Although perineal massages may help prevent tears, they're definitely not for everyone. But as long as you're planning on delivering your child vaginally, perineal massages are fair game. "[A misconception is that] the utilization of perineal massage is only for patients who want a 'natural childbirth,' meaning no epidural or delivery at a birthing center," Lock says. "This misconception sometimes prohibits a pregnant woman's desire to explore ways to enhance her birth experience."
Michaela Ward, a midwife at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, adds that perineal massage shouldn't be looked at as a cure-all. "A common misconception is that all pregnant moms should perform perineal massage and that if you do so, you will not have any type of tear or require episiotomy," she says.
Dr. Pero agrees. "There are clear benefits at helping to reduce major tearing, but there is still a likelihood that you could have minor tearing even with doing perineal massage daily." But again, there are few downsides or risks to the technique, as long as you take care to ensure you're doing it correctly — so it's worth a try.
