Recommendations

• Perineal massage reduces the likelihood of perineal trauma especially from episiotomy and ongoing perineal pain. Prevents tearing during childbirth.
• To do this, the bladder must be empty, so you need to urinate before you start.
• You can take a warm bath beforehand to relax the muscles.
• It is advisable to adopt a comfortable position (lying with bent knees).
• It is important to recognize the area to be massaged, so you can use a hand mirror to visualize the perineum.
• Before you start, wash your hands properly.
• You can use natural oils or lubricants such as argan or rosehip oil.
• If you are doing the massage yourself, use your thumbs. In case someone else does it, you should use your index and middle finger.
• During the perineal massage you may notice a stretching, burning or tingling sensation, which can be annoying but not painful. This sensation will diminish over time as the tissues relax.
• Pay attention and work on the elasticity of any scars from previous episiotomies or perineal tears.
• We recommend perineal massage from week 34-35 of pregnancy and in cases of twin pregnancy, from week 32.
• It is recommended to do the perineal massage for 5 to 10 minutes a day, 3 times a week.

How to do the perineal massage

• Visualize your perineum with the help of a mirror for recognition of the parts of the area
• He should do a gentle massage with his fingers on the outside of our perineum (labia majora and minora). (Illustration 1)
• Once this area has been relaxed, slight stretching of the labia majora and labia minora can be done. (Illustration 2)
• It can also put some pressure on the central core of the perineum. (Illustration 3)
• Then, the index and middle finger will be inserted (if the massage is carried out by another person) or the thumbs (in the case of self-massage) about 3-5 cm into the vagina and several swipes will be made from right to left in the shape of a "U" by the vulvar fork (Illustration 4). At the movement, it is necessary to apply a stretching pressure and carry out a painless vaginal opening.
• You can hold this pressure for 30 seconds to 1 minute on various points of the perineum. If we were to look at our perineum like a clock, it would be applied to the points corresponding to 17h, 18h and 19h, with the aim of providing elasticity to the parts of the perineum. (Illustration 4)