Prenatal Perineal Massage: What It Is, How To Do It, and Benefits for Birth and Pelvic Health

December 13, 2024

Worried about what it’s going to feel like to give birth? Perineal massage can help. Our pelvic floor physio team recommends (and often teaches) this technique to our prenatal clients to help them prepare both mentally and physically for an upcoming birth.

What is Perineal Massage?

Perineal massage is exactly what it sounds like: a massage technique that is used on the perineum (the thin layer of skin between the vaginal opening and the anus). It teaches you how to relax your pelvic floor muscles against the uncomfortable stretching that comes with giving birth.

How to Do Perineal Massage

A perineal massage can be done either by yourself or your partner. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Using a lubricated thumb and finger, or two fingers, apply gentle pressure to the walls of your vagina to stretch them outwards. Keep them strong and straight, and make sure you get right in there – the muscles you’re stretching are quite thick. Don’t just stick to the entrance! (Don’t be surprised if this feels like quite the finger workout!)
  2. If your partner is performing the massage, have them take cues from you at this stage. Start stretching, then hold when it feels quite tense: like you’re just at your limit. You may even feel a slight burning sensation – this is totally normal. Hold it there, keep breathing, and relax into it. 
  3. When the discomfort fades, stretch further until the next point of discomfort. Again, hold it there, keep breathing, and relax into the pressure. Keep going until you can’t stretch anymore. You should find it easier to stretch with less discomfort as you go. Remember, it’s not about stretching the muscle (your hormones mean your muscles can probably stretch fine!); it’s about training your nervous system to allow (and not fight) the stretch. 
  4. If this gets really easy, you can start letting your partner take the lead so you learn to relax with less control – also great for birth prep.

Overall, the goal is to focus on relaxing your pelvic floor muscles and getting comfortable with the discomfort. You want to tell your mind and body that the stretch is actually a good thing; you are teaching your pelvic floor to relax and open into discomfort, because it’s the baby’s exit door during a vaginal birth.

When and How Often To Do a Perineal Massage

We recommend doing a perineal massage twice a week, starting at 35 weeks of pregnancy. There’s no exact length of time or amount that you need to do to be effective; rather, the point is to breathe and relax into it as we described above.

Benefits of Perineal Massage

We’ve found perineal massage to be a useful pain management technique that helps both your mind and body prepare for an upcoming birth. It can help build confidence and mind/body connection, and may also help reduce the risk of tearing during birth. 

If you (and/or your partner) would like to learn how to do perineal massage, book an appointment with us. Or you can book in and we can do it for you leading up to the birth. 

If you’re a new client, get matched with a physiotherapist here. If you’re a current client, book here. We can show you the correct technique and help get you delivery-ready!