The perineum is the muscle between the anus and the vulva.  During child birth , the perineal stretches and sometimes tears. Doing perineal massages a few weeks before your due date may help prevent tearing.

You should start perineal massage around 34 week of pregnancy.  Doing this daily increases the ability of the perineal to stretch  , reducing the risk of episiotomy or tears. Reports also indicate that women who did regular perineal massage also reported less pain in the few weeks after childbirth.

How to do perineal massage

Before you do this massage , make sure your fingers are trimmed and your hands are clean. You can also have your partner do it for you. If you are going to do it yourself, use a large mirror so that you can see what you are doing .

You can do perineal massage for about 5 minutes,  3 to 4 times a week. Start during pregnancy week 34.  It may feel uncomfortable or burn, however it should get better after a few massage sessions.

• Sit with your legs apart and your back supported.
• Put massage oil on your fingers.  You can also use water soluble vaginal lubricants such as K-Y jelly
• put your thumbs about 1 to 1 1/2 inches (to or just past your first knuckle) inside your vagina  and use it to stretch the vagina walls out to the side. Call this 3oclock
• still pressing and stretching outwards, sweep down to 6 o’clock and then to 9 o’clock
• repeat for a total of 4 to 5 minutes
• be gentle to prevent bruising or swelling. You should also avoid pressure on the urethra which is the urinary opening . This can lead to irritation and infection.

Perineal massage is not for everyone and may not help in every situation. Talk to your health care provider about any concerns you may have.
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