Perineal massage is the practice of massaging

Massage

Massage is the manipulation of superficial and deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue to enhance function, aid in the healing process, and promote relaxation and well-being. The word comes from the French massage "friction of kneading", or from Arabic massa meaning "to touch, feel or handle"...

 a pregnant woman's perineum

Perineum

In human anatomy, the perineum is a region of the body including the perineal body and surrounding structures...

 around the vagina

Vagina

The vagina is a fibromuscular tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. Female insects and other invertebrates also have a vagina, which is the terminal part of the...

 in preparation for childbirth

Childbirth

Childbirth is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with the birth of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus...

. The intention is to attempt to prevent tearing of the perineum during birth, the need for an episiotomy

Episiotomy

An episiotomy , also known as perineotomy, is a surgically planned incision on the perineum and the posterior vaginal wall during second stage of labor. The incision, which can be midline or at an angle from the posterior end of the vulva, is performed under local anaesthetic , and is sutured...

 or an instrument (forceps

Forceps in childbirth

Forceps are a surgical instrument that resembles a pair of tongs and can be used in surgery for grabbing, maneuvering, or removing various things within or from the body...

 or vacuum extraction

Ventouse

Ventouse is a vacuum device used to assist the delivery of a baby when the second stage of labour has not progressed adequately. It is an alternative to a forceps delivery and caesarean section. It cannot be used when the baby is in the breech position or for premature births. This technique is...

) delivery.

Randomized clinical trials of perineal massage have shown its effectiveness in reducing class two and three level tears to be on the order of 5 to 7 percent (over not doing the massage).

External links

• http://www.umich.edu/~umperl/massage.htm
• http://www.childbirth.org/articles/massage.html
• Georgina Stamp, Gillian Kruzins, Caroline Crowther. Perineal massage in labour and prevention of perineal trauma: randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2001 May 26; 322 (7297): 1277–1280
• Labrecque M, Eason E, Marcoux S. Randomized trial of perineal massage during pregnancy: perineal symptoms three months after delivery. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2000 Jan;182(1 Pt 1):76-80.