02/10/2024
Perineal massage is a manual technique used to stretch the perineum and promote relaxation during childbirth 👶. During birth, the muscles of your pelvic floor will need to stretch up to 2-3 times its normal length. Since we are not able to stretch out the muscles to that degree, we aim to get familiar with the uncomfortable sensation and practice relaxation through the pressure/burning/stinging.
Perineal massage should NOT be performed if you have a low-lying placenta (placenta previa), or vaginal herpes or thrush.
Start by lying in a relaxed position ie. lying 🛌 with your top half propped up with pillows or in the bathtub 🛁 with your legs in a "butterfly" 🦋 position. You can perform the massage with your own thumb 👍🏻, a device, or have your partner help.
Imagine the vaginal opening like the face of the clock ⏰️, with 12 o'clock being your p***c bone. The focus of the perineal massage will be from 3 o'clock to 9 o'clock.
-Start by inserting either finger or device about 3 cms into the vaginal opening starting from one side, and working your way to the other side.
-Apply mild pressure throughout this region while searching for any areas of tenderness, tightness, or discomfort. If you find any particular areas of discomfort, try to practice deep breathing 💆♀️ and relaxing your pelvic floor before moving on to the next area.
-Once you get more comfortable 🌸, you can begin to apply sweeping motion while maintaining pressure from the 3 o’clock to 9 o’clock region of the vaginal opening.
-Another option is to insert two thumbs and perform an outward sweeping motion on both sides simultaneously. 🌼
