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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Did you do any perineum massage?

20 replies

FLA92 · 01/06/2023 10:35

I hate doing the perineum massage and have only done it 2 or 3 times (am 37 weeks now!!). Does it really make a difference?? If it does I’ll suck it up and do it but I find it uncomfortable and awkward to do!

OP posts:

BigglyBee · 01/06/2023 10:41

With my first baby, I did this religiously. I had 28 stitches after the birth, so no, I didn't think it was worth it! I didn't bother for any of my other births and had minimal tearing with no stitches.

Denise82 · 01/06/2023 10:41

Is this the massage to try to stop tearing during birth, if it is then no I didn't do it, and I only had cosmetic tears as my midwife described, and a tear on the inside,for my first birth. None for the second I'm sure 🤔 I dont remember having stitches at all.
Maybe the massage helps for some women maybe it's just your skin genetics at how stretchy it is, I don't know. I do know that i was very concerned about tearing but in fact i didnt feel anything with regards to that part of the birth.
But it certainly can't hurt to try and do something to minimise it op xx good luck

Denise82 · 01/06/2023 10:46

But to add, if it makes you uncomfortable and you don't like to do it then don't do it is my advice xx

Hazelnuttella · 01/06/2023 10:50

Honestly I wouldn’t bother. I did it and still had an episiotomy.
If it makes you feel any better the episiotomy was the least worst bit of labour, I didn’t feel a thing.

People who did it and didn’t have any tears will naturally think that’s because they did it, but there’s no way of knowing unless there’s any randomised control trial research out there.

Reugny · 01/06/2023 10:52

It doesn't work.

I did it a few times them looked up some stats on whether it worked. It doesn't it just seems a way of selling another cream to pregnant women.

OOlivePenderghast · 01/06/2023 10:52

I never did it and didn’t have any tearing or stitches so wouldn’t bother if you don’t like it.

CornishGem1975 · 01/06/2023 11:03

I got my DH to do it 😂 can't say whether it made a difference as I had a c-section!

Nursemumma92 · 01/06/2023 11:09

I did it with DD1 and had a tiny first degree tear- whose to know whether it was the massage or not.
With DD2 I didn't bother as I found it really painful and I didn't even have a graze. And she came very very quickly so it's hard to know what the factors are that meant I was lucky!

Stephania31 · 07/08/2023 11:38

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

TinyTeacher · 11/08/2023 20:05

I meant to do it. DD came at 38 weeks in my first day of maternity leave and I hadn't got round to it yet. I had a very slight tear, and i revkom that was only because I was still pushing when you are supposed to stop and pant - DD was in a rush so I don't think any of us were expecting her right at that second! I'd only been at the hospital 30 minutes - thank goodness the birthing pool filled quickly!

Wenfy · 11/08/2023 20:08

Yes. I didn’t tear but with DS2 I had to have an epiosotomy as he needed forceps. I healed exceptionally quickly (1 week, though the pain and incontinence lasted for 6-8 mths). According to the surgeon I healed better because I did the massage & because I washed myself with water after a poo.

KimGa · 11/08/2023 20:12

I did it with both of mine and no stitches. Probably TMI but I didn’t do much of a ‘massage’ - more pulling back as far as I could and stretching a little further every night as I had a huge fear of episiotomy. Didn’t use oil. Did it do the trick or was I just lucky? Who knows.

Bubbles254 · 11/08/2023 20:16

I got my dh to do it the first time around. No tears but no idea if the massage made any difference. I think having a water birth helped as well as the slow speed of the birth.

Flightorflounder · 11/08/2023 20:24

I didnt do it but I did do that balloon thing where you up it up and practice pushing.

I never got the balloon more than 1 or 2 pumps so I wasnt stretching anything by any stretch of the imagination. What it did do was help me practice breathing and holding and how youre meant to open on the in breath and hold on the out breath. Theyd spoken about this technique in my prebirth class but I hadnt been able to wrap my mind around it until I actually tried it out.

Anyway, that was amazing and I had a looiing pushing stage as the baby got a little stuck.between this technique and the worlda greatest midwife, baby came out with no cuts, tears or interventions.

bakewellbride · 11/08/2023 20:49

I did it religiously from 13 weeks and it achieved FA 😂

neleh87 · 11/08/2023 20:54

I did it like 3 times. Bought the oil, was very worried about tears. Found the massage awkward and uncomfortable.

Didn't have any tears in the end. It could have been because I stayed upright as much as I could during labour, or it could have been pure luck.

AnotherCountryMummy · 11/08/2023 21:02

I did it religiously with the oil and still had to be stitched up.

LT2 · 11/08/2023 22:16

I did do it, because I was terrified of the thought of birth! Went on to have a really easy and quick birth, thankfully. I did still tear in a few places nonetheless, though (all 2nd degree so not bad)

favouriteyellowsocks · 29/08/2023 15:09

I didn't do it and didn't have any tear at all

Watermonkey13 · 01/09/2023 13:26

I did this religiously twice a day from about 35 weeks and then had to have an emcs because an impatient midwife coerced me into breaking my waters when my body wasn't ready and the contractions then made my cervix swell up.
So it was pointless!

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