# Lubrication and Birth?!?!?!



## AmazoniaBelly (Jun 19, 2004)

Hi,

I would really love to hear from UCer's and birth profs. regarding this topic. In a few books, I have seen info about using various lubes during the birth to prepare the birth canal. Since my first daughter was born (she is 30 months old), due to the fact that she loves to breastfeed, drinking often and alot, I have experienced extreme vaginal dryness. I require copious amount of lube to be comfortably intimate.

My questions are:

How do you feel about using lube in the birth? What do people use? Olive oil?
Is it safe for the baby? I was thinking about the fact that even though the baby is naturally slippery, I might be calmer knowing that I am not dry as the baby is crowning.

I really appreciate any thoughts on the matter.


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## AmazoniaBelly (Jun 19, 2004)

bump


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## bryonyvaughn (May 4, 2007)

I can't imagine *needing* lube during a birth. Just think about the terminology.

mucous plug
bloody show
forewaters
amniotic fluid
Everything's wet! If the membranes haven't ruptured you have forewaters surrounded by two bags followed by the baby. This will act kind of like roller bearings between the baby and your vaginal walls.

I'm not keen on inserting anything into the vagina during or immediately prior to birth. The natural flow is down and out and putting things up and in can throw off the mom as well as increase chance of infection. That being said *if* someone were set on doing it, I'd recommend something safe enough to eat (e.g. olive oil rather than petroleum based lube.)

~BV


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## SublimeBirthGirl (Sep 9, 2005)

I can't imagine needing it either. I think most HB midwives use olive oil and though I wouldn't, I doubt it'd hurt anything so close to birth. But if you lube the inside, instead of just the perineum (which is what midwives do I believe) that does seem like it'd increase the risk of infection.


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## Defenestrator (Oct 10, 2002)

I think that all of the lubes that midwives and doctors have gotten in the custom of using are to make the perineal tissues less irritated by the things the care providers do to them, ie perineal massage, stretching, vaginal exams, even "supporting" the perineum.

If you don't have someone fiddling with your perineum, you don't need that stuff!

I think that one of the great things about labor is that your body and the baby have everything they need. Add all the stuff the mom produces to a good vernixy baby and everything works just fine. Olive oil was a standard part of the birth tray for the women who trained me, but I find that I almost never, ever use it.


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## cottonwood (Nov 20, 2001)

If your body isn't prevented (through inhibition, distraction, etc.) from releasing the proper hormones, your body will provide natural lubrication. It's really no different from sex in that respect.


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## laohaire (Nov 2, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *fourlittlebirds* 
If your body isn't prevented (through inhibition, distraction, etc.) from releasing the proper hormones, your body will provide natural lubrication. It's really no different from sex in that respect.

I'm sure you didn't mean to suggest that the OP experiences dryness through fault of her own (inhibition, distraction, etc.).

There are many physiological reasons that natural lubracation could be supressed, not the least of which the OP already mentioned - hormonal changes from breastfeeding.

I know I personally experienced this. It took a year after birthing DD until I had a good amount of lubrication back; before then, intimicy was uncomfortable to say the least. Would you say this was because of inhibition?

Anyway, I do agree overall that the body produces a good amount of lubrication during labor and delivery, and it seems unlikely that a woman would not have enough. I know there's a lot of variation in a lot of bodily matters, but things like the amniotic fluid, mucous plug etc - that all comes with the standard package (yes, waters don't always break before birth, but you get the idea). I've heard of perineal tears, but I've never heard of, er, "rug burns," lol.


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## Defenestrator (Oct 10, 2002)

A lot of times vaginal dryness when breastfeeding can be caused by low estrogen levels. Estrogen levels rise as the birth of a new baby approaches, causing for many women an increase in vaginal secretions. For some women there is so much that they think that their water has broken.


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## pamamidwife (May 7, 2003)

I agree with BV and Fourlittlebirds - we don't need to add anything to our vaginas for birth. We come with what we need!


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## cottonwood (Nov 20, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *laohaire* 
I'm sure you didn't mean to suggest that the OP experiences dryness through fault of her own (inhibition, distraction, etc.). [...] It took a year after birthing DD until I had a good amount of lubrication back; before then, intimicy was uncomfortable to say the least. Would you say this was because of inhibition?

Please note the "etc" in my statement. No, inhibition is not the only reason for vaginal dryness and nowhere did I say or imply that. My point was that the lubrication normally provided in both the process of birth and sexual arousal is dependent on hormonal release, and that there are various things that interfere with it.

Quote:

Anyway, I do agree overall that the body produces a good amount of lubrication during labor and delivery, and it seems unlikely that a woman would not have enough. I know there's a lot of variation in a lot of bodily matters, but things like the amniotic fluid, mucous plug etc - that all comes with the standard package
I think it's _very_ likely that a woman will _not_ have enough lubrication in a typical managed labor. And I'm not talking about amniotic fluid and mucus, I'm talking about vaginal lubrication, as one experiences with sexual arousal and orgasm. Most women don't produce it in labor for the same reason that they don't have a burst of adrenaline and a spontaneous fetal ejection reflex at the end -- because something is interfering with the normal hormonal process.


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## hetaera (Mar 1, 2006)

I love how whenever I am thinking of something to ask 99% of the time someone asks it for me.







:

Thanks for all the answers ladies!


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