Do you have a birth plan? For many women, having a birth plan can be a reassuring idea. On the other hand, there are women with no set plan in place, they just want to go with the flow. However, whichever direction your birth story takes, there are things that you can do which will prepare yourself and your body for labour and delivery.
One of these preparations is perineal massage. Perineal massage can reduce your chances of perineal trauma – bruising, grazing, tearing, episiotomy – and helps you to become familiar with the feeling of pressure or stretching of the perineum that you will feel during the birth of your baby.
Unfortunately, 85% of women who give birth vaginally will experience some degree of tearing*, which can lead to issues post-birth with the pelvic floor, incontinence, and sexual discomfort.
The purpose of massaging your perineum is to stretch the perineal tissues, promoting elasticity and loosening the tissue to support a natural and gentle vaginal birth. It should be done 3-4 times a week for 10-15 minutes from the 34th week of pregnancy, using a special oil such as the Ardo Natal Perimassage. This can be done by yourself, or with the help of your partner – whatever suits you best!
Ardo Natal Perimassage contains valuable oils to support the massage – wheat germ oil which is rich in vitamin E and stimulates elasticity, and almond oil which penetrates deep into the tissue and nourishes it. Alongside this, the oil is vegan and contains all-natural ingredients, free from synthetic preservatives and synthetic fragrances.
Apprehensive about how to do a perineal massage? There’s no need to be anxious, research shows that most mums-to-be who tried perineal massage felt comfortable and positive about their experience and said they’d do it again in another pregnancy and would recommend it to others.**
It should be relaxing – a bit of ‘you-time’ to be mindful and wind down.
How do I do a perineal massage?
- Apply Ardo Natal Perimassage to clean fingers and warm in the palm of your hand.
- Now insert your thumb about 3cm into the vagina. Stretch the tissue slowly by moving your thumb slowly from left to right along the perineum/vaginal entrance. Continue increasing pressure downwards towards the anus until you feel resistance. Remain there until the pull subsides and you get used to the resistance.
- Now insert your thumb a little further and continue stretching the perineal tissue. Continue repeating this for 10-15 minutes.
Why not try it during or after a bath or shower, when you are feeling relaxed. This is a particularly good time due to the blood vessels in the area being dilated, making the perineum softer and more comfortable to massage. The Perimassage fluid combined with the massage itself will make the perineum softer, yet more resilient, reducing the chances of perineal trauma.
Order your Ardo Natal Perimassage from our website: https://ardo.com.sg/product/ardo-natal-perimassage-fluid/
*Kettle C, Tohill S. Perineal care. Clin Evid (Online) 2008. [ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19445799] (accessed 20th June 2012) [PMC free article] [PubMed]
**NCT website.
