When a woman becomes pregnant, her body will release progesterone and other hormones for making the muscles soft as childbirth involves stretching the body’s muscles. There is a widespread feeling that if the pregnant woman’s perineum is massaged when the woman is close to the date of childbirth, the chance of perineal tears or episiotomy decreases to a great extent. The massage involves stretching the perineal skin in a gentle manner. So, if pregnant women are particular about reducing laceration incidence and also tear-free perineum, perineal massage is the answer. The massage will improve blood flow to the perineum which prepares it for childbirth.
The aim of the massage is to make the perineum elastic enough to offer preparation for labor – the tissues will be more supple and ready for stretching at the time of childbirth. The other advantage is the stretching that the mother feels during the massage. Such a sensation will act as a pre-preparation for childbirth and the woman will learn to stay relaxed; this will ultimately result in tear-free childbirth. This massage will also pace up the healing of the perineum. It is like warming up any muscle group for a sports activity.
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During the crowning stage of childbirth, women who have done perineal massage every day during the final stages of the pregnancy (that is, during the final 6 weeks) experience lesser stinging. The woman will also learn to relax the muscles during childbirth based upon her experience gained from the massaging.
The massage must be done with due care; make sure to be gentle to prevent damage to the sensitive tissues. The massage will be quite useful for women who are preparing themselves for their first delivery. The massage can last for a duration of about ten minutes. In spite of all this, some people are of the feeling that such a massage is not so necessary for childbirth. Also, women who are preparing for their second delivery will not witness a big advantage from this massage. Also, those who are already suffering from Herpes should not undergo this massage.
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The study associated with tear-free perineum during childbirth was conducted several years ago. Another advantage that perineal massage can offer is the prevention of episiotomy. The term refers to the cut made by a doctor to progress childbirth. This was performed on several women for many years. In addition to perineal massage, a warm compress can also be used during childbirth. Perineal massage is also known to accelerate the process of healing following the birth of a child.
Those women who have done perineal massage have more control during childbirth and progress it in a slow and steady manner. It also acts as an opportunity for preparing the woman for childbirth and this can be very useful for women who are about to deliver their first child. While you stay informed about perineal massage, the final decision about making use of it lies entirely upon you. The perineal massage is known for its effectiveness in spite of them being rather simple.