Before each of my daughters births I put together herbs for a sitz bath, which after the birth, I was able to bath myself and help with the post birth healing.
The term sitz bath comes from the German word Sitzbad,meaning a bath (Bad) in which one sits (sitzen). A sitz bath is technically a hip-bath, that is, a bath in which a person sits covered with water up to the hips, but I just had a proper bath!
After birth there’s a period of healing required for the perineum, and one of the recommendations is to keep a squeeze-bottle of water by the toilet to spray on when you need to urinate, which can burn somewhat whether you have stitches or not.
Before the birth, I recommend from my own experience that you make up two ‘portions’ of herbs. One you can tie up in a muslin for your bath, and the other you pop directly into a two liter soft drink bottle or similar. You also need a squeeze bottle so that you can pour from the large bottle into the smaller one after each trip to the loo, ready for the next one.
The idea of the herbs are to be soothing and healing, but also to be antibacterial and anti-inflammatory.
Make up the ingredients below, and keep a clove of garlic with it. I don’t add the garlic before hand as garlic can go off and you don’t want old garlic in your sitz bath. (My second daughter was born at 42+5, so my garlic would have been quite rotten, having been prepared from 35 weeks!)
The ingredients are quite flexible. Everything you add will have benefits, but if you don’t have it, can’t find it or don’t like it, you don’t have to use it.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbs Rosemary– Heals perineal tears, soothing, relieves muscle pain and exhaustion
- 2 tbs Yarrow – Heals perineal tears, soothing. Yarrow intensifies the medicinal action of other herbs taken with it, and helps with pain, bleeding/clotting and inflammation.
- 2 tbs Marigold/Calendula – Cooling, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory
- 2 tbs Chamomile – cooling, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. Chamomile contains spiroether, a very strong antispasmodic agent that relaxes aching, tense muscles
- 2 tbs Lavender – soothes swollen vaginal tissue, reduces pain, smells amazing, helps with relaxation.
- 2 tbs Rose petals -Rose petals are astringent and can be used as a skin wash to staunch bleeding from scrapes and cuts. Rose petals a sitz bath into a luxurious spa treatment for the body and spirit as the smell of rose petals creates a feeling of well being and mild euphoria.
- 2 tbs SEA Salt – antiseptic, helps keep perineum clean and germ free
- 2 cloves Garlic – antiseptic, helps keep perineum clean and germ free.
Mix together, everything except the garlic. Split into two piles. Place the first in a muslin, and tie off with a string. This will go into the bath after the birth.
The second can go into a container. This will go straight into your perineum mix.
After baby is born, add some garlic to your bottle, and top off with boiling water. Leave to draw, and leave as is for up to three days. Pour water from the big bottle to the small squirty bottle. The garlic smell will become stronger and the liquid may become darker as the herbs infuse.
Squirt onto the perineum while urinating to soothe the burn.
*p.s if you had stitches, don’t soak in the bath more than once a day.
*p.p.s if you purchase from any of those links, I will earn 5% on your purchase price, but you wont pay any more.
Please note I am NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL or HERBALIST. This is the recipe I followed and the way I used the herbs with my two daughters.
