Perineal massage during pregnancy

Gently stretching and massaging your perineum (the skin and soft tissue between your vagina and anus) helps prepare it to stretch during the birth of your baby.

Perineal massage attempts to prepare the birth outlet for birth by softening and stretching tissues around the vaginal opening, desensitising them to sensations of touch, pressure and stretch.

This massage can be done by the mother or partner during the last 6 weeks of pregnancy (from 34 weeks gestation).

A warm bath prior to the massage may help to relax the perineum.

We suggest using a small amount of natural oil (e.g. sweet almond, avocado or olive oil) or an unscented, water soluble lubricant (e.g. Yes or Silk) to lubricate your perineum and make the massage more comfortable. Avoid using synthetic or scented oils such as baby oil or petroleum jelly.

Massage technique

1. Make sure your hands are clean before you start.
2. Pressing down a little toward your rectum (back passage), gently massage by moving your thumb(s) and forefinger(s) together upwards and outwards then back again, in a rhythmic ‘U’ shaped movement. You are aiming to massage the area inside your vagina, but it will cause a stretching sensation on the skin outside. You may also do some gentle massage to the skin on the outside.
3. Focus on relaxing your perineum as much as possible during the massage.
4. Perineal massage should be comfortable but you will also feel a stretching sensation. This is similar to how your perineum will open up as you give birth to your baby.
5. The massage can last as long as you wish but aim for around 5 minutes at a time.

With time and practice, as your perineum becomes more elastic, you will increase your ability to relax and can increase the pressure towards your rectum. Learning to relax through this feeling of increased pressure will help you during labour as you feel the pressure of your baby’s head as they are about to be born.

For most benefit, aim for a massage 1–2 times per week.

Do not do perineal massage if you have:

• vaginal herpes
• thrush or any other vaginal infection
• been advised not to by your doctor or midwife.

If you feel pain at any point, stop and try again another time. If you continue to find this painful speak with your midwife and they will help you to check your technique.

If you need further information about or support with perineal massage, please talk to your midwife or physiotherapist.