Post Delivery Period - Doctor Base Care

he perineum is the skin between the anus and the vulva. You might have a tear, stitches, or hemorrhoids, or you might be swollen and sore. A warm sitz bath works by bringing blood flow to the area to relax the muscles and promote wound healing. It can help in other ways, too.

Are There Benefits of Postpartum Sitz Baths?

If you’ve just had a baby, your doctor might recommend a postpartum sitz bath.

The process of a sitz bath is to soak the perineal, anal, and genital area. The perineum is the skin between the anus and the vulva. You might have a tear, stitches, or hemorrhoids, or you might be swollen and sore.

A warm sitz bath works by bringing blood flow to the area to relax the muscles and promote wound healing. It can help in other ways, too.

Clean the area. Skin can be sensitive to touching and to toilet paper for a few weeks after delivery.

Soothe the perineum. After delivery, the perineum and the vulva can be swollen and sore. Warm sitz baths can help with pain and soothe the skin.

Soothe hemorrhoids. Many women have hemorrhoids after giving birth. Hemorrhoids can be painful, itchy, and cause bleeding from the anus. A sitz bath can relieve the pain and itchiness and keep the area clean.

Soothe an anal fissure. Sometimes women are constipated after having a baby. This is called an anal fissure, which can be painful. A postpartum sitz bath can help relieve the pain.

Soothe postpartum cramps and a sore vulva. Women can have cramps after childbirth as the uterus contracts and shrinks back into its normal position. For some women, these cramps feel almost as strong as contractions. Sitting in a sitz bath can help cramps and pain.Replace showering. If you’re having trouble standing in the shower after having your baby, or you can’t shower, you can use a sitz bath to gently clean the area.

How to Use a Sitz Bath After Childbirth

You can buy a sitz tub that fits into your toilet or you can use your bathtub. To draw up a warm postpartum sitz bath in your tub, make sure to:

Wait three days to bathe or soak after giving birth
Use warm water not hot water
Fill the bathtub with two to three inches of water
Cover your whole vaginal area
Sit in the tub for 10 minutes, three times a day
Stand up slowly as you might feel faint
Let the area air dry or gently pat dry with a towel

You can add salts or medicine to the water if your doctor suggests it. Warm water is enough to soothe and clean the area. Don’t rub the vaginal area with a towel as this can hurt your skin.

Make sure the tub is clean. This could cause an infection. Make sure to clean your tub well between each use.

After having a baby, it’s important to watch your symptoms. Sitz baths work great for pain, cleaning the area, and itchy skin. If you’re using a postpartum sitz bath and it doesn’t seem to be helping, make sure to talk to your doctor. Talk to your doctor if you have postpartum symptoms, including: