Postpartum Herbal Baths

 

To buy Postpartum Herbal Bath Blends: You can purchase my handcrafted blend HERE!

Hey sister! I'm so excited to be talking about Postpartum Herbal Baths on the blog! My Postpartum Herbal Baths are officially launched on my website and being offered! I make these in very small batches, so the quantities in stock are limited, but pre-ordering is always an option if I happen to be out of stock! 

I really enjoyed the benefits of a Postpartum Herbal Bath after the birth of Badrick! About four days postpartum, my sweet hubby got my herbs steeping in a giant stock pot, ran me a beautiful bath, lit a candle and got both Badrick and I settled into our bath while checking on us periodically. The time we spent in that bath soaking are some of my fondest postpartum moments. 

Badrick blissfully laid in my arms nursing and napping. I laid there blissfully reminiscing on our wonderful home water birth and the four days that had already passed since we welcomed this new little soul into our family! 

While my birth was pretty straightforward and I enjoyed a home water birth, while also getting tucked into my own bed shortly after the birth, I was still pretty sore in the tender days postpartum. The herbal bath really allowed me to relax and the herbs helped to soothe and heal my tender perineum. Even though I didn't tear during his birth, there was still a lot of tenderness. 

I made up a few Postpartum Herbal Bath blends for personal friends of mine who were expecting new little ones and they were a really huge hit! Some friends of mine inquired about them, so I thought... why not?! 

Perhaps you don't know about Postpartum Herbal Baths or the benefits of utilizing this healing modality in postpartum or even just in general life! 

What is an Herbal Bath?

A blend of organic herbs and unrefined, mineral rich Himalayan Pink Salt traditionally used to ease pain and soreness from birth, promote healing, slow bleeding, minimize swelling, encourage perineal healing, ease discomfort from hemorrhoids, dry baby's umbilical cord and promote a relaxing and restorative bonding experience between mom and baby.

There are many herbs that can be used to soothe tender perineal tissue, heal tears and episiotomies (yes, you CAN take herb baths if you've had stitches!), reduce inflammation, and even shrink hemorrhoids after a vaginal birth.

(Sorry – immersion in a bath is not appropriate after a cesarean – but foot soaks with any relaxing herbs, for example, lavender blossoms and rose petals are an absolutely delicious way to relax and treat yourself to something special!)

Preparing the bath is as simple as making a giant pot of tea, and the medicinal liquid can also be made into compresses and peri-rinses. The bath can be given as soon as an hour after a vaginal birth as long as mom is healthy and there are no signs of infection. A fresh bath can be taken once or twice daily for three to five days after birth. Baby can accompany mama into the herbal bath, which also promotes drying and healing of the umbilical cord.

What Are the Benefits of an Herbal Bath?

Herbal baths use a variety of medicinal herbs that have many benefits like anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, immune-boosting and relaxing benefits. Using herbs with these healing properties will help to stimulate the body's natural, innate ability to naturally heal. 

The skin is the largest organ and is a really important pathway for healing. The skin will absorb the healing properties of the herbs and acts as a powerful protector for our body. This creates a barrier for pathogens. 

The warm water of the herbal bath will help to open up the pores to hydrate the body and allow all the benefits of the herbs to be absorbed into the body. 

Herbs I Specifically Use in My Postpartum Herbal Bath Blends and their Benefits:

Calendula (Calendula officinalis): gentle and soothing herb for the skin. It is antimicrobial, antiseptic, and promotes cell repair, which makes it perfect for speeding up the recovery of wounds.

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita): antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic. It is well known for improving skin conditions and calming irritated skin.

Comfrey (Symphytum officinale): relieves pain and inflammation, and helps speed up the recovery of wounds. It is said that comfrey can inhibit bleeding and even facilitate bone regrowth/healing! Not to be taken internally as it is bad for the liver in high doses.

Himalayan Pink Salt: lower the risk of infections. The salts are anti-inflammatory and mineral-rich, which can aid in the healing process as well.

Lavender (Lavandula x intermedia): lovely scent that has a soothing & calming effect. It is said to reduce depression, restlessness, and insomnia. It also contains anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties which will aid in the perineal healing process.

Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca): loved for its calming properties and energetics relating to the heart. Can help to prevent or stop bleeding, is wound healing and can help with high blood pressure. Also promotes healthy digestion.

Plantain Leaf (Plantago lanceolata): antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, promote tissue healing, heal hemorrhoids.

Red Raspberry Leaf (Rubus idaeus): calm minor skin irritations, help tone muscles.

Rose Buds (Rosa centifolia): reduces redness and calms the skin as it is a natural anti-inflammatory. Naturally antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant. Rose is naturally fragrant and calming.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium): anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. It can help stop bleeding when applied to wounds, and it helps relieve hemorrhoids.

Why Make an Herbal Bath?

Some things to consider when deciding on having an herbal bath: Why am I making an herbal bath? What are my goals for utilizing an herbal bath? Do I want to aid in postpartum healing for perineal tears, stitches and body aches? Do I want to take an herbal bath for a cough, lung congestion and stuffy nose? Do I want to take a bath to help hydrate me because I'm pregnant and suffering from morning sickness and vomiting? Do I want to relieve aches and pains from bruises, cuts and scrapes? Do I just have sore muscles and a headache? Am I just looking to bond with my baby in this tender postpartum time? Am I looking to have a "rebirth" with my baby and reclaim parts of my birth or postpartum I didn't get to experience?

These are all great reasons for an herbal bath!

Other Conditions Suited for an Herbal Bath Soak:

Postpartum: recovery, pelvic floor recovery, whole-body restoration

Newborns: help to dry the umbilical cord, diaper rash, bonding

Children: help relieve colds and flu, relieve bug bites, rashes, growing pains

Immune-Boosting and Fight Infection: for all ages

Cold & Flu Season: clears congestion, body aches, helps support fevers

Lung Congestion: clears upper and lower respiratory infections

Detoxification: releases toxins stored in the skin and organs

Relaxation: helps to relax physical and emotional stress and tension

Sore Muscles: relaxes body aches and pains from injury or tension

Hemorrhoids: reduces swelling and restores broken tissue and vessels

Achy Feet: relieves pain and invigorates tired and sore feet

Hand-Soaking: soothes aches and pains from arthritis

Self-Care: make self-care a loving act and a priority

How to Prepare an Herbal Bath:

There are many ways to prepare an herbal bath. You can fully soak in a tub, you can enjoy the healing properties with a sitz bath (like THIS) or you can put the herbal bath in peri bottles (like THIS) to use after using the restroom. 

Consider what benefits you'd like to get from the bath and whether you just need/want to soak a part of your body or want the benefits from a full bath soak. 

To prepare the herbal bath, simply brew a strong "tea" using a cup of dried herbs for a full bath or by filling a large cotton `muslin tea bag (like THIS). Once your "tea" is steeped, you can place the cotton muslin tea bag right into the bath along with the steeped "tea." Once you're relaxing in the bath, you can massage and squeeze the cotton muslin tea bag to release even more of the therapeutic properties of the herbs. 

You could also consider an herbal compress by simply soaking a washcloth in the herbal tea and applying the warm or cold compress to the perineum as needed to reduce tenderness and swelling.
For use in a peri-rinse, you can fill a peri-bottle with the strained tea. Squeeze warm or room temperature over your perineal area. This significantly reduces inflammation and stinging.

If you don't feel like fully immersing, or don't have a tub at home, try a sitz bath instead. A sitz bath is a basin that fits perfectly into your toilet seat and lets you get a soothing soak of the important parts after a vaginal birth without having to immerse in the tub.

I hope this post finds you well and helps answer any questions you may have about Postpartum Herbal Baths and their benefits. These benefits are not limited to just postpartum and can be enjoyed for any season of life! Using different herbs will yield different benefits as well.