Background

Perineal pain from a tear and/or surgical cut (episiotomy) is a common problem following

vaginal birth. In resource‐rich countries at least 65% of women undergoing vaginal birth

experience perineal pain (Albers 1999) and scarce data from under‐resourced countries suggest

that 35 to 45% of women who give birth in a hospital experience an episiotomy (Maduma‐

Butshe 1998). Not only does perineal pain negatively impact on the physical and mental

functioning of the woman, but it may decrease the success for the mother to breastfeed, reduce

her ability to care for her new baby (Sleep 1991) and may impair the establishment of a good

quality mother‐baby interaction. Physical factors associated with perineal pain such as reduced

mobility, urinary and faecal incontinence, perineal discomfort whilst sitting and sexual

dysfunction can lead to mental exhaustion and may be detrimental to the experiences of

motherhood.
Perineal pain is reported to be most severe in the immediate postnatal period; however,

discomfort continues for up to two weeks postpartum in 20 to 25% of women (Sleep

1984; Albers 1999). For up to 10% of women, pain continues for at least three months (Sleep

1984; Glazener 1995).