A dam massage should prepare the tissue between the vagina and the anus for the birth and protect it from the much-feared ridge. And this is how a dam massage works.
Where is the dam?
The dam is the area between vagina and anus . During birth, this tissue is subject to great pressure and stretching – the baby eventually gets the space it needs. But even in advance you can try to prepare this area with a special massage technique even during the swinging shaft to the birth, so as to prevent a dam rupture .
Nevertheless, the dam massage is unfortunately no guarantee that there is no birth injury, such as a dam break.
Therefore, a dam massage is still useful:
- Due to the dam massage, the dam is softer, better blood circulation and more elastic.
- You get to know your body even better and get a feeling for stretching . You can prepare yourself physically and mentally for the birth and that may take away your fear of it. The more relaxed you are under birth, the more positive it will be on your birth . Especially in the pressing phase you can then let go more easily.
When should I start with the dam massage?
Midwives recommend performing the dam massage three to four times a week for about five to ten minutes from the 34th week of pregnancy. But if you can not do it quite regularly, it will help every single time to prepare your dam and yourself during pregnancy for childbirth.
How do I prepare for the dam massage?
- Very important: clean hands and short fingernails
- Take your time! Maybe you enjoy a nice bath before , then the tissue is a bit softer and better blooded. Or you can listen to your favorite music. The main thing is that you are as relaxed as possible and comfortable. Therefore, please do not perform fast between the door and hinge. If the next appointment is due, you may not be able to relax enough .
- For the massage, choose a pleasant oil for you , for example almond oil, wheat germ oil or jojoba oil. There are also special dam massage oils from, for example, Weleda or Motherlove.
Dam massage – how it works:
- Make yourself comfortable in a semi-sitting position with a pillow in the back. Of course, if you get better at the dam when standing up, that’s fine too. Many women put a leg on the toilet or the edge of the bathtub.
- Now you put enough oil on your fingertips and rub it a bit, so you also warm the oil a bit.
- Then you insert your thumb into the vagina, while the index finger from outside massages the dam. The best way to do this is to imagine a watch whose face you are stroking between three and nine o’clock.
- Perform small, circular movements. This is how you loosen the area of the lower vaginal walls.
- Next, try stretching your scabbard down the dike, which is toward six o’clock. For this you take one, then two fingers and then try to spread them in addition. But only to the extent that it causes no pain.
Tip: For the first few attempts, it may be helpful to pick up a mirror .
Important! Of course, you do not have to do anything that makes you uncomfortable or painful . If you have any questions or questions about the dam massage, you can always contact your midwife .
But if you want to try out the perineum massage, you will notice every now and then that your tissue and your muscles are loosening more and more and you gradually get used to the feeling of stretching.
Of course, you can also have your partner do the dam massage if you want to, or if you get very bad during your pregnancy.
When should you rather do without the dam massage?
- If you are prone to premature labor , you should refrain from the perineal massage or, after consultation with your midwife, start at the 36th week of pregnancy.
- For fungal infections , which occur more often in pregnancy, please first treat them and then start with the dam massage.
Many women find the perineal massage in the beginning strange and perhaps also have some fear of contact . But if you can get involved with it without prejudice, this massage can also be perceived as pleasant . Preparing for birth, you are definitely doing something good and in the best case, it also protects against a dam crack.