Perineal Massage?????TMI

[rose]

Does anyone know anything about this? Has anyone tried it and do you think it made a difference. I have read a little on another site but I'm not quite sure. If you did it did you do it yourself or did you get dh/p to do it? :-k
Love to hear from someone????

[Rouge]

I would suggest getting DH/P to do it for you I did it myself during my pregnancy (only once or twice I think), but it is tricky to get around the bulge ikywim As the massage is done mostly internally I would recommend using a water based lube rather than a massage oil. If you do want to use an oil though a vegetable based oil should be fine. I remember something about being told to stay away from nut oils during pregnancy.

It does take a while so make sure you set aside 30 mins or so. And as for whether or not it helps I can say as I ended up having a c/s with paris LOL!

Goodluck! And they say the Perineal massage can be used as another form of foreplay during your pregnancy

*hugs*
Cailin

[BellyBelly]

Have you heard of the 'Pink Kit' before? It's fabulous - everything to do with a woman's pelvis / reproductive organs etc. during pregnancy. Highly recommended by those in my birth class too.

[misty]

i have tried this once or twice ( i got DH to do it) but really just found it very uncomfortable. as i have heard that this is no real evidence to suggest it makes a difference i may just not bother with it again.

[k8ty]

I was JUST talking about this!

I have one acquaintance who has had fairly big babies (10pounds) and she did the massage and has never had a tear.
I have another one who did tear, and did the massage almost throughout the entire 3rd Trimester

and then I have the other one, who had an 8 pound baby and didnt tear, but she didnt do the massage either?

Her theory was, why would you want to permanently stretch that muscle?

And now because she said that, Im not sure if I want to do it! Makes sense to me :-k

[luscious Laura]

As I've just hit 35 weeks, I'm thinking it's time to start thinking about the ol' perineal massage!

Has anyone used the Epi-no?

from what I've read, you need to hold the stretch for about 10 minutes and each day or every second day increase the stretch until you get up to 10cm

sounds really full-on.

Has anyone actually done it religiously and gone up to 10cm?

I kinda don't want to do it..... but feel that it might actually be beneficial.

Where can I get a pink kit from?

xxx
L

[Nadine]

Laura- I have bought the Epi-no, and have been told by my obs that I can start using it from 30 weeks onwards. He also said to start drinking rasberry leaf tea from 30weeks.

So I will be using the Epi-no next week so I can report on how I find it if you wish? I figure that it isn't going to hurt using it, and it can be used after pregnancy for pelvic floor exercises too!

Oh and the obs says it is a fairly new product and he wanted me to report to him how I find it, but so far he has only had good feedback, and those that used it, didn't tear or need an episotomy (sp?)

[Sorka]

I used perineal massage in the last 6 weeks or so of my first pregnancy. I did it every two or three days but only for about 10 minutes - and I don't think I ever got to the full 10cm. I thought if I could just 'soften' it up a bit - so that the whole stretching thing wasn't totally new the actual labour wouldn't be so bad. I also thought it might give me some idea what the labour would feel like.

I didn't have an episiotomy/ tear or have any stitches - who knows if it helped! I think i'll probably do it again this time...just in case it did!!

[Alan]

I have been looking at research on this over the past few days and at the moment there is nothing to say that it works. However there is also nothing to say that it does not work.
My thoughts are that it cant do any harm so if you are happy then give it a go. who knows, in a few years time they may prove that it does work.

[wens]

hi YES I DID IT AND STILL DO IT \/ \/
i'm 29 weeks preg with number 4
the person who told me about this practise - from her personal experience was my GRANDMOTHER she did it too.
her advice was and still is use olive oil and reg massage onto the belly, buttox, breast and perineal areas, helps to reduce not only tearing but also stretch marks -----she never tore and has no stretch marks....
neither do I.!!!!!!!!!
another bit of advice from her is that it helps to keep the affection/romance between a couple .......
She is a wise woman!!!!!!!

[BellyBelly]

There have apparently been studies that the Epi-No does help, but please don't go overboard ladies and think that if you decide to use it like crazy, there is even less chance you will tear! Definitely not more than they recommend in the directions as you don't want to be so overstretched that you have unpleasant problems later in life... physiotherapists have spoken about this. Massage is great though, like I mentioned, the Pink Kit is a must!

[rose]

Tell me more about this 'Pink Kit".

Where do you get it from?

Funny, I started this thread for pg 2 and here I am with #3.

[Phteven]

Kelly, are you selling the Pink Kit?

[angelique]

when is the best time to start Epi-no or massage?

What about raspberry leaf tea?

[Liz]

I used the Epi-no.. but only got to 7cms as bubs came 3 weeks early! My OB recommended it, and said he's seen it improve (possibly shorten) 2nd stage of labour for many, and of course reduces the need for episiotemy etc.

Tallon is my first baby, and my 2nd stage went for 1hr, and I only had a graze. Not sure if the epi-no helped or not, coz like I said, I only got to 7cm. But it makes me wonder how my labour would have been if I'd got to the 10cm tho!

As for permanently stretching the muscle... I haven't had any problems with those muscles down there, even post-birth I was pretty much straight away able to hold the 'squeeze' for the 10secs 10 times.. which is what I was told to work towards. The epi-no can also be used to strengthen the muscles tho, it's not just for stretching the perineum.