Are you pregnant? Have you had a pregnancy assessment with one of our pelvic health physiotherapist? If not, then this is an article you are going to want to read.
Recently, our physiotherapists participated in the ‘2022 Childbearing Year Research Update’ course to learn about what the most recent research suggests in regards to pelvic floor physiotherapy during pregnancy and the early post-natal period.
One of the main areas covered by the research in recent years discusses how women can reduce their risk of having a significant perineal tear or extended pushing time during childbirth. A large amount of this research has been on the benefits of perineal massage. Perineal massage has been shown to reduce the risk of an assisted delivery by 21% and can reduce the risk of higher-grade perineal tears by 64%.
Perineal massage/stretching is a method of preparing the outlet of the birth passage, particularly the perineum. It can help to reduce the incidence of tear and episiotomy but doesn’t reduce the grade of a tear. It can commence in the last 4-6 weeks of pregnancy only, and 1-2 x per week. Using massage oil hold each stretch for about 2 minutes before moving along to the next tight area to stretch.
This is very exciting research and we recommend our pregnant clients see us at 34 weeks to commence perineal massage if appropriate. We can also commence pelvic floor assessments and birth prep from 20 weeks gestation.
Contact our lovely team of pelvic physiotherapists to book in on 02 44542309 or from our website.