Evidence Based Birth®30 Jul 2025

REPLAY: EBB 216 - The Evidence on Prenatal Perineal Massage for Preventing Tears in Childbirth with Dr. Rebecca Dekker

Curious if prenatal perineal massage actually works to prevent tears during childbirth? In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker examines the evidence on perineal massage in late pregnancy, separating fact from fiction and sharing what the research really shows. You'll learn what major studies say about perineal massage, why some commonly cited research may not be trustworthy, and whether this practice is truly necessary, especially if you're in a birth setting with low episiotomy rates. You'll also hear some surprising insights on other ways to protect your perineum and reduce your risk of severe tears.

Content note: Discussion of perineal tears during childbirth, severe tears, and episiotomy.

(06:14) Evaluating Perineal Massage Evidence (08:32) Comprehensive Perineal Massage Meta-Analysis (11:20) Perineal Massage Study Bias Concerns (16:04) Double-Blind Study on Episiotomy Rates (20:09) Perineal Massage vs. Control Outcomes (24:44) Study Bias and Participant Dropouts (28:11) Research Fraud: Doubts on Dönmez Study (33:53) Trial Bias in Perineal Massage Study (35:57) Perineal Massage Study Bias Concerns (40:43) Effectiveness of the EPI-NO® Device Resources

For a full list of scientific references, see the blog post that goes along with this episode: https://ebbirth.com/216
Check out Episode 206 of the EBB Podcast to learn about Perineal Tears and Avoiding Episiotomy and Episode 210 to learn about warm compresses and hands on vs. hands off techniques.
Learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class: https://ebbirth.com/childbirth-class
Take a continuing education class on this topic (and earn a contact hour) by joining the EBB Professional Membership here: https://ebbirth.com/membership
Check open access journals to see if they are on beallslist.net (https://beallslist.net/standalone-journals/) as a potential predatory journal.
Resource for authors to determine whether they should submit to an open access journal: https://thinkchecksubmit.org/

For more information about Evidence Based Birth® and a crash course on evidence based care, visit www.ebbirth.com. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Ready to learn more? Grab an EBB Podcast Listening Guide or read Dr. Dekker's book, "Babies Are Not Pizzas: They're Born, Not Delivered!" If you want to get involved at EBB, join our Professional Membership (scholarship options available) and get on the wait list for our EBB Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the EBB Childbirth Class.

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Episoder(441)

REPLAY: EBB 344 - Crash Course in Perinatal Mood Disorders and Treatment with Dr. Kat Kaeni, Perinatal Psychologist and Past Board Chair of Postpartum Support International

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EBB 408 - "What They Didn't Tell Me about Birth and Parenthood" with Dr. Jessica Vernon, Board-Certified OB/GYN and Perinatal Coach

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EBB 407 - Migraines and Insulin and Umbilical Vein Varix, Oh My! An Empowering Pregnancy and Hospital Birth Story with Heidi Gustad, Librarian and EBB Childbirth Class Graduate

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12 Aug 45min

EBB 406 - Critical Info Every Expecting Family Should Know about Cytomegalovirus (CMV) with Megan Nix, Author of Remedies for Sorrow

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REPLAY: EBB 267 - Debunking Myths about Fundal Massage with Barbie Christianson, RN

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EBB 405 - Navigating Unexpected Turns in Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum with Emily Cook, EBB Childbirth Class Graduate and Preeclampsia Survivor

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22 Jul 54min

EBB 404 - Mini Q&A about Average Time Spent Pushing, Precipitous Labor, and Okra Water During the Third Trimester

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15 Jul 23min

EBB 403 - Why Is My Hospital's Cesarean Rate So High (or Low)? with Dr. Emily White VanGompel, Family Medicine Physician and Research Scientist

Even when caring for similar patient populations, some hospitals have significantly higher Cesarean rates than others, and factors like teamwork, psychological safety, leadership, staffing, and belief...

8 Jul 58min