Dear Rinat,
I am a midwife with 29 years experience. I am also the importer together with Ruti Karny Horowitz of the Epi-no. I am sorry to tell you that the midwife who told your class this misinformation did a great diservice to you all. Actually quite the opposite is true. Recent research was done and showed that after 6 months no differences in the perineum of women were found between the two groups. One group used epi-no and the other did not and the testers were blind as to which group the women belonged. At six months, there was NO difference in the pelvic floor or perineum , showing that the use of the epi-no DID NOT stretch women out or leave them more open. I have been birthing women who use the epi-no since 1999, and I cannot tell any difference by looking at their vagina. What I am positive about is that there is much less tearing and need for sutures. Before using the epi-no more of my clients had tears on their first births, and after the epi-no use my rate of tearing was much lower, although my delivery technique did not change. I also see that the pushing stage is much shorter, which can be related to less vacuum births as the pushing stage is timed in hospital births. As far as episiotomy goes, it is a well known fact now for years that there is NO advantage of an episiotomy in childbirth and the practice has not been proven to be of any benefit and only harmful effects are noted. Please direct this midwife to see the research in the website www.epi-no.com or www.epi-no.co.il