Perineal Massage : Step-by-step

Pernah dgr? Of course ibu2 moden pernah dengar pasal massage ni kan? According to Wikipedia - Perineal massage is the practice of massaging a pregnant woman's perineum around the vagina in preparation for childbirth. The intention is to attempt to prevent tearing of the perineum during birth, the need for an episiotomy or an instrument (forceps or vacuum extraction) delivery.

Aku bukanlah expert bab ni pun...Bersalin pun tak pernah lagi. Tapi.. Apa salahnya kita berusaha kan? Like I said in my previous entry, aku da start perineal massage ni since 30weeks lagi. A bit early some might say. Tapi aku jenis percaya pada early preparation (Ceh!Ye2 jek! Hehe...). Aku mulakan dgn seminggu sekali. On weekends only. Nanti da masuk 34weeks buat 2x seminggu. 36weeks selang sehari. And 38weeks buat setiap hari...Insyaallah kalau belum terbersalin or kalau rajin. Ngeh3...

So...let's share step by step Perineal Massage ni. Credit to Perineal Massage website :

Step 1:
Before giving any form of massage, you should wash your hands. This is especially true for perineal massages. The vagina is an open gland which makes it easily susceptible to germs which can cause infection.

Step 2:
Find a private location. Perineal massages are very intimate. You will not want to do this massage in a common room or anywhere that someone may unexpectedly walk in on you. If possible, lock yourself in a room. Most women who have locks on their bedroom doors will complete the massage in a bedroom. If you do not have a lock on your bedroom door you could consider posting a do not open sign on the door. Some women prefer to this massage in the bathroom. We do not recommend this and you will not receive full benefits as your comfort level will be decreased. If you insist on doing the massage in a bathroom, you will want to conduct it in a bathtub.

Step 3:
Use lubricant. This can be anything from KY jelly, olive oil, coconut oil or even vitamin E oil. Put the lubricant on your thumbs. With the lubricant on your thumbs, spread it around your perineum.

Step 4:
Begin the massage with proper hand placement. Place your thumbs between one and two inches inside of your vagina.

Step 5:
Press your thumbs down and sideways in sequence.

Get it??

Step 6:
Step 5 will allow you to begin a stretching motion. You will now want to continually, gently and firmly stretch your vagina until you feel slight stinging sensation. Do not persist past this point or you could cause excessive tearing. Tearing of the vagina will be very painful.

Step 7:
Keep a steady pressure with your thumbs, stretching your vagina only to the point where you feel the stinging sensation. If the sensation is too strong you will want to back off a bit. Hold this position for approximately two minutes or until the area become slightly numb or the stinging sensation starts to decrease.

Step 8:
As you are stretching your vagina, you will also be able to massage the lower half in a back and forth motion. Ensure you have enough lubricant and stop if you feel any discomfort. Do this or about three to five minutes, depending on your comfort level. Make sure you do not touch the urine opening.

Step 9:
During your perineal massage, slowly pull your vagina forward from the lower part with your two thumbs inside the walls. You will be simulating the method in which the baby will be pushing out during childbirth.

Step 10:
Do the above mentioned 9 steps about once per day. You may do this more often but always remember to stop when you feel discomfort. You may need to take a few days off from the massage when you first begin. After two weeks you will notice your vagina becoming more flexible.

Some oil that can be used:

For me, I just use these oil :

Tanamera Cold Press VCO. Before this I used another brand of VCO. Just switched to these. Higher absorbency. Less oily

Tips from me :

• Start at a pace you're comfortable with. Kalau sakit, stop. Bg masa sikit...Then baru start balik
• You can do it on your own or get your hubby to do it for you. Being me, of course la Mr Hubbee yang buatkan since aku sgtla pemalas! Ngeh3... Lagipun perut da besar. Mana nampak!Susahla..... *Ini alasan yg aku guna so Mr H terpaksa buat massage tu. Hehehe...*
• Try to relax. Joke around or just lie down for a while before you start. It surely helps. A lot!
• At first there will be mild tingling. It might even hurt a little...but after a few seconds (or minute. Hehe..) it doesn't feel that bad anymore..
• Mr H asked how does it feel to be massaged down there... My answer "Rasa macam ada pressure. That's all". Hehe... So whenever I feel a little tingling I would just scream.. "Yang.Stress.Stress!" (Pressure.Pressure). Hahaha....
• When we first did it, I'm so tense. Muka ketat je sebab cuak. Hehehe....After a while..tak rasa dah! The most important thing is relax. When you're tense, your perineum will be tense too. So it will hurt. If you're relaxed, your muscle will relax too!
• Mr H said aku tak senonoh. While he was massaging down there, I could chat, laugh, even gossiping away. Hey, I could even text, call, FB-ing or Tweet with my phone. Haha... That's how relaxed I was. Tak senonoh?? Who cares? Bukan org tau pun aku tgh buat apa. Keh3... ;p
• As a Muslim, buatlah dgn niat kerana Allah. Mudah2an senang utk baby keluar nanti. Ini usaha utk baby, diri sendiri & ikhlas utk suami. You wouldn't want your hubby to feel or even think that you could not "satisfy" him in bed after giving birth to a child...don't you? Mmg betul, suami tak patut rasa macam tu sebab kita lahirkan zuriat dia jugak. But it wouldn't hurt for us to try...right? Kan tanggungjawab isteri utk melayan suami....
• BTW....massage ni pun salah satu cara bonding for husband & wife dan jugak utk future daddy & baby. Try it! You & your hubby will feel the bond afterwards! *winks* ;D