Postpartum Sitz Bath: So you are finally holding the baby that you have had inside your womb for nine months, but your body is in utter pain. One thing that I have found has helped me over the years is sitting in a postpartum sitz bath. When you give birth, it’s hard to focus on yourself because you are so worried about doing everything right for your new bundle of joy.
Ladies, you have to take care of yourself too! Give yourself a few minutes a day to have just for yourself. Ease your discomforts of birth with a sitz bath, and you will be surprised by how much better you feel.
What Is a Postpartum Sitz Bath?
*This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. See my disclosure policy here.
A postpartum sitz bath is a helpful soak that will help ease the pain and discomfort in your perineum area. It’s essential to keep your perineum clean and well taken care of to prevent infection, and the sitz bath helps with that too. If you tore or had an episiotomy, you find that a sitz bath just what you need to feel better. They also help you if you have hemorrhoids.
How To Make A Sitz Bath
Making a sitz bath is really simple and only takes a couple of minutes. You don’t need a ton of water either. Just enough to cover all the important parts, then add one of these–it’s the goof proof way to have a postpartum sitz bath from one of my favorite companies.
1. Clean your bathtub really well. You want to make sure there are no germs or bacteria that will irritate your sensitive parts.
2. Don’t use any type of soaps in the tub. Using bubble bath soap or any other type of scented soap can leave you feeling worse instead of better. Instead, use dissolving salts like this which won’t sting.
3. Use cool or warm water. It’s tempting to fill the top with HOT water, but please don’t. This will further agitate the area. If you can handle cold water, you are better off because it will help reduce swelling and inflammation. If you can’t handle cold water, it’s okay to use warm water. Fill the tub a few inches to make sure everything you want to be covered is.
4. Add Epsom salts or any medicines the doctors recommend. Sprinkle the Epsom salt all over the tub. I always keep these on hand, but these postpartum sitz tablets are perfect for postpartum moms (and no guessing necessary!)
5. Carefully lower yourself into the tub. The last thing you need is to fall, so take extra precautions to make sure you can get in the tub safely.
6. Sit in the bathwater for 10 – 15 minutes. Welcome the quiet time and try to tune out the rest of the world for a few minutes. This can heal more than your perineum.
7. Pat dry when you get out. It’s vital to now allow extra moisture to sit on your nether regions. Keep it as dry as possible by pat drying when you get out of the tub.
What If I Don’t Have A Bathtub Or Are Unable To Get Into One
Don’t worry, if you don’t have a bathtub are simply unable to climb into your tub, you can still take a sitz bath. They sell many varieties of postpartum sitz baths that are made for sitting on your toilet (this is the top-rated one!) You will still need to follow the steps I mentioned above only you will be sitting on the toilet instead. Always make sure to clean out the sitz bath after each use. I recommend giving it a quick clean before using it each time as well.
As a matter of fact, you could even consider purchasing a sitz bath kit to take to the hospital with you. That way, you can have one there before you ever even leave. This will help your healing process right away, and honestly, they just feel good–something every mom could use after giving birth!
What Else You Can Use Sitz Baths For
You will probably find after you have used a sitz bath to ease your postpartum pains, that you greatly enjoyed it. There are many reasons why you might want to use one. Here are a few other reasons they may come in handy:
- Constipation – You can help ease constipation for anyone in the family. This is safe for kids too.
- Surgery – If you or someone in your family has recently had surgery, you can soak the area in a sitz bath. Always double-check with your doctor to make sure it’s okay first to be safe.
- Diarrhea – Just like constipation, you can use a sitz bath to help relieve the pain and discomfort from diarrhea. This will help clean the area and ease the pain.
- Muscle Soreness- I often take Epsom salt baths when pregnant to deal with the sciatica pain
Recipe for Soothing Postpartum Bath with Essential Oils
If you have these essential oils on hand, or are open to ordering them online (easy-peasy), you can make your own sitz bath!
- 1 cup Epsom salts
- 2 oz. witch hazel
- 2 oz. yarrow
- 2 oz. calendula
- 6 drops lavender essential oil
- 2 oz. chamomile