Care Of The Perineum

by Marlene Ericksen

Much can be done during pregnancy to prepare the perineum to stretch beyond its everyday limits for birth, and to do so without tearing and without the need for surgical cutting.
Midwives who incorporate aromatherapy into their practice have found that episiotomy or tearing occurs in only 48 percent of birthing women who perform perineal massage during pregnancy, compared with 77 percent of those who do not.(1)

For optimum results, massage your perineum for 5 to 10 minutes a day beginning five or six weeks before your due date. First, empty your bladder. Follow with a 5- to 15-minute warm water and lavender oil sitz bath to relax the vaginal wall. Then, inserting two well-washed index fingers or thumbs into the vagina just enough to stretch the perineal tissue, press the vaginal wall back toward the rectum. Massaging in a U-shaped motion with a blend of 3 drops of lavender, I drop of geranium, and 1 ounce of wheat germ oil, stretch the vagina open for 20 to 60 seconds, or until you feel a tingling or slight burning sensation-precisely what you will feel with the crowning of baby's head in labor. Over time, the perineal tissue will become soft and supple.
 

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