WHEN should I do it?

At
Origins Birth and Wellness the
midwives recommend, starting at 36wks gestation, having a nightly routine to help you stay
devoted. The vagina is very
forgiving and will return to its original state if you do not perform your massage at least
five days a week. Take a warm
bath with your labor music playing. Use this time to
visualize your labor and birth. The
warm water will help your tissue become
supple and
soft. After you get out of the bath lay in the bed while you continue to have your music playing in the background. Start by performing the massage with a lubricant (like
coconut oil, vitamin e oil, or olive oil) through one song. Eventually work up to massaging through several songs for a total of 10-15mins. Use the time you are massaging to practice
relaxing into the discomfort. Your partner will be able to communicate to you when you are tense versus being relaxed. Their guided
relaxation coaching will have many different benefits. Not only will it help your perineum become more elastic, it will also help you in labor to
surrender to the process of giving
birth. It also helps your
mind connect with your
body to stay as relaxed as possible as you
ease your
baby out. Resisting the urge to tense up will allow your tissues to
open and
stretch more easily around your baby’s head.