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Sitz Baths

A sitz bath involves soaking the perineal area in warm water to promote healing after childbirth. It can provide pain relief and increase blood flow to the area. Sitz baths are usually done for 10 minutes 3 times per day. They can be done using a plastic sitz bath that fits over a toilet seat or by filling a bathtub a few inches. The area should be dried with a blow dryer afterwards.

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Andrea Manalo
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55 views

Sitz Baths

A sitz bath involves soaking the perineal area in warm water to promote healing after childbirth. It can provide pain relief and increase blood flow to the area. Sitz baths are usually done for 10 minutes 3 times per day. They can be done using a plastic sitz bath that fits over a toilet seat or by filling a bathtub a few inches. The area should be dried with a blow dryer afterwards.

Uploaded by

Andrea Manalo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Sitz Baths

A sitz bath is the process of soaking the perineal area (urethra to anus) in warm
water. It promotes healing of episiotomies, tears, fistulas or surgical sites. Sitz
baths can provide pain relief, relaxation, and wound healing by increasing
blood flow to the area and cleansing the area.

Where do I get one?


• There are actual sitz baths that fit over a toilet seat and have a bag that
holds the warm water. They can be purchased online or in retail stores such
as Target for around $15- $20.
• If this resource is not available, a homemade sitz bath can be created in the
bathtub.

How do I make a sitz bath?


Manufactured sitz baths:

• Fill the plastic bag full with warm water (not too hot!)

• Ensure the tubing is hooked into the plastic basin


• Place the plastic basin over the toilet seat
• Hang the bag from a hook in your bathroom or tie it to a towel rack, etc. –
something above the top of the toilet bowl
• Sit on the seat and let the warm water run from the bag over your perineum
and into the basin which drains into the toilet
• Refill the bag with warm water once it’s empty to continue bathing
• Use a blow dryer on low warm setting to dry the perineal area after the sitz
bath (do not use a towel)
• Repeat this 3 times a day for about 10 minutes per bath

Healthy Healing After Delivery Program


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Bathtub sitz baths:
• Fill the bathtub 2-3 inches with warm water (not too hot!)
• Ensure the entire perineum is submerged
• Drain and refill the bathtub if the water gets too cool
• Use a blow dryer on low warm setting to dry the perineal area after the sitz
bath (do not use a towel)
• Sit in the water for 10 minutes, 3 times per day

Disclaimer: This document contains information and/or instructional materials developed


by the University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) for the typical patient with your
condition. It may include links to online content that was not created by UMHS and for
which UMHS does not assume responsibility. It does not replace medical advice from your
health care provider because your experience may differ from that of the typical patient.
Talk to your health care provider if you have any questions about this document, your
condition or your treatment plan.

Patient Education by University of Michigan Health System is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Last Revised 12/2016

Healthy Healing After Delivery Program


Sitz Baths
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