Abstract
Background: Although vaginal delivery can have some complications related to the perineal region, some interventions, such as antenatal perineal massage, can reduce the incidence of perineal area injuries. However, the benefit of perineal massage is highly dependent on the compliance and frequency of its applications, which is influenced by the awareness of mothers toward perineal massage benefits. This study explored Saudi mothers’ acceptance and awareness about the application of antenatal perineal massage.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study included mothers living in Saudi Arabia after their first delivery. The electronic questionnaire included questions to evaluate mothers’ awareness and acceptance toward antenatal perineal massage and information about previous pregnancy and delivery.
Results: A total of 113 females responded to this questionnaire, with an average age of 33.58 ± 8.5 years. About 69% did not know about perineal massage, 62.8% did not know its application, and 58.4% did not do pelvic floor exercises during pregnancy. The primary source of information on pelvic floor exercises during pregnancy was from TV and media, while gynecologists were the primary source of information on antenatal perineal massage. Concerning the acceptance of perineal massage, the vast majority of participants agreed that perineal massage should be preferred and accepted that it could be done by the help of husband, while most of the females were neutral about being ashamed of perineal massage.
Conclusion: The level of awareness of Saudi mothers toward perineal massage is relatively low, despite the relatively high acceptance of the technique among mothers.

Key words: Awareness, acceptance, females, perineal massage