After 2 vaginal births I am no stranger to the plight of the vagina, perineum and anus after many hours of pushing something the size of a bowling ball through a hole the size of a mini donut. My first son was finally delivered after 30 hours of labor when the head doctor was called in. All I heard was, “blah, blah, blah, episiotomy.” I sat on one butt cheek for weeks, bled for two months and couldn’t comfortably walk to Starbucks for longer than that. If anyone deserves Starbucks it’s a mother who just had a baby. I did sitz baths with betadine as directed. I guess the wound was being cleaned, but seriously, there was no pain relief and I always felt the urge to wash myself again to clean the chemical off my skin. And there were plenty of days when I didn’t cleanse as often as recommended because I was taking care of a newborn.
With my second son I was in-the-know with all the tricks-of-trade. I didn’t undergo another episiotomy, but I ended up with a small tear and stitch of the perineum. I also had gotten the hang of pushing this time. (Push like you’re pooping!) I delivered a baby really fast, but I also pushed out a hemorrhoid. My precious birth keepsake.
I thought my stitch wouldn’t be clean enough if I didn’t use the chemicals, but turns out nature has this all figured out. My favorite treatment was a menstrual pad (either disposable or reusable) sprayed with Motherlove’s Sitz Spray and placed in the freezer. Holy pain relief. I mean, like, it felt good. I looked forward to it. This paired with Motherlove’s Rhoid Balm left me lightyears from my first experience. I was breastfeeding on a see-saw 3 weeks postpartum.
Motherlove’s Sitz Bath Spray is made up of distilled water, organic witch hazel leaf, organic yarrow herb, organic uva ursi leaf, organic grain alcohol, organic grapefruit essential oil and organic lavender essential oil. This all adds up to a clean, pain-relieved and itch-free perineum.
The Rhoid Balm is made of organic extra virgin olive oil, organic beeswax, organic witch hazel leaf, organic plantain leaf, organic yarrow herb, and organic calendula flower. Ingredients chosen for their healing properties and safety for topical use. With 85% of pregnant women suffering from hemorrhoids we need relief from the itch and pain.
It’s recommended to use the Sitz Bath Spray 3 times per day and after bowel movements. Motherlove also has a Sitz Bath Soak when you can sneak away for a relaxing sitz bath (a warm shallow bath). It’s also a great way to ease pain of initial sexual activity after birth. As well as treating raw skin from the constant wearing of pads in those early postpartum days. The Rhoid Balm can be applied as needed.
There is no way around it. Your postpartum body needs caring for. Warm sitz baths can be relaxing, but they are not always realistic for new moms. Who would ever turn down a bath 3 times a day? The sitz spray bottle and rhoid balm offers all the benefits, cleansing and healing, of a bath when you just can’t get a soak in.
Motherlove’s Sitz Bath Spray and Rhoid Balm are a perfect pair to heal your postpartum body. Don’t skimp on caring for yourself, you don’t have to live in pain, and there are ways to do it without taking too much time away from baby.
