PERINEAL MASSAGE  

Your perineum is the area of tissue between the opening of the vagina and the anus. It attaches to the muscles that support your reproductive organs, bowels, and bladder 

Goal: to prepare these tissues to stretch over your baby’s head and body during vaginal delivery. You can perform this massage at home by yourself or with the help of your partner. 

Benefits: lowers risk of tearing, prepares tissues for stretching, decreases chances of needing stitches post birth, prepares body for birth.  

Giving a little extra attention to this area in the final weeks of your pregnancy may help you avoid bruising, tearing, or episiotomy, making your recovery from birth a bit easier. 

When to start: week 34+ (3-4x/wk)  

Duration: 5 minutes  

Oil: oil or a lubricant is recommended to eliminate friction  

Anatomy

CONSIDER this

Before we go into any activity or sport, we stretch the tissues required for carrying out that activity...try to think of this area in a similar way. By maximizing the stretch and properly preparing the tissue pre activity the chance of tearing or requiring an Episiotomy is significantly decreased.  

  • Get in a comfortable position (anywhere- bed, bath, couch)  

  • Start with a finger or thumb 

  • Insert finger & start going around a clock (starting at 3pm, then 4pm, 5pm, and so on....) 

  • Stretching far enough to get sensation/stretch  

  • Slowly working on adding more fingers to get optional stretch  

  • After completing the clock direction start adding different directions of torque (ex. small circles working around the same clock direction, c motions, etc.)  

Make this a sensual act with kindness. 

MASSAGE