Can perineal massage during the pushing phase of labor really prevent tears? In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker takes a close look at the research to uncover whether this technique truly helps reduce perineal trauma during childbirth.

She explains how health care staff provide perineal massage during labor, breaks down findings findings from key studies and meta-analyses, and examines how biases and variations in clinical practice shape the evidence. Dr. Dekker also explores why results from settings with high episiotomy rates may not apply everywhere and why skilled, supportive care and informed consent often play a bigger role in protecting the perineum than any single technique.

Content Warning: Discussion of perineal tears during childbirth, severe tears, obstetric violence, and episiotomy.

Resources

• For a full list of resources, visit: ebbirth.com/218
• Watch the video version here on our YouTube channel which includes study breakdowns and PowerPoint slides.
• Protecting the Perineum Series:
  • EBB 206 - Evidence on Perineal Tears and the Importance of Avoiding Episiotomy with EBB Founder, Dr. Rebecca Dekker
  • EBB 210 - Evidence on Warm Compresses and Hands-on vs. Hands-off for Protecting the Perineum
  • EBB 216 - The Evidence on Prenatal Perineal Massage for Preventing Tears in Childbirth with Dr. Rebecca Dekker

For more information about Evidence Based Birth® and a crash course on evidence based care, visit www.ebbirth.com. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Ready to learn more? Grab an EBB Podcast Listening Guide or read Dr. Dekker's book, "Babies Are Not Pizzas: They're Born, Not Delivered!" If you want to get involved at EBB, join our Professional membership (scholarship options available) and get on the wait list for our EBB Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the EBB Childbirth Class.