Benefits of Perineal Massage in Pregnancy

Throughout pregnancy, most women are advised to continue an exercise routine, altering it to fit their new body. Many care providers, however, fail to recognize the power of kegal exercises and perineal massage. Both kegal exercises and perineal massage increase a woman's ability to relax her pelvic muscles, and brings increased elasticity to the vaginal tissues. Combined, these will increase the mother's probability of maintaining an intact perineum and its integrity throughout the birth and postpartum period.

This article focuses specifically on how to perform perineal massage. The pregnant woman or her husband can perform this technique. During the later weeks, it may be easier to have the massage given by a person other than the pregnant woman. She should aim for five minutes of massage each day, starting around the 34^th week up until the birth.

It would be most appropriate to use a warmed vegetable oil with Vitamin E, or a water-soluble jelly. Do not use baby oil, mineral oil, Vaseline or anything with perfume. Place your thumbs or forefingers about one inch inside the vagina and press downward toward the anus and out to the sides. Hold the stretch and breath, focusing on relaxing the pelvic floor for about two minutes. Please note: this should never hurt! Seek the point of "gentle tension". After practicing this massage, you should be able to stretch further and wider.

A variation to this technique is to maintain steady pressure while moving the thumbs or forefingers in a slow rhythmic U pattern back and forth over the lower half of the vagina, while gently stretching it outwards as well. This should be practiced for two to four minutes at a time.

Please be aware that, for safety reasons, perineal massage should not be done if the pregnant woman has pelvic varicose veins, active herpes lesions, or any other vaginal infection.

My midwife made a great example of how these exercises help to keep a perineum intact during birth. She would show us a rubber seal from a canning jar and pull and stretch it to show how immovable it really was. She compared this to a vagina that was not exercised. Then she showed us a rubber band elastic and pulled and stretched it in order to show us how much it could be stretched without broken. She compared the rubber band to a vagina that had been exercised through kegals and perineal massage.

I highly recommend perineal massage, for the safety of a woman's body, and for the increased comfort she wills surely feel while getting to know her baby.