DIY Herbal Perineum Tea
I've lined of some great guest posts for the next several weeks to give me a chance to rest during the last week of my pregnancy and for when the baby is born (due date - today)! Today's post is written by one of my favorite bloggers - Loriel, of Naturally Loriel. Loriel has very recently had her second baby, too, so she knows what she's talking about when it comes to postpartum healing! I'm excited to try this DIY Herbal Perineum Tea for myself...hopefully sooner rather than later!
I never knew births could be so substantially different until I gave birth to my second in the comfort of my home (as opposed to the hospital with my first). And if we're being honest, everything was different from my first to my second -- even postpartum healing.Some may cringe at the thought of going through postpartum healing for the first (or second or third) time because of previous awful experiences; I want to let you know that you are not alone. With my first born, healing took weeks and it was quite a while before I was no longer uncomfortable or in pain. Leading up to the birth of my second baby, I was anticipating the recovery to be just as worse.
Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised when it was indeed the total opposite experience of my first. Although I do feel like there were different factors that resulted in a less painful, quicker recovery -- like having my baby naturally in the water versus having my baby in the hospital with the standard procedure of pitocin and epidural -- having the herbal perineum tea to help soothe and heal my lady parts was such a blessing!My midwife mixed up a batch and I kept it by the toilet -- using it many, many times throughout the day. I didn't tear during birth but I did have a little bit of a "skid mark," as my midwife called it. The herbal tea is made with specific herbs that promote healing, reduce soreness, and soothes the swollen area. I truly felt like my recovery was much quicker. Seriously, it's the miracle tea.Several weeks later, I asked my midwife about the ingredients and what they were because I wanted to re-create the tea to give to my sister who is expecting her second in a few months. The herbs are fairly inexpensive to buy so it makes such a great baby shower gift for all the expecting mamas in your life!
DIY Herbal Perineum Tea
You can find a wide selection of high quality organic herbs and flowers HERE, at Mountain Rose Herbs!Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup comfrey leaf
- 1/2 cup lavender
- 1/4 cup red raspberry leaf
- 1/4 cup plantain leaf
- 1/4 cup uva ursi leaf
- 1/4 cup shepard's purse
- 1/4 cup yarrow
- 1/4 cup sea salt
Directions:Mix together all dry ingredients and store in an air tight container.To brew tea: Boil two quarts of water and add one cup of herbs. Let sit for as little as 15 minutes or as long as an hour. Strain the herbs from the tea and place in a container that you can easily pour from (we used a glass carafe). You can store it in the refrigerator or you can keep it on the counter with the lid tightly on. We kept ours on the counter for about two weeks. Any longer, and it might be better to keep it in the refrigerator.To use: Pour brewed Herbal Perineum Tea into a peri-bottle and keep it by the toilet. After each time you use the bathroom, gently spray tea onto sore area. If you're really sore, pat the area dry with toilet paper. Alternatively, you can place one cup of dried herbs in a muslin bag, and place in a bathtub full of warm water.
- 1/2 cup comfrey leaf
- 1/2 cup lavender
- 1/4 cup red raspberry leaf
- 1/4 cup plantain leaf
- 1/4 cup uva ursi leaf
- 1/4 cup shepard's purse
- 1/4 cup yarrow
- 1/4 cup sea salt
- Mix together all dry ingredients and store in an air tight container.
- To brew tea: Boil two quarts of water and add one cup of herbs. Let sit for as little as 15 minutes or as long as an hour. Strain the herbs from the tea and place in a container that you can easily pour from (we used a glass carafe). You can store it in the refrigerator or you can keep it on the counter with the lid tightly on. We kept ours on the counter for about two weeks. Any longer, and it might be better to keep it in the refrigerator.
- To use: Pour brewed Herbal Perineum Tea into a peri-bottle and keep it by the toilet. After each time you use the bathroom, gently spray tea onto sore area. If you're really sore, pat the area dry with toilet paper. Alternatively, you can place one cup of dried herbs in a muslin bag, and place in a bathtub full of warm water.
About Loriel
Loriel is on a journey to a more natural life and hopes to inspire those around her by writing about her stories on her blog, Naturally Loriel. She lives an abundant life with her husband Scott, toddler Andrew, a crazy little Lilly cat and a flock of 12 chickens. She’s a dreamer of self-sufficiency, a lover of all things sweet, and has a knack for story-telling.Loriel has recently launched a new business, Naturally Free, which specializes in making Handcrafted Spice Blends! All of these blends, which include French Onion Dip, Italian Seasoning, Real Food Ranch, and Taco Seasoning, have been created with fresh, delicious, organic, non-irradiated spices, and of course -- lots of love.Check out the Naturally Free Online Store HERE!