Читать книгу The Gentle Birth Method: The Month-by-Month Jeyarani Way Programme - Karen MacLeod Swan - Страница 41

What is it?

A specially-devised massage that stretches and softens the lower vaginal tissues, preparing them for the delivery of the baby’s head.

Its pedigree

Early forms of this technique have been routinely practised in India and Africa for hundreds of years. In India, the Ayurvedic preparation for birth includes a vaginal ‘picchu’, which involves inserting a medicated oil-soaked bundle of soft cotton into the vagina to soften the tissues. In Africa, a similar method is practised using herbs, combined with a vaginal stretching technique. They make a bundle of herbs and insert it into the vagina. The bundle size is increased as term approaches. (The herbs are sometimes wrapped in muslin). I have combined both methods and since introducing it to the programme, the incidence of vaginal tears in my mothers has dropped to less than 4 per cent.

Perineal stretching in pregnancy

This procedure is to be practised daily after 36 weeks – DO NOT DO IT BEFORE THEN. It is a very important part of the programme because it reaches the parts deep muscle relaxation cannot sometimes reach. Even if our limbs are limp, the vaginal muscles can remain tense – generations of tucking in our tails, pulling in our tummies, riding, dancing and walking have meant our vaginal muscles have evolved to be tight.

What it can do for you

 Create more space in the vagina for the delivery of the baby’s head

 Reduce the second stage of labour (i.e. the pushing stage)

 Reduce the incidence of vaginal and perineal tears

 Reduce pain in the vagina and perineum during birth as the baby’s head is born

 Reduce the sting or burning sensation of the crowning stage

 Maximize the elasticity of the lower vaginal muscles and tissues

 Soften the tissues around your vagina thereby reducing pressure effects of your baby’s head and reducing bruising

 The distress experienced at the transition stage is often minimal or absent in mothers who practise the perineal stretch massage

 Observing your body’s rapid response to the practice of vaginal stretching can increase your confidence in your ability to give birth

 Less bruising means quicker recovery after birth

Can you do it yourself?

I recommend that your partner performs this massage technique for you, but you can also do it yourself. The method is described in detail on page 69.