Have you heard of perineal massage?
Perineal massage in pregnancy is exactly that…massage to your perineum.
What/where is that?
Your perineum is the soft tissue found between your back passage and your vulva.
When should you start it?
It is advised from 34 weeks pregnant to start perineal massage (unless unsafe to do so) as there is evidence to show that it reduces the chance of perineal tearing and the need for an episiotomy. It greatly aids healing especially after your first vaginal birth.
What are the benefits of it?
Massaging your perineum in pregnancy can help:
- increase the elasticity of your perineum
- improve the ability to relax your perineal area
- give you more confidence in your ability to give birth.
When is it not safe to massage your perineum?
If you have any of the following please DO NOT start perineal massage:
- a bacterial infection
- risk of premature labour
- unexplained bleeding
- thrush
- vaginal herpes
- premature rupture of membranes
How do you do perineal massage?
Ideally, you should be taught the correct technique by your midwife or a women’s health physio.
You place your thumb or finger(s) into the back part of your vulva and apply a downwards pressure towards your back passage. You should apply a sweeping motion from left to right. Once or twice a week is ideal for about 5 minutes.
If you are not keen to use your own thumb/fingers you can always try a birth trainer. The EPI-NO has been widely talked about on social media on accounts like @clarebournephysio.
A birth trainer can also:
- increase the elasticity of your perineum
- improve the ability to relax your perineal area
- give you more confidence in your ability to give birth
- decreases the chances of perineal trauma
Ideally, you must be taught the correct technique by your midwife or a women’s health physio and commence use from 37 weeks pregnant.
A birth trainer is a silicone balloon that you insert into your vagina and can pump up to help stretch the tissues of the perineum up to the size of a baby’s head in preparation for birth.
For a how-to video have a look at here. It is a very effective mentally empowering tool.
There are times when an EPI-NO is not safe to use as well as certain medical and pregnancy conditions that should avoid using it also.
- a bacterial infection
- risk of premature labour
- unexplained bleeding
- thrush
- vaginal herpes
- premature rupture of membranes
- vaginal varicose veins
- breech/transverse lie baby position in
- utero
- placenta previa
- paraplegia
- nerve damage
- M.S.
For more information about pregnancy, visit my pregnancy educational page on my website.