The gentlebirth.org website is provided courtesy of
Ronnie Falcao, LM MS, a homebirth midwife in Mountain View, CA

Prenatal Perineal Message

This is for the woman who wrote and wanted to know more about Perineal Message.

Note: I had a 9# baby (first born), born at home with no tear and no episiotomy- thanks to perineal message and a wonderful midwife- my mom!

Prenatal Perineal Message

Directions:

1. Wash your hands
2. Find a private, comfortable place and sit or lean back in a comfortable position.
3. Put a lubricant such as KY jelly, cocoa butter, vitamin E oil or pure vegetable oil on your thumbs and around the perineum. ( I used vitamin E oil)
4. Place your thumbs about 1-11/2 inches (3-4 cm) inside your vagina. Press downwards and to the sides at the same time. Gently and firmly keep stretching until you feel a slight burning, tingling or stinging sensation.
5. Hold the pressure steady at that point with your thumbs for about 2 minutes or until the area becomes a little numb and you don't feel the tingling as much.
6. keep pressing with your thumbs. Slowly and gently message back and forth over the lower half of your vagina, working the lubricant into the tissues. Keep this up for 3-4 minutes. Remember to avoid the urinary opening.
7. As you massage, pull gently outwards (forwards) on the lower part of the vagina with your thumbs hooked inside. This helps stretch the skin as the baby's head will stretch it during birth.
8. Do this message once a day, starting around the 34th week of pregnancy. After about a week you should notice an increase in flexibility and stretchiness.