Posts Tagged ‘Episiotomy Care’
If you are walking a bit like John Wayne with bedroom slippers, here is a tip for your healing. Are you are sore from the episiotomy that you weren’t going to have, or from the hours of pushing that left you with aches in your legs from muscles that were never before a part of your body? You may find relief in a sitz bath. The sitz bath allows you to soak in a tub of warm water increasing the circulation, thereby promoting healing, to the vaginal area (perineum). The hospital may have sent you home with a disposable sitz bath – a plastic oval basin with holes at one end and a bag and tube similar to an IV setup. You probably took one look at it and added it to the pile of stuff in the back of the bathroom closet that might be useful once you have some free time, perhaps when your child goes off to college.
The idea behind the IV setup is that you place warm water in the bag, somehow manage to hang it up in your bathroom, and snap the end of the tube into the basin. As you sit in the basin, and unclamp the tube leading to the bag of warm water, there is a continual flow of warm water into the basin. This allows you to sit for an extended period of time surrounded by warm water.
Well, this sounds great, but was definitely not designed by a new parent. I have yet to meet the new mom who has time for such complex endeavors. If she manages to use the toilet without interruption, or without feeling guilty for having abandoned her child for five minutes, she feels a great sense of accomplishment.
Instead, keep the basin next to the toilet, along with plastic pitcher or container that will fit under the sink faucet. After each use of the toilet, place the basin in the toilet, (pull the seat up first) and use the pitcher to fill the basin with water. Sit in it for a few minutes, stand up and pat yourself dry. Empty the water into the toilet and you are done. The increased circulation generated by this process can improve the healing in this area. There is a flip side, however. Increased warmth can also increase the swelling, which may well be present. At least half an hour after doing the sitz bath, or the next time you use the toilet, place a row of witch hazel pads (Tucks, or the drugstore generic) on your sanitary napkin. Keep the Tucks in the refrigerator, or in the bathroom in a container with an ice pack. This allows you to alternate the warmth for increased circulation with the cold for decreased swelling. If you find that the sitz bath increases swelling or makes you uncomfortable, try getting into the bath tub, or using ice more often. Now may also be a good time to get out the ice packs you squirreled away as you left the hospital.