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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Did perineal massage help?

13 replies

Ididivfama · 12/12/2023 17:11

Possibly Tmi. Also not sure I’m doing it right. Can’t see much down there and it stings when I try and stretch!

OP posts:

Borgonzola · 12/12/2023 20:37

Nope. I found it painful and stressful so gave up.

Had a very good midwife and did not tear - just a slight graze

bakewellbride · 12/12/2023 20:57

No. I did it religiously from 13 weeks pregnant (yes 13 weeks!) AND had a water birth AND gave birth in a good position... still got a second degree tear. What will be will be op.

RedRobyn2021 · 12/12/2023 21:04

I did it and I didn't like it but I didn't tear

I think that has more to do with having my daughter at home, in a pool and nobody was coaching me, I just did whatever felt right with no pressure from anyone.

It's ok if you do tear, but the tearing can be worse if you have any interference like VGs, sweeps, coached pushing, forcibly made to birth on your back, induction, epidural.

I think it's worth doing anything that may help, but I would focus more on reading and educating yourself on birth so that you can be prepared. Birth ed do a good course.

RedRobyn2021 · 12/12/2023 21:05

Oh and I couldn't do it myself, I was too big, I got my partner to do it. Found the whole thing really awkward and I didn't like it tbh, but I couldn't do it myself

TheBirdintheCave · 12/12/2023 21:37

Nope. Did it for weeks and it turns out I'm just not stretchy down there. Needed an episiotomy and had a 3b tear in the end. All good now though :)

Xmascookies · 12/12/2023 21:42

Nope it’s just luck of the draw

Richie23 · 12/12/2023 21:58

Nope, did it for weeks and it didn’t help. Still had to have an episiotomy. I reckon I’d still do it again if I have another baby, just so I feel like I’ve done everything I can to help down there!

TwoUnderTwitTwoo · 13/12/2023 08:07

Nope, did it religiously for weeks and weeks and still had a grade 3 tear.

PictureFrameWindow · 13/12/2023 08:19

No I still tore and it made me feel really responsible (which I wasn't).

Waitingfordoggo · 13/12/2023 08:23

I did it (or rather got DH to do it as I couldn’t reach). I had minor tears and didn’t need stitches. No way of knowing whether things would have been different had I not done the massage so on balance, I would do it again in case it was that that helped.

DuploTrain · 13/12/2023 08:26

No it didn’t help. On my second pregnancy now and it hasn’t even crossed my mind to do it.

I was also really worried about tearing. I had an episiotomy in the end and it was the least painful bit of the whole labour, I know it seems like a massive thing, but at the time it barely registered for me.

DuploTrain · 13/12/2023 08:28

Also I think it stressed me out more trying to do perennial massage and thinking there’s no way it could stretch enough to get a baby out of. But it did (with a bit of help).

EdgeOfACoin · 17/12/2023 19:32

I did it but still ended up with an episiotomy and second degree tear.

However, the episiotomy wasn't particularly painful (the medic numbed the area first) and I didn't notice the tear at the time it happened. Basically, neither the episiotomy nor the tear was a ghastly experience. The healing afterwards was more difficult (but, again, nothing I couldn't handle and nothing that didn't completely heal).

I suppose that's not to say the perineal massage didn't help - if I hadn't done it, perhaps I would have had a third or fourth degree tear. I'd probably do it again just in the hope of staving off the worst-case scenario.

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