What is the perineum and what happens during Childbirth?

During vaginal childbirth, it is very common to experience a graze or tear of the labia or, more frequently, the perineum, which is the area between your vagina and anus. For most, these tears are minor and heal quickly.

Why do we recommend Perineal Massage?

From research we know that performing perineal massage in pregnancy can help to:

• Reduce the risk of tearing/trauma that requires stitches
• Reduces the need for an episiotomy
• Can aid healing of the perineum post-vaginal birth
• Can help reduce the pain and discomfort following vaginal birth

When would be the best time to start Perineal Massage?

We recommend that you start from 35 weeks of pregnancy.

You will need 5-10 minutes each time you massage the perineum.  Find a time of day which suits you; somewhere you can ensure privacy and be undisturbed. A good time is after a bath or shower when the muscles are already warm and relaxed.

How do you perform the massage?

Make sure you are sitting comfortably, bring your knees up towards your chest, and then open your legs like opening a book. Or you may find it easier to put one foot on the toilet, bath or a stool. You might feel comfortable asking your partner to help if you are having difficulty reaching the perineal area.

You will need to wash your hands and have short, clean nails so that you don’t damage the delicate skin of the vagina. You can use olive or almond oil, an unscented massage oil, or there are also perineal massage oils which you can purchase especially designed for perineal massage.

• Start by making small, circular movements either side of the lower part of the labia towards the anus, to warm the muscles in this area.
• Hold the thumb in the position shown for about 1 minuet.
• Press down towards the anus and to the sides of the vaginal walls. Hold your thumb in this position for about a minute. You will begin to feel a stretching sensation.
• Gently massage the lower half of the vagina using a U shaped movement for two to three minutes, Repeating this 2-3 times.
• If you have had children before you may notice an area of firmness or an area of tightness – this may be scar tissue from a previous tear. Try and focus some of your massage here, so that this area can soften. This will encourage it to stretch during the birth.