Perineal Massage - How unpleasant is that!

[theressomethingaboutmarie]

I had done some reading up on it and thought I'd give it a go. I have to say that, unless I'm doing it wrong, it's not a comfortable thing to do at all is it? Has anyone else tried it?

I tend to lock the bathroom door when doing it so that DH doesn't walk in to a contorting pregnant woman looking very very dodgy indeed

[MrsBadger]

It's not meant to be exactly comfortable - I read somewhere that it should feel like when you put your fingers in the corners of your mouth and stretch it to make a frog-face... if it's any more painful than that I'd re-consult the book!

Embarrassing though it is, would it be easier to ask DH to do it?

I have to say I'm not planning on doing it until my pile cream has worked as there's only so much anointing and fiddling I can deal with in a day...

[Pheebe]

Apparently you can also get these things called epino's which are basically big balloons that you stick in and blow up a bit more each day and remove inflated to stretch and prepare you for crowning Don't think there's any real evidence that anything works, I reckon you're either lucky or you're not. I'm only 27 weeks and theres no way I can reach down there properly now and I'm certainly not asking DH to do it for me, thats what got me in this mess

[MrsJohnCusack]

just don't bother
late pregnancy is vile enough without rummaging around (or encouraging someone else to)

[MrsJohnCusack]

wow I'm a ray of sunshine
I do think you're either lucky or you're not

[allgonebellyup]

oh. my. god.

[theressomethingaboutmarie]

MrsBadger, I try to do that (the frog face stylie thing) but find that I have to reach around to try to do it and and 30 wks, I have to keep a hand on the floor to keep myself supported. If DH ever did walk in, it'd surely look like the most dodgy of porn films

A friend of mine did perineal massage. She's quite petite but had a bonny 8lb son without tearing. She said that after a week of doing it, she started to feel increased elasticity and reckoned it was worth a go. I'm sure that it's far easier than recovering from tearing/an episiotomy but it's still pretty grotty!

[Aitch]

well i did it a few times and while i'm not sure that it actually stretched anythign down there it did teach me that when i thought i was relaxing down there (the midwives will tell you to stop pushing and relax during labour) i was in fact tensing, weirdly enough. was VERY glad to know that in advance, learned how to relax the area and only had a half centimetre tear with no stitching.

[allgonebellyup]

im a size 8 and managed to have two nearly ten pound babies with no need to massage my a-hole and surrounding area!!

[theressomethingaboutmarie]

allgonebellyup - I think that's the kind of info I was hoping to hear. Will now keep my hands to myself (as it were )

[Nixies]

I didn't do it (couldn't reach my shoe laces let alone anything more intimate for the last 2 months!!) and had a 8lb 11oz baby with no tearing - and I am 5'2. I put it down to a bit of genetic luck, good presentation of the baby and mainly an excellent midwife.

PS - a friend of mine tried it and ended up with terrible thrush, not pleasant in those last weeks!

[naturelover]

My NCT teacher said studies had showed a 25% reduction in tearing if you do it. Surely worth a try?

[skidaddle]

have looked into this and as far as I know there is no statistically significant difference in tearing between women who do and women who don't. I tried it first time round, it bloody hurt and I stopped. Tore to shreads but had a ventouse delivery so who knows what would have happened otherwise. save yourself the pain, put your feet up and enjoy the calm before the storm I say!

[MrsMar]

Hi there, I'm having a go at this... I'm a bit early I know (33 weeks) but my sister massaged almond oil on her perineum every day for the last weeks of her pregnancy and didn't tear for her first despite the use of a ventouse. She didn't bother with her second and had 3rd degree tears. That was enough for me. Tbh, I'm not stretching massively, and I can't seem to get my thumbs in as they describe here and pull down much, but I reckon it might get easier. At the moment I'm just pulling slightly so it ever so slightly tingles, I'm not ever really pulling so hard it hurts. I do find it a bit difficult with a bump, but I'm sitting with my back against the bath panel and my legs feet together in front of me (kind of like having a smear) and feeling around. I don't find it that unpleasant, but then maybe I'm not doing it properly. I'll post in about 7 weeks or so and let you know if it works (I'll prob end up with cs now after all this work, hahahaha!)

[dal21]

I am defo doing this from 34 weeks onwards and DH will be doing it for me. After being pregnant, it is the least he can do. The epi-no does look good but am not willing to spend £80 on something that a few fingers can do! sorry if too graphic

[Bouquetsofdynomite]

It is definitely worth it if you've done alot of horseriding or ballet - apparently these can really toughen up the perineum, making it less stretchy but more prone to tearing. Ballet dancing friend of mine wasn't told this until after a nasty tear, poor thing.

[Gizmo]

Yup, I too have a perineum of leather (horse and bike riding ) so thought the massage worth trying. No tears with my boys, but impossible to tell if that was luck or intervention, tbh..

[MrsMar]

I think there's no way of proving why some tear and some don't, whether it's a result of massage or not unless you have identical twins, having had the identical amount of time on a bicycle etc and identical size babies... If it's not unpleasant or not too uncomfortable, then I think it's worth a try.