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Do you know how to use a sitz bath?
They are AWESOME for speeding postpartum recovery and here’s why….
How to Use a Sitz Bath to Speed Healing!
How can a sitz bath made with herbal bath salts speed your postpartum recovery?
If you deliver vaginally, your doctor or midwife will probably recommend that you take a sitz bath often during your recovery.
What is a sitz bath exactly?
A sitz bath is a warm, shallow bath that provides soothing relief to a new mom’s perineum.
It keeps the area clean, prevents infection and provides welcomed relief from the pain and itching of the delicate tissue as you heal.
Here’s how to use a sitz bath to speed up your body’s natural healing process.
If you have stitches, hemorrhoids, or swelling following a vaginal birth, the sitz bath feels soooooo good! You may not want to get out of the tub!
Aim to take 2-3 sitz baths each day during the first week postpartum and make this a priority!
When preparing for postpartum, make sure that you whip up a batch of this herbal sitz bath recipe to help speed recovery from a vaginal birth.
Quick and Easy Sitz Bath Recipe!
Here is my favorite quick and easy herbal bath salts recipe that you can whip up before you deliver and have on hand for your postpartum recovery.
Bring a jar with you to the hospital, too!
Benefits of Dead Sea Salt in a Postpartum Sitz Bath
This recipe is different than most herbal bath salt recipes because it contains Dead Sea salt.
This salt is known for its highly therapeutic properties.
It contains 21 minerals that are known for healing ailments of the skin.
People travel from all over the world to bathe in the Dead Sea and benefit from its healing salt waters.
I include this salt in my recipe because there is nothing like it for healing the perineum and preventing infection!
Benefits of Baking Soda in a Postpartum Sitz Bath
In addition, using baking soda with your bath salts helps relieve pain from hemorrhoids, vaginal yeast infection, and other discomforts.
It soothes irritated skin, relieves itching and reduces burning sensation.
Why I Use Lavender Oil
Lavender oil is included because it promotes relaxation for tired, anxious mamas. It also has a lovely floral scent that most women love!
Lavender essential oil also has antibacterial and anti fungal properties!
Here is My Herbal Bath Salts Recipe:
1 Cup Dead Sea Salts
1 Cup Epsom Salts
1/2 Cup Baking Soda
10-20 drops of Lavender Essential Oil
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Store in glass jars with tight lids.
Add 1 cup to a full bath or 1/2 cup to a shallow sitz bath.
These bath salts also make great gifts!
Have you ever used bath salts or herbs in your sitz baths?
Share your favorite sitz bath ingredients in the comments!
Planning for Postpartum
Are you busy planning for your labor and birth?
Make sure that you plan for your postpartum recovery time as well!
Many new mamas make the mistake of not planning ahead for the days and weeks following childbirth.
They don’t give much thought to how they will get the help and rest they need.
They fail to make a postpartum plan and later wish that they had been better prepared.
Print up your free postpartum plan here and make sure that you include a few jars of herbal bath salts with your postpartum healing supplies!
Get My FREE Postpartum Planning Resources!
If you are pregnant, you are in the right place. I have TONS of free resources for you to prepare you for the best postpartum recovery and baby moon time!
I created a 5-Day Email Mini Course that is totally FREE!
This course includes tips for planning your “baby moon”, getting your home organized, writing your postpartum plan, pre-baby shopping lists, strategies for better postpartum sleep and much more!
Along with the course, download my FREE Postpartum Planning Packet. The packet comes with a postpartum planning worksheet PLUS a checklist for things to do before baby arrives.
What you will get in the packet:
1. First is my Postpartum Planning Worksheet.
This planner helps new parents create a postpartum plan by asking the right questions and encouraging dialog about things you might not normally think about.
It’s an easy template designed to make planning for your new baby less work.
2. Next is a helpful Pregnancy Checklist so that you remember the things you need to do before the big day!
These resources are focused on the postpartum recovery time. Many pregnancy checklists focus on baby, but this one focuses on mom!
It helps you plan for an amazing “baby moon” with your precious newborn!
some truly interesting points you have written.
Hi Karen!
I’m 3 wks postpartum and just got my first bout of hemorrhoids. Is there anything you recommend to help get rid of them? I do sitz baths and will definitely try this salt recipe! Also, anything to help with the vagina feeling really dry?
Hi Becky! Thanks so much for your comment. I think that the Dead Sea salts sitz bath should help with the hemorrhoids. When I had this problem during one of my pregnancies, I also found relief by taking cayenne pepper capsules. Cayenne pepper is often used for circulation and varicose veins too. There is very little scientific evidence that it actually works, although it seemed to work great for me! I have also used raw onions for the same purpose. There are many medicinal foods that work for all kinds of ailments! Like many natural remedies, most of the evidence is anecdotal. Make sure that you do your research to see if there are any known contraindications for breastfeeding too. As far as vaginal dryness, this is a normal postpartum/breastfeeding issue due to lower estrogen levels. Here is an article that I found that might be helpful: https://vitarock.com/blog/post/top-five-natural-treatments-for-vaginal-dryness. Good luck!