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perineal massage/stretching

cindytheloucindythelou member
in May 2014 Moms
I had my 39 week appointment today and my midwife suggested I start doing perineal massage/stretching, so I did my first session tonight. It was weird and awkward and who knows if it will do anything! I washed my hands, popped open a few EPO pills into my hands and awkwardly got to work. She said it was supposed to feel similar to stretching your lips out and wide with your fingers. It sort of felt like that I guess? Any of you tried it?

Welcomed our rainbow baby 5/20/2014! It's a girl!

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Re: perineal massage/stretching

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    LizmullenLizmullen member
    Hope it works. I would have done anything to avoid tearing!
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    Beegirl99Beegirl99 member
    What position were you in? I can't imagine how to reach...but I have short arms.
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    cindytheloucindythelou member
    i was squatting on one leg and supporting myself on my knee with the other. my midwife said to do it with my thumbs but i couldn't really reach in that position, so i used my pointer fingers instead. it was definitely awkward!

    Welcomed our rainbow baby 5/20/2014! It's a girl!

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    spacepotatoesspacepotatoes member
    More power to you, but...
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    lavendergiraffeslavendergiraffes member
    I've thought about doing it but I'm not sure I could reach. Or that it would work. Plus I'm lazy...
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    sthomas1222sthomas1222 member
    DH has been doing it for me at the insistence of my MW. I had a 3rd degree tear with DD and I have quite a bit of scar tissue and granulomas. So we're trying to prevent another tear. It's most effective when done during pushing though. My MW just wants it done to help loosen up the scar tissue ahead of time.

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    caballo718caballo718 member
    I've been trying but I can barely reach and not sure the husband would want to participate.
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    cindytheloucindythelou member
    i'm pretty sure the midwife does it during the pushing stage as well. during my visit she said it was a mental thing - getting your mind prepared for what stretching that area might feel like and learning to relax into it instead of clenching up. i'm a first time mom and have never had anything baby-sized exit my vagina before...so if nothing else, it's giving me a taste (even just a tiny taste) of what stretching out a vagina feels like.

    Welcomed our rainbow baby 5/20/2014! It's a girl!

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    usernewnameusernewname member
    My midwife helped stretch the opening. I could feel her do it. I'm sure it helped as I only got a labial tear from DS's elbow.

    She wanted to do an epistomy (bad spelling) because he wasn't coming down fast enough and his heart rate was dropping. I said no and a couple good pushes he was out. It was motivation enough for me!
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