How to care for your bottom in the postpartum period.

Have pads on hand. There will be bleeding. Your provider will give you a list of the amount of normal blood loss and the amount of blood loss that is TOO much. The bleeding should get less and less by the day. If you have questions about your level of bleeding-- check with your provider. Some people will find that when they do more activity they bleed more. This makes sense because the area where the placenta was is a big wound. Your body needs rest so that healing can happen.

Also, the uterus needs to stay small and firm, and if it gets "boggy" before the wound heals there can be more bleeding. How does the uterus stay toned and small you may ask. Oxytocin! This is why nursing a baby around the clock can actually be helpful. While the baby is nursing there are hormones released that can be healthy for many reasons, not just milk making! So, continuing to create an environment that is as calm and restful as possible is not only good during the birth but also the first few weeks postpartum. 

You will get a peri bottle, which is a spray bottle that you can use when you pee. It is useful to dilute urine to avoid having the strong urine burn any area of the labia that has stitches. Using a peri bottle offers a quick and easy way to keep clean and avoid wiping after going to the bathroom. Some people put water in the peri bottle, other people will brew sitz-bath and put it in the bottle. You can also put a sitz-bath in a little tub and dunk your bottom in it for a few minutes. You can order sitz-bath online. Or some people like to make their own using dried herbs. 

Some people also make what are called pad-cicles. That is when a person opens a thick pad and pours a sitz-bath or witch hazel on the pad, then puts it back in the freezer. This is more helpful at home births when an ice pack is useful right after birth. For people birthing at the hospital they have ice pads and witch hazel pads they provide. Having pad-cicles on hand may be more helpful for people planning to give birth at home. 

Seattle Made Sitz Bath https://jasmine-bay-botanicals.square.site/product/sitz-bath/10?cs=true&cst=custom

Pad-cicle recipe https://thepostpartumparty.com/easy-diy-padsicles/