Perineal Care After the Birth of Your Baby

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Bringing a baby into the world is incredible—and intense. No matter your birth story, your body just did something amazing. One area that often needs some extra TLC afterward is your perineum—the space between your vagina and anus. This area stretches (sometimes a lot!) during birth and may be sore, swollen, or even torn.

Understanding Perineal Tears and Swelling

First things first: some perineal soreness is expected. Even without a tear, the tissue can feel bruised or swollen from the pressure and stretching of birth. If you did experience a tear, it might be a small one that heals on its own or a deeper one that was stitched.

Whether or not you have stitches, gentle care and good hygiene will go a long way toward helping you heal.

Manage Discomfort Naturally

Here are a few go-to comfort measures:

Cold is your friend

Apply a perineal ice pack or a clean pad with crushed ice during the first 24 hours after birth. It reduces swelling and helps numb the area. After the first day, you can switch to using heat on the area.

Take a sitz bath

Soaking your perineum in warm water (with or without herbs or Epsom salts) can bring incredible relief. A sitz bath fits over your toilet or you can use a shallow basin. Aim for 10–15 minutes a couple of times a day.

Try herbal remedies

Herbs like witch hazel, calendula, and comfrey can soothe and support healing. You can apply cooled herbal infusions with a peri bottle or make padsicles (frozen herbal pads).

Keep Things Clean (But Gentle!)

Good hygiene helps prevent infection—but you don’t need to scrub. 

  • Use a peri bottle every time you pee to rinse the area gently with warm water. This helps avoid stinging and keeps things clean.

  • Pat, don’t wipe. Use soft toilet paper or a clean cloth and pat dry from front to back.

  • Change pads often (every few hours or sooner if soaked) to keep the area dry and reduce bacteria buildup.

  • Wash hands before and after touching the area or changing pads, especially if you have stitches.

Support Healing from the Inside Out

Your body is working hard to repair tissue and build back strength. Support it with:

Plenty of fluids to stay hydrated and keep your urine diluted (which stings less!).

Nutritious foods rich in vitamin C, zinc, and protein for tissue repair.

Stool softeners (or fiber-rich foods) to avoid straining when you go to the bathroom. Constipation is common postpartum, and pushing hard isn’t helpful for healing. 

Perineal Sunning, an ancient Taoist practice that involves exposing your perineum to sunlight as a method of soaking up vitamin D. Make sure to keep your sun therapy sessions under 5 minutes to reduce the risk of sunburn.

Try different nursing positions when you’ve experienced a painful tear. Sidelying, reclining, or sitting on a boppy pillow are all useful positions to take pressure off the pain point.

Listen to Your Body

Mild discomfort, swelling, and some bruising are all part of the process. But call your midwife or provider if you notice:

  • Foul-smelling discharge from the perineum

  • A fever or chills

  • Excessive pain that isn’t improving

  • Redness, warmth, or pus around any stitches

Your body will give you signals if something’s off. Trust your instincts and don’t hesitate to reach out.

Give Yourself Time and Grace

Perineal healing takes time—sometimes a couple of weeks, sometimes longer if you had a more significant tear. Try not to rush it. Limit heavy lifting, take breaks to rest, and accept help from your support system. You deserve time to heal.

And remember: postpartum recovery isn’t just physical. This is a tender, transformative time. Treat yourself with the same gentleness you show your new baby.