first birth is a risk factor as well as lots of other things I cover in my course.
Let me know if you have any questions about tears or birth prep!
Disclaimer: I am a pelvic floor physiotherapist and an expert in pregnancy and birth, however this is not personalised advice and should not replace the recommendations of your care team. You should always check if any treatments are safe for you.
