If you have been diagnosed as at risk of pre-term labor, have a cerclage or a diagnosis of a shortened cervix, we recommend that you do NOT perform internal pelvic techniques. However, access to the guided relaxation audio tracks and information regarding birthing positions is applicable to all users, regardless of whether it is safe for them to perform hands-on perineal preparation. If you are unsure of whether perineal preparation is safe for you and your baby, ask your doctor or midwife.

If you are experiencing vaginal bleeding or your bag of waters has opened, do not perform internal preparation techniques.

As long as your bag of waters has not opened, there is still time to begin! We recommend that most begin at around 34 weeks of pregnancy. Those with significant risk factors may wish to practice as early as the beginning of the third trimester. 

For best results, we recommend a goal of practicing perineal preparation techniques for 10-15 minutes per day, beginning at around 34 weeks of pregnancy. The best habits are the ones you make a part of your daily routine! However, our experience and research supports a weekly session as a happy medium if you are unable to practice daily. 

The one thing we are sure of in birth is that we can't be sure of anything. The techniques taught at Miracle Physical Therapy have been shown to reduce risk for perineal lacerations and improve your postpartum comfort, but they are not a guarantee of avoiding a tear. Many factors in birth contribute to this risk, including length of labor, interventions, the size of your baby, and your position when your baby is born. Perineal preparation is a safe and easy way to improve your mental and physical ability to cope with the sensations of birth. 

We teach you to perform these techniques with a partner or by yourself. With that said, many find it challenging to practice by themselves in the last weeks of pregnancy due to the size of their bump!

Many feel that their baby starts moving in response to performing perineal preparation. Because these techniques are focused on the superficial muscles of the vaginal opening, you are not coming in physical contact with your cervix or your baby. The baby is responding to your position and relaxation, and this will occur whether or not you are performing the action of perineal preparation. 

Not at all! Just like when you stretch your calves or hamstrings, these techniques are designed to increase the capacity of your perineum to lengthen and accommodate your baby's birth, but not to permanently change the resting length of the muscle. 

If you have been diagnosed as at risk of pre-term labor, have a cerclage or a diagnosis of a shortened cervix, we recommend that you do NOT perform internal pelvic techniques. However, access to the guided relaxation audio tracks and information regarding birthing positions is applicable to all users, regardless of whether it is safe for them to perform hands-on perineal preparation. If you are unsure of whether perineal preparation is safe for you and your baby, ask your doctor or midwife.

If you are experiencing vaginal bleeding or your bag of waters has opened, do not perform internal preparation techniques.