Regardless of the cause, anal incontinence can be embarrassing, difficult to manage, and have a debilitating impact on quality of life.1 For childbearing women, anal sphincter injury sustained during vaginal birth is considered to be one of the primary predisposing factors for anal incontinence.3 Because the long-term success of primary sphincter repair in resolving anal incontinence is reported to be as low as 44%, it is important for health care providers to reduce trauma to the perineum during the second stage of labor to avoid anal sphincter damage.3,4 Address correspondence to Allison LaCross,