I am a huge advocate of herbal sitz baths because what other way to have some alone time on the toilet AND heal your vaginal and perineal tissues faster?
After my first birth, I was kind of iffy about doing the herbal sitz bath because let's be honest, sitting was uncomfortable enough and there was no way I wanted to sit on something longer than I had to.
However, after my second birth at home, it was absolutely mandatory.

Soaking in warm water with healing herbs really helped to reduce my pain and swelling and I credit it for speeding up my vaginal and perineal tissue healing as well.
After my second home water birth, I only suffered a minor abrasion to my perineal area. I am convinced that my meticulous perineal preparation contributed to that.
The first pregnancy, I wasn't so lucky, and the thought of that injury is still triggering.
Nevertheless, just know that with child birth, perineal tears can happen and they will be uncomfortable. This is why I recommend post laborers to commit to herbal sitz baths for at least two weeks postpartum.
Not only will you get a tremendous amount of relief, but the herbs and salt in the sitz bath may also:
Reduce inflammation
Reduce the postpartum funk (odor)
Kill bacteria
Calm the skin
Moisturize the skin
Reduce bleeding
Boost blood flow to the perineal and vaginal tissue
Tighten the skin
The recipe I used for my sitz bath was super simple and most herbal enthusiast may have most of these herbs in their cabinet anyway.
Postpartum Perineal Healing Recipe
Ingredients
1/4 cup dried chamomile flowers
1/4 cup dried lavender flowers
1/4 cup dried calendula flowers
1/4 cup dried comfrey leaves
1/4 cup Epsom salt
Essential oil (optional): a few drops of lavender if you are feeling yourself.
Instructions:
Combine dried herbs to a bowl or muslim tea bag.
Steep herbs by pouring boiling water over them and cover for 20-30 minutes.
Strain herbs (if you arent using a tea bag) with a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Discard the herbs and keep the liquid.
Add the strained herbal infusion to a clean basin or glass dish (enough to submerge in).
Stir in 1/4 cup of Epsom salt until dissolved.
Add a few drops of lavender or chamomile essential oil for extra soothing.
Submerge perineal area in the bath for 10-15 minutes and relax.
Pat dry the perineal area gently, avoid rubbing.
Apply ointment if you have stitches. My favorite natural ointment is here.
Repeat 1-2 times a day to promote healing and provide relief from discomfort.
ℹ️ Note: If you dont have time to sit in a sitz bath, you can also use this same recipe as a perineal spray! How? just put the herbal infusion in a spray bottle and spray directly to perineal tissue or on cotton pad and dab 2-3x daily.
Takeaway
Before you have that baby, make sure you have these herbs stocked and ready to go!
These Sitz baths will not only help with the perineal area, but the vaginal and anal tissue as well. Hemorrhoids happen too, and they can also be annoying to deal with. So go ahead and use these herbal recipes for a couple of weeks and let me know how it works for you!
Always check with your healthcare provider before starting anything new to make sure it's safe for you. If I am your healthcare provider, you already know where I stand
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