Perineal Massage: A Complete Guide for Expecting Parents 

Perineal massage is a great way to prevent pain and tears during pregnancy.

During childbirth, the tissues in the vagina go through severe pain, causing tears. However, even if it may seem impossible to stop the tear, perineal massage helps reduce risks.

It’s best to consider this massage for at least 3 to 4 weeks before childbirth. Here’s a complete guide on how to take this massage for a more secure childbirth.

What is a Perineal Massage?

Women don’t have it easy during childbirth. That’s why doctors and physiotherapists came up with different techniques over the decades. Perineal massage is one of those techniques to help make childbirth easier.

It’s a technique that helps stretch the perineum. It’s the area that’s between the vagina and the anus. Through this message, one can make that area more flexible. So, they don’t have to deal with excessive rate of burning, pain, stretching and tears.

This technique is extremely helpful for mothers during the first childbirth. It helps them prepare their skin for childbirth. Especially when the child is born and the head is coming out, stretching due to pre-childbirth perineal massage helps a lot.

Now, despite how helpful perineal massage might be, every woman may not want such massage. If you are up for it, it’s better to get the help of your partner. However, it’s the pregnant mother’s choice to take or refuse a perineal massage. Not all pregnant women would be willing to get a perineal massage.

When to Start Perineal Massage?

Now that you know that perineal massage is helpful, it’s important to know when’s the best time to have perineal massage? If you are keeping track of your pregnancy, it’s best to go for a perineal massage by the 35th week of your pregnancy. You can continue it until childbirth.

You can take it frequently throughout the week and continue several times. Also, remember to do it only when you feel relaxed. At first, this might feel a little uncomfortable; that’s why you must ensure you are using the right technique. However, as you practice it a little more, you’ll get used to it. You can also choose to take the help of your partner if it feels uncomfortable doing it by yourself.

Why Should You Take Perineal Massage? Benefits

Women who take perineal massage during pregnancy experience multiple benefits during childbirth. According to Healthline, 40 to 80 percent of women experience a certain level of tearing in their vagina during childbirth. When such damage happens, it can cause different issues in the pelvic floor, uterine prolapse, sexual discomfort, etc. are quite common.

However, thanks to perineal massage, women can escape similar damages. Here are several benefits of having this type of massage before childbirth.

Prepare the Tissues

Thanks to the massage done regularly, the tissues around the vagina have more blood flow. It becomes easier for the pregnant mother to give birth since the muscles and the skin stretch a lot easily, thanks to the massage.

Preventing the Risk of Tearing

Almost 1 to 15 women who take perineal massage don’t require episiotomy during childbirth. Otherwise, they require stitches to save them from that damage. 

Less Severe Tearing

Even if massaging doesn’t prevent tearing, it can lower the severity of the tears one gets due to massage. It can reduce the chances of tears by 10% when someone takes a perineal massage.

Helps Women with Scarred Tissues

Some women have scars from their previous pregnancies. It can cause their body to have severe levels of damage. Especially women who were dancers or horse riders tend to have more rigid perineum. Thanks to perineum massage, they have it easy during childbirth.

Prepare for Childbirth

Once you start to take this massage, it helps your body prepare for childbirth. Most importantly, it helps women pay attention to the area that stretches during pregnancy. It also helps them prepare for the strong sensations one might face during childbirth. You can stay more prepared both mentally and physically for the pain that comes with childbirth.

However, whether you want to receive this massage or not is up to you. You can also consult with your healthcare provider to help you prepare for the situation. Also, as per several studies, women who opted for a perineal massage during childbirth have a lesser risk of having second or third-degree tears.

How to do Perineal Massage?

Did you decide to receive this message before childbirth? If yes, then follow the step by process below –

Clean Yourself First

Hygiene comes first. Before you start to give yourself a perineal massage, clip your nails. If you have long nails, it can put a scratch on your skin. Also, use a mild soap to wash your hands clean.

The soap should be good enough to wash any germs from your hand. However, don’t go for soaps with harsh chemicals. This can make the skin around the perineum itch.

Look For a Comfortable Position

You must be at ease and feel comfortable when giving yourself a massage. The best way to go about this is by lying down on your back or sitting on the sofa. You should be able to keep your legs open and your knees bent. If you want to take this massage while sitting upright, you can use a pregnancy pillow.

You can also give yourself a perineal massage while in the shower and standing on a stool. It’s also possible to give yourself this massage when sitting on the toilet. Choose whichever position suits you the best.

Start Massaging

Now that you have your hands clean and your position ready, start massaging the inside of your vagina with natural oil. You can use your thumbs and put the oil 1 inch or 1 ½ inside the vagina. When doing this for the first time, you can use a mirror to ensure you are using the oil in the right spots.

Stretch

Remember not to press too hard. Make sure to put enough pressure to feel slight burning and stretching.

While continuing the massage, put your fingers in a position to stretch the inside for at least a minute or two. You must keep moving your thumb inward and outward in a U-shaped motion. By doing this practice, you are targeting the tissues that are inside the vagina and increasing blood pressure around that part.

Relax

As you keep on massaging, the insides of your vagina tend to feel more relaxed. It keeps both your body and your mind feeling comforted. However, when massaging, make sure that you aren’t doing it for more than 5 minutes. Give your body time to relax and be accustomed to stretching and the sensation.

Risks Associated with Perineal Massage

Perineal massage is beneficial. But, if you are giving yourself a perineal massage, there are some risk factors you must be aware of.

Vaginal infections 

It’s best to skip vaginal massage if you have a vaginal infection (both active and recurrent). Herpes or thrush is shared among the vaginal infections most women have to deal with often. A perineal massage can worsen the condition or spread the disease even more.

Placenta Previa

If you have placenta previa, it’s best to skip this massage. This also applies to the low-lying placenta.

Vaginal Bleeding

Are you experiencing vaginal bleeding during pregnancy? In that case, it’s best to skip vaginal massage.

Preterm Contractions

When you are experiencing preterm contractions, it’s best to sit out perineal massage.

Shortening of the cervix

If you have experienced cervix shortening, it’s best not to take a perineal massage.

Previous Perineal Surgery

Women who had perineal surgery previously should reconsider having perineal massage.

Broken Waters

It’s also best not to get a perineal massage if you think that your water has broken.

Which Oil to Use for Perineal Massage?

You can use lubes or oils for massaging. The best practice would be to use water-soluble lubes. Jelly lubricant, olive oil, vegetable oil, vitamin oil, natural oil, and wheatgerm and almond oil as well. However, keep in mind not to use any synthetic or scented oils since those can have certain side effects. If your partner is helping you with perineal massage, it’s best to communicate with them first. Walk them through the process of applying the oil and putting pressure. You’ll be right once they know how much pressure they are to apply and at what point.

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