Best Herbs for Postpartum Bath

Are you looking for the best herbs for postpartum bath to aid in your postpartum recovery?

Then our guide on a herbal sitz bath postpartum is for you!

A postpartum bath is a tradition many midwives encourage for their patients, and it helps your body recover after childbirth. There are many herbs for postpartum bath that help soothe tender tissues, heal tears, and reduce the swelling after delivery.

Postpartum herbal soaks are a natural way to soothe your tender, inflamed bottom. However, pushing a baby out takes a lot of work for your body, and you end up with aches and pains you never knew you could feel.

Not to mention the hemorrhoids.

Taking a sitz bath or a full immersion bath is a great way to soothe your body and help increase its recovery. First, however, you want to ensure you use the right herbs. All herbs have different herbal properties; some reduce inflammation while others help your body relax. Some fight off infections, while others soothe your aching back and muscles.

That’s why picking the best postpartum herbs for your sitz bath matter! You want to choose the herbs that will help your body recover with the problems you have going on after having your baby.

So, keep reading as with discus what is a postpartum bath, how to prepare your postpartum herbal bath, and the best herbs for your herbal bath after birth.

And if you love this guide on a postnatal herbal bath, then make sure to also check out our guides of best postpartum tea, best postpartum diapers, and things new moms need for themselves.

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What is a Postpartum Herbal Sitz Bath?

A postpartum bath is often called a sitz bath, which are shallow baths meant to soak your bottom. However, some women add the herbs to full baths, but remember, that’s not recommended for women who had a c-section until you’ve healed more.

Postpartum baths are a great way to relieve pain, reduce swelling and inflammation, improve overall healing, and stop infections from happening after childbirth. All these are fantastic things and make your experience better after birth and as you adjust to life as a new mama.

It’s safe to use herbal baths regularly during your recovery period. Some midwives suggest doing so twice a day in the first week and then once a day for the first two to three weeks. These herbs help your body heal and get back to its usual self.

How to Prepare a Postpartum Herbal Bath

The easiest way to prepare a sitz bath is to think about preparing a strong batch of tea:

1. Grab a pot and put water in it, bringing it to a boil on your stove.
2. Add all the herbs you want into a cotton muslin bag and toss it into the water.
3. Remove it from the heat and let the herbs steep for at least an hour.

The longer it steeps, the stronger the herbs are.

If you think it’s too strong, you can always dilute it with warm water and save the rest in your fridge for the next herbal bath. However, some women prefer making big batches and using them as needed.

10 Best Herbs for Postpartum Bath

You have a large list of herbs to use for a postpartum bath, and the recipes you create or use will not contain all of them. Typically, you want to pick a few herbs that will help you heal based on whatever you’re experiencing at that time.

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular herbs for a postpartum bath.

1. Lavender

The most common of the herbs for a postpartum bath is lavender. Not only does it provide a relaxing floral scent we all love, but it encourages restfulness. In addition, lavender is known for its antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties, so it’s easy to see why it would be good to soak your bottom in lavender.

2. Chamomile

Another great herb to include in a postpartum bath is chamomile, a relaxing herb that will soothe your anxieties and aching muscles. In addition, chamomile reduces inflammation, acts as a natural antibiotic, and kicks fungal infections.

It’s an herb backed by science and has clear-cut evidence to support using it in a postpartum bath. Most people use it to aid sleep because it helps with insomnia and relaxes your entire body. All postpartum mothers need that!

At the same time, using chamomile helps your bottom heal from childbirth, works to prevent infections from taking hold, and calms down any nerve pain you may have.

3. Calendula

Calendula is another popular herbal flower that is an excellent addition to any sitz bath. It has anti-inflammatory properties that promote healing for skin injuries and wounds, so it makes sense to use!

4. Plantain Leaf

Chances are you have plantain leaves in your backyard. This medicinal herb has a long history and is known for reducing inflammation and promoting healing.

5. Witch Hazel

Witch hazel is an ancient herb often used for treating hemorrhoids because it has anti-inflammatory and astringent properties. If you have hemorrhoids after giving birth, which many women do, this natural astringent will help reduce the swelling.

6. Sea Salt

Sea salt may not be an herb, but it is a natural detoxifier that gives your body needed minerals to help with recovery. So use sea salt – not table salt! – it will help you sleep better, and you need every bit of sleep you can get. 

7. Yarrow

Yarrow, known as achillea, is one of the best herbs for postpartum baths, and you can use both the dried herbs and flowers since they have similar properties. This herb is known for its antibacterial and antifungal properties that help stop bleeding.

Science backs many of the ailments that herbalists use yarrow to treat. Not only does it help inflammation, but if you have stomach disorders or anxiety – all postpartum women – yarrow will help you feel better.

8. Peppermint

Everyone loves a bit of peppermint during the holidays or mixed with your chocolate, but it’s more than a delicious flavor. The herb has plenty of medicinal properties and contains menthol, a compound from the plant with cooling properties. Adding peppermint to your herbal bath will help ease pain and discomforts, especially if you had a c-section or sore perineum.

Another reason to include peppermint is that it helps with aches and pains. For example, many people with chronic pain use this herb to treat arthritis, so if you have body pains from childbirth, the cooling relief from peppermint can alleviate the pains.

9. Shepherd’s Purse

Shepherd’s purse is a flowering herbal plant that belongs to the mustard family and has a long history as a medicinal herb. Traditionally, herbalists used this herb to treat wounds, promote healing, improve circulation, and treat blood disorders. So it seems like a no-brainer to put this herb into your sitz bath!

10. Uva Ursi

Traditional herbalists use uva ursi as a remedy for bladder-related infections, such as urinary tract infections. Uva ursi contains tannins, a natural astringent that soothes skin irritations.

Premade Herbal Postpartum Bath Blends

If you don’t want to make your blends, there are several different brands of herbal blends that mothers love. These save you time, but making your blends is the most cost-effective way to create an herbal bath. In addition, you can buy bulk herbs for great prices!

1. Birth Song Botanicals Postpartum Herbal Sitz Bath

One of the top-rated herbal bath blends to help with vaginal healing is Birth Song Botanicals. This blend gives relief to sore muscles after birth and soothes raging hemorrhoids. It gives you a relaxing experience each time, and its ingredients support your healing. Birth Song includes yarrow, plantain, shepherd’s purse, uva ursi, and calendula.

2. Wildflower Wellness Postpartum Yoni Steam Herbs

You’ll love these 100% organic herbs, carefully packaged for convenience. The blend helps speed healing, heal hemorrhoids, relieve pain, reduce swelling, and clear our lochia. Wildflower Wellness uses calendula, comfrey, lavender, marshmallow root, plantain, rosemary, red raspberry leaf, sea salt, and shepherd’s purse. It’s a great blend!

3. Birds & Bees Teas – Organic Herbal Sitz Bath Soak

Birds & Bees use a blend of herbs that promotes postnatal healing and removes hemorrhoids. The blend uses antibacterial and healing herbs that restore tissue and reduce swelling after birth. Ingredients include Epsom salt, marshmallow root, witch hazel, uva ursi, yarrow, chamomile, lavender, and calendula!

4. Earth Mama Organic Herbal Sitz Bath

Earth Mama is well-known for creating products that help mothers prepare and heal from childbirth. For example, their herbal sitz bath comes with six premade pouches made with USDA Organic & Non-GMO herbs. These organic compounds help with wound healing, styptic, and antibacterial healing.

The ingredients include sea salt, witch hazel, yarrow flower, plantain leaf, and calendula flowers.

Postpartum Herbal Bath Recipes

Before you make an herbal postpartum bath, I suggest buying some cotton muslin bags. These bags hold the herbs you put into the sitz bath or your bathtub.

You’ll find all sorts of herbal bath recipes for the postpartum period, so you may want to try several recipes to find one you like. Check out a few of these recipes and see which one you like the best.

Postpartum Herbal Bath Recipe

• 1 cup sea salt
• ¼ cup lavender
• ¼ cup plantain leaf
• ¼ cup witch hazel
• ¼ cup yarrow
• ¼ cup calendula
• ¼ cup chamomile

Herbal Bath for Postpartum Healing

• 1 cup Uva Ursi
• 1 cup lavender
• ½ cup comfrey (or shepherd’s purse)
• ½ cup calendula
• ½ cup sea salt or Epsom salt
• ½ cup witch hazel

This recipe makes enough for four herbal baths; put 1 cup of this herbal blend into each muslin bag.

Postpartum Delight Herbal Bath

• 1-ounce comfrey
• 1-ounce yarrow
• ½ ounce myrrh powder
• 1-ounce rosemary
• Six cloves of fresh garlic
• ½ cup sea salt

This herbal bath recipe is slightly different; it’s strongly antiseptic and astringent for women who need help healing trauma to their perineum. First, the garlic cloves must be peeled and added to a blender with 1 cup of water to pulverize entirely. Then, run it through a fine-mesh strainer before boiling the water and adding the dried herbs.

Final Thoughts on a Herbal Sitz Bath Postpartum

Using herbs in your postpartum bath is a great way to speed up your healing and get your body back to feeling like normal. Make sure you use herbs that support your body the way you need them.

And if you’re looking for more great guides, then check out these best postpartum pajamas, baby items starting with a to z, and new mom care package ideas.