Comforting + Healing Postpartum Herbal Sitz Bath

Getting ready for postpartum?

A sitz bath can help to heal and soothe sore tissue after a vaginal delivery. I’m sharing how to easily set one up and the best ingredients to add!

I remember briefly learning about sitz baths in nursing school. But I never really gave them a second thought (or honestly knew exactly what they were) until after giving birth to my daughter. 

Not only can a sitz bath be soothing and healing for irritated skin, but it can help you to relax and reduce stress too. Win, win for postpartum mamas! 

This post will share all about what a sitz bath is, how to easily set one up, and my favorite sitz bath herbal blend with all natural ingredients!

What is a sitz bath?

First thing first, what even is a sitz bath? Don't confuse it with a regular bath because these are a bit different!

It's simply enough a shallow bath of warm water for your perineal region (and really all external genitalia). The warm water and whatever else you add can help to heal tissues, increase blood flow, and relax sore muscles. This makes them great for helping to heal after a vaginal birth but also supporting pain relief from other perineal area complaints (things like bartholin cysts, hemorrhoids, or anal fissures). 

Related Reads:

• Nourishing (and easy!) Postpartum Meals

• DIY Holistic Postpartum Recovery Kit

How To Make a Postpartum Sitz Bath

Sitz baths are so easy and can be a great way to fit 10-20 minutes of self care into your day! You can either fill your bath tub up with a few inches of warm or hot water (whichever feels comfortable without being irritating), or you can get a shallow basin (I love this one off amazon that fits directly in your toilet seat). 

Then add in essential oils or make a herbal sitz bath recipe (or a pre-made one because that's just so much easier in my opinion-especially for new moms postpartum). Basically the goal is to make an herbal infusion (just like making a tea--except instead of drinking it it's for a good soak downstairs). If you are wanting to take one in your bath tub, here's my pro tip: get a small muslin bag to put your herbs in. Basically, it makes it into a tea bag for your bath! This keeps you from cleaning a variety of herbs out of your bathtub afterwards.

Here are some of my favorite herbal sitz products to add to a warm bath:

These are some great products to stock up while preparing for postpartum, or they can also make great postpartum gift ideas for your friends and family having babies!

• Mother Mother Organic Herbal Sitz Bath

  Here's what inside:

• Organic Witch Hazel Leaf

• Epsom Salt

• Organic Calendula Flower

• Organic Yarrow Flower

• Organic Lavender

•  Postpartum 'Soothe Mama' Bath Salts:

  Here's what's inside:

  • Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulphate):  relieve aching muscles and reduce swelling

  • Calendula (Calendula Officinalis): cellular repair

  • Comfrey Leaf (Symphytum Officinalis): relieves pain

  • Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia): anti-septic

  • Raspberry Leaf (Rubus Idaeus): relieves afterbirth cramps

  • Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis):  improves circulation

Both of these herbal sitz blends are from Hello Postpartum— my favorite one-stop shop for all your postpartum needs. You can use code kaelyn20 for 20% off all their ebooks! ✨📖

Peri Bottle Sitz Bath

Another tip for postpartum recovery is pouring your sitz bath ingredients into a peri bottle. Then you can take advantage of those healing ingredients after using the restroom! I love a good upside down peri bottle that keeps you from trying to "aim" when you spray.

Pre-Made Sitz Spray

​If you are like me and just looking for convenience in postpartum, then this spray is a good idea! It's made by two midwives and packed with beneficial ingredients to provide relief from bruising, swelling, or postpartum irritation.

You simply spray on your peri area, or you can spray it on a pad. Or if you want to get fancy, prep some postpartum padsicles by spraying this on your pads and poppin them in the freezer!

My Postpartum Sitz Bath Routine

After having both of my kids, I found a lot of relief from sitz bath. As a new mother, not only was my body tired and sore, but I was mentally and emotionally tired too. Setting aside a few minutes to mellow out and take care of myself was really important for my mental health. I'd try to sip on some herbal tea to replenish minerals or eat a snack while I zenned out for 15-20 minutes. 

After a little relaxing bath, I would add a little witch hazel to a pad and head back to bed! I usually would do 1 or 2 a day in the first week of birth or whenever I felt up to it. After my second child was born, I was a lot more intentional about resting and allowing my body to recover (if you haven't read The First 40 Days I highly recommend it!)

A Couple Warnings Before Hopping into a Sitz Bath..

• If you have a vaginal tear or perineal tear with stitches, your healthcare provider may not want you soaking your incisions. Make sure to clarify first!

• While there are a lot of bubble bath products or options at drug stores, try to prioritize something with natural ingredients. After a vaginal delivery, you may have small open wounds that artificial fragrances and other ingredients that are popular in conventional products can irritate. 

As always, nothing on this website is medical advice. It's simply sharing my personal experience and providing educational content! Speak with your healthcare provider to find what is best suited for you :)

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