Pregnancy Notes: Postpartum Herbal Sitz Bath {recipe}

Herbal sitz baths are extremely soothing, relaxing, healing and a great way to pamper a new mama after going through the tiring workout of laboring and birthing a little baby.

What are Sitz Baths?

Some of you might have never heard of a sitz bath. I sure didn't know heck about it until my midwife explain it to me. A sitz bath is literally what it sounds like - a bath where you sit in warm water that covers the buttocks and hips.

Sitting in warm, herbal infused water helps clean the sensitive area, bring healing, soothe soreness, aid in shrinking hemorrhoids, prevent infection, relieves pain, reduces swelling, heals tears and increase blood flow to the areas starting at your belly button, down around to your lower back bone & to the where the baby made an appearance. These herbs can truly help speed along recovery!

You can do your sitz bath in the bathtub or in a large bowl, but make sure you have someone to help you in and out. After my 2nd & 3rd babies, I used my kids' little bathtub and it worked great, but this 4th time around... I was able to use an actual bathtub and enjoyed a long soak! Taking a relaxing bath is a rare treat for me  :)

My First Sitz Bath

My midwife brought a bag of herbs over and prepared my first sitz bath after Tabitha's birth. I was eager to give it a try, but was a little skeptical that it would do much to relieve the little pain I had from my tear.

I was so wrong... It was amazedly soothing and totally won me over. I took a sitz bath everyday for a week and wanted more!

Plus, I noticed rapid healing of my tear along with putting on a combination of aloe vera, coconut oil and raw honey. I am thankful to say that I never tore again with my 3rd and 4th babies.

I, of course, asked her for the recipe when I became pregnant with Tobias. Unfortunely, her recipe called for a lot of herbs… making it a little too expensive for me to make a small batch for myself.

So, she recommended simply using a combination of Lavender, Chamomile, Rosemary and Calendula Flowers… much like the ingredients used for the Soothing Postpartum Pads! I also decided to add in Comfrey leaf as it is excellent to use on a stretched & sore perineum, Yarrow for is ability to stop bleeding and sea salt which provides needed minerals to help speed healing.

The Ingredients & Benefits
Below you will read the medicinal properties of each herb that help pamper and heal the new mama. This Healing Postpartum Herbal Sitz Bath will leave you feeling refreshed, renewed and relaxed.

• Chamomile Flowers: This herb is best known for its soothing & delicious aromatic smell and taste. It is widely used as a mild sedative. Chamomile displays a wide range of healing properties such as being anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic, antispasmodic and even anti-body odor... all coming from the daisy-like flowers, which contain volatile oils as well as flavonoids. It also improves wound healing, which is great for tears and c-sections, along with bringing good flow of blood to the skin surface thus inducing perspiration and helps regulate menstrual flow. Chamomile is one of the best herbal sources of niacin, magnesium and essential fatty acids.
• Rosemary Leaf: Called the "herb of remembrance" by Shakespeare, this herb has the ability to strengthen the entire body and relieve pain (like lavender) associated with muscle pains, sore muscles & headaches. Rosemary helps boosts mental activity, so when your brain feels tired (and we do feel brain-tired after birthing a baby!), take deep breaths as you enjoy the sitz bath for fresh mental energy. It also contains good concentrations of 2 dozens or so antioxidants.
• Comfrey Leaf: The latin name of this herb translates "knitting together". One of the main healing properties in comfrey is allantoin, an anti-inflammatory that perks up the immune system, speeds wound healing and encourages new skin and cell growth. It has a long history of being used as an external application for mending of wounds and broken bones. Comfrey is a contact healer, relieving pain and immediately helping the growth of new flesh and bone. It is also high in calcium and vitamin C. 
• Yarrow Flower: Considered the "poor man's chamomile", Yarrow contains a volatile oil which is similar to chamomile and has been medically documented to be very effective anti-inflammatory agent. It contains aromatic compounds that shrink inflamed tissues and promote sweeting. It also contains bitter compounds that relieve smooth muscle spasms, reduce blood pressure and helpful in stopping bleeding from hemorrhage. The herb has antibacterial and antifungal compounds that are helpful in replenishing the intestinal flora.
• Lavender Flowers: Best known for its relaxing effect on the mind and body, Lavender's soothing properties is readily absorb into the skin and not only promotes restfulness, but it helps in treating pain, anxiety & nervousness, exhaustion, restlessness, emotional stress, headaches and increase mental activity. It is also an excellent remedy for various types of pains caused by sore muscles, tense muscles, muscular aches, backaches and the lumbago (lower back) area. Lavender is excellent for improving blood circulation in the body, which is essential for complete healing in the perineum area. It also has antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant properties.
• Calendula Flowers: A herb long used through Europe and the Americas for wound healing and ulcer treatments, Calendula is known for its amazing healing properties. The phytochemicals in these flowers opposes fungi, bacteria, viruses and inflammation. Calendula also excite the white blood ells in the immune system to fight microbial invaders with a little more vigor. It is good for treating skin problems of all kinds, especially cuts, scrapes, bruises and minor wounds.
• Sea Salt: A natural detoxifier, sea salt provides the needed minerals to help the body heal quickly.

Healing Herbal Sitz Bath

2 cups chamomile flowers

2 cups rosemary leaf

2 cups comfrey leaf
2 cups yarrow flowers

1 cup lavender flowers

1 cup calendula flowers
2 cups sea salt

Mix all the herbs & sea salt together in a large bowl. Store in a glass jar and keep in a cool & dry place.

Fill a large pot with 1 gallon of water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add 2 cups of the herbal mixture or stuff the loose herbs in cotton muslin cloth bags. Cover and let it sit until warm. Strain (or pour it all in if you don't care about loose herbs!) liquid into a bathtub or large bowl/basin and add warm water until it covers your hips & buttocks.

Sit and relax in tub for 20 minutes or more. You can soak with your baby as it will speed along cord healing. If using bowl or large basin, sit or squat carefully in it for 10-15 minutes.

Gently pat dry and do it everyday for at least a week. You can use the Soothing Postpartum Pads for extra healing & comfort!

Have you ever done a sitz bath? Have you used herbs for postpartum care? What herbs and how did they help you?

Note: The links above are my affiliate links and I will earn a small commission if you decide to order the herbs and other supplies through those links (no extra charge to you!). Thank you for reading this and supporting my family through your purchases!

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Pregnancy Notes: DIY Natural Nipple Cream {recipe}

Let's be honest... breastfeeding can be painful. Especially the first week and when your baby starts teething!

When I was pregnant with #1, I had romancing visions of happily cuddling & nursing my sweet little baby... oh man, all that went out the window at the first latch.

After the first few nursings... my nipples were painfully sore and cracked. 

After almost 3 days of nursing... I was grinding my teeth & curling my toes every time my baby latched on. I was not prepared for the pain! I wished someone had said something about that important little big detail while I was pregnant!

But I made it through… with some lanolin and lots of prayer.

Concerns about Lanolin

I don’t know about you, but I really hated using that common lanolin stuff on my nipples! I felt that it didn't help much. I hated the oily feel and the stains it left on my bras & shirts. I did not feel much relief and found it uncomfortable on my sore nipples.

What exactly is Lanolin? I didn't know until I did some research and found out that Lanolin is the greasy discharge from a sheep's sebaceous glands. It is used in all kinds of cosmetics, from lip balms, shaving creams, hair products to breastfeeding creams. Although it has been touted as highly effective in soothing & healing chapped skin (but not for me!), lanolin usually contains a heavy load of pesticides from the wool being soaked in chemicals to remove parasites before the lanolin is scoured out of it.

Since your baby will basically be ingesting small amounts of whatever you smear on your nipples, it is critical for the ingredients to be safe (in my humble opinion). Many mamas swear by lanolin, but I rather use more natural ingredients that are 100% edible and safe! At the moment, there are no organic options for lanolin out there.

Unfortunately and completely clueless at the time, I used lanolin with both my first and second babies... after that, I promised myself to find a different alternative.

Finding an Alternative Relief
Thankfully, it was my mom who found it. A herbal nipple cream called Motherlove that she picked up at Whole Foods. I used it after Tobias was born and...

I. LOVED. IT.

It smelled good, did not feel oily, felt really soothing, absorbed quickly into my skin and did not stain my bras & shirts. I clearly remember my nipples healing very quickly... like 4 or 5 days! I used it again with Poema, my 4th baby, and got the same results.

Y'all, that’s a big deal!

Why? Because both my midwives (from my 1st & 2nd births) have told me to bear the pain of nursing for 10 days, use lots of lanolin and then I will be fine. True enough, by the 11th day... the pain was significantly less and breastfeeding became a much more pleasant experience.

But now I think that 10 days of pain can be cut in half... using the DIY Natural Nipple Cream! Of course, every mama has different experiences with breastfeeding and some take longer to heal and get the hang of breastfeeding. I truly hope this cream will help lessen the pain, speed healing and shorten the time it takes for your nipples to get used to be sucked on by a hungry little mouth! Ouch!

Buy it or Make it?

The Motherlove nipple cream is a little pricey for such a small bottle and I only used about half of it during the first couple weeks of nursing Tobi, but to me… it was worth it!

Of course, I wanted to try making my own... simply because I enjoy DIY projects and wanted to save a little money. I looked high and low around the internet for a recipe, but didn't find much. Most simply said to use 100% coconut oil or a combination of coconut oil, beeswax, cocoa butter and shea butter... but was I looking for something more similar to the Motherlove nipple cream. 

Later, after learning how to make a few different kinds of salves/creams... I took the basic salve recipe, the ingredients from Motherlove and set out to make my own natural nipple cream.

I'm glad to say that it was a success! I have been able to use it as my 4th baby is still nursing pretty strong at 18 months old. The small amount I made was enough for me to share with another mama who recently had a new baby. She loved it and noticed quick relief from using it.

The Ingredients & Its Benefits
Below you will learn how each ingredient is very healing for those sore nipples! For those who might be concern... this natural nipple cream is completely safe for the baby. I have used this for my 3rd and 4th babies with no concerns or side effects.

In fact, with Poema still nursing at 18 months and has teeth now... I still use the nipple cream whenever I start to feel little sore. If you are not convinced, then you can simply wipe off the cream just before you nurse, but it will most likely already absorbed into your skin.

• Marshmallow Root: The genus name comes from a Greek work meaning "to heal". This herb contains some germ-fighting and inflammation-relieving phyto-chemicals. It also contains compounds that help stimulate the immune system slightly. Marshmallow Root is known to help with bruises, chafing, sores and wounds... which is beneficial for the nursing mama! 
• Calendula Flower: A herb long used through Europe and the Americas for wound healing and ulcer treatments, Calendula is known for its amazing healing properties. The phyto-chemicals in these flowers opposes fungi, bacteria, viruses and inflammation. Calendula also excite the white blood ells in the immune system to fight microbial invaders with a little more vigor. It is good for treating skin problems of all kinds, especially cuts, scrapes, bruises and minor wounds.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil and/or Coconut Oil: Both oils help promote healthy skin regeneration, fight off infection & thrush and moisturizes the skin.
• Beeswax: Helps to keep needed moisture in the skin, promotes new cell growth and protects the skin.
• Shea Butter: Moisturizes, protects, strengthens and regenerates the skin. It is great for minor cuts and cracks in the skin.

Making the Natural Nipple Cream

Thankfully, making nipple cream is super easy. I ordered my herbs & beeswax from Bulk Herb Store and the shea butter from Mountain Rose Herbs, but you can purchase all the ingredients at Mountain Rose Herbs. I love both companies and love their quality & prices! You can also purchase most, if not all, of the ingredients on Amazon.com too.

I am sure most of you already know this, but I feel it is important for me to say that It's highly recommended to use organic oils. When making my batch of nipple cream, I used 100% organic olive oil and loved the results. If you prefer, you can use a combination of coconut oil and olive oil or 100% coconut oil... whatever you like or have in hand!

Once you've made the natural nipple cream, you can start using it even before your baby is born! Rubbing the cream into the nipples throughout the latter part of your pregnancy and the beginning weeks of nursing will create healthy, flexible tissues that will be more resistant to cracks, tears and chapping.

Natural Nipple Cream

1/4 cup Calendula
1/4 cup Marshmallow Root
1 cup Olive oil and/or Coconut oil
1/8 cup Beeswax
2 Tbsp Shea Butter

Scoop herbs into a glass canning jar and pour oil on top. Make sure there is at least one inch gap between the mixture and top of the jar. Screw lid on tightly.

Set out a medium size slow cooker and line the bottom with a thick hand towel. Place the jar inside and fill the slow cooker with water up to the level of the oil in the jar, but keep the water level below the lid.

Turn the slow cooker on the "warm" setting and leave it on for 3 to 5 days, partially covered. Add more water into the cooker when necessary.

After 3 to 5 days, remove the oil infusion from the cooker and let it cool a little. Strain the oil through a fine sieve and/or cheesecloth into a small stainless steel sauce pan. Squeeze with your hands or use the back of a spoon to release the finished oil. Throw the used herbs away.

Add beeswax and shea butter into the sauce pan and turn heat on low. Stir until wax and butter has melted. Pour the mixture into 4oz glass jars or 4oz tin cans. Allow them to cool completely before putting the lids on. Date and label the nipple cream. Keep them in a cool, dry and dark spot. Will keep for several months.

With the recipe above, you should be able to fill three or four 4oz tin cans or jars pretty easily. You will most likely only need one for yourself and the extras will make fantastic gifts for your mama friends! I would love to make a gift basket with all my natural remedies to give to a mama friend... one day I will do it!

Think you can tackle this easy DIY project? For those who have made this cream and used it... Did it help your sore nipples? Did you noticed anything different? 


Note: The links above are my affiliate links and I will earn a small commission if you decide to order the herbs through those links (no charge to you!). Thank you for reading this and supporting my family through your purchases!

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Pregnancy Notes: Mama's Rich Milk Tea {recipe}

First, I must apologize for totally dropping the ball with my Pregnancy Notes Series.

I hope you won't hold it against me.

I am human, with 4 little humans to care for and a life in the mission field.

Moving on... 

So, here we are and I would like to start again by sharing another favorite tea. A 'must-have' for every mama who is planning to nurse or already nursing!

This special tea mixture is amazing! I couldn’t believe how much milk I was producing with no painful engorgement when my milk first came in after drinking it.

This stuff is good!

Yes, my breasts still felt tight and tender, but it wasn't painful and I wasn't uncomfortable. Just make sure you have a bra that fits comfortably, I didn't with my 4th baby and I was uncomfortable for the first couple days! Live and learn!

This is another tea recipe (have you tried the Super Happy Belly Tea?) I got from my midwife in Costa Rica... I know, this gal is amazing and very good at what she does. I've learn so much from her (Thanks Uva!).

She had me drink a ton of this tea for 3 days… basically a ½ gallon of it each day. I loved it like iced tea with raw honey.

1 1/2 gallons of tea in 3 days?! I know that's a lot, but I saw and felt amazing results from drinking it! From then on I had plenty of milk for Tabitha and didn’t even have to drink anymore of it throughout my time of nursing Tabi.

My nursing experience with Naomi (my first) was not the same. I had a challenging start and felt like I wasn’t producing enough milk for her.

I guess that happens with almost all first-time Mamas, right?

But it doesn't have to be like that!

I loved nursing Naomi, but struggled with feeling like I wasn’t giving enough. I bought tea made for nursing moms, but didn’t really noticed a big difference… thankfully, I had the option of buying fresh goat’s milk to supplement with when she was around 6 months old. and still was able to nurse her until she weaned off around 18 months. She was a happy, chubby & thriving baby!

But I was determined the second time around that I was going to mentally and physically prepare myself better so I can nurse Tabitha successfully.

I ate the 7 super foods as much as I could. I took all my supplements. I made sure to cast aside all thoughts of doubt through prayer (truly, nagging & doubtful thoughts can hinder your body from producing milk!).

I was thrilled to see and feel my determination paid off! The 2nd time around with Tabi was so different… I was able to nurse her exclusively until she was almost a year and went on to nurse her until she was about 18 months old.

I believe it had a lot to do with my eating better, trusting in the Lord and the Mama’s Rich Milk Tea.

I, of course, got the recipe from my midwife and you will see that it contains a lot of the same herbs in the Super Happy Belly Tea. You will also see some new herbs and seeds that are known to encourage milk production and enrich it!

I have drank this tea with my 3rd, Tobias and my 4th, Poema. Never once worried about having enough milk and I even like to make a big batch of this tea once in a while because it tastes so yummy!

In fact, I am going to go make some right now!

All About the Ingredients
Below you will learn along with me all the amazing benefits each of these herbs provide to improve the amount and quality of mama's milk! 

• Red Raspberry Leaf: This herb is every pregnant & nursing mama's best herbal friend! It is the best single herb that we can take for total uterine health, which is very important before, during & after pregnancy. It is vital for your uterus to work itself back to pre-pregnancy shape after birth! There is a long list of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that the uterus needs to work efficiently. Red Raspberry Leaf has basically all of them! It is filled with essential minerals and vitamins like magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, vitamin C, E, A and B complex. It also contains easily assimilated calcium and iron. This mama's best friend increases fertility, tones the uterus, aids in easy birthing, restores the womb after birthing, helps prevent miscarriage, reduces morning sickness, soothes muscle/leg cramps and backache, and counters fatigue. This herb is not only great for mama and baby, but for the whole family... read more here!
• Nettle Leaf: You will find that nettle supplies amazing amounts of energy and increases the richness of mama's milk! It is rich in chlorophyll, a significant source of vitamins A, D, C, B, and K, bio-available minerals, including huge amounts of calcium, magnesium silicon, and potassium chloride; protein, and dietary fiber. It prevents folic acid anemia and iron deficiency anemia, and is also a digestive aid, a strengthener to the lungs, an ally of the kidneys, and a restorative to the hair and skin. It has the ability to increase the efficiency of liver and kidney function, which very important during pregnancy. It also helps prevent varicose veins and hemorrhoids, eases leg cramps and backache and reduces the incidence of hemorrhage after birth.
• Red Clover Blossoms: This herb is valued for keeping breast milk rich and our breasts healthy! Red Clover contains chlorophyll and has been called by herbalists a “God given remedy”. These flowers are used in folk medicine as a cure for any cancerous lump or tumor and its alkaline qualities purify the blood. It is used to treat infertility and the generous amounts of minerals, proteins, antioxidants, and phytoestrogens in red clover restores health to the entire reproductive system (great for men too!). Red Clover is an excellent herbal source of calcium, chromium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. Plus, it helps relieves anxiety, which can affect your milk supply!
• Blessed Thistle: Most commonly used to enrich and increase breast milk supply... Blessed Thistle also helps lift postpartum depression and relieve suicidal feelings too! The term 'blessed' was applied centuries ago from its reputation as a cure all, a remedy even for the Black Plague of the Middle Ages. This plant's curative properties were considered a gift from God! Blessed Thistle is known to help balance female hormone problems such as painful menstruation, dysmenorrhea and amenorrhea. It also strengthens the heart and lungs, brings oxygen to the brain & strengthens memory and brings circulation to every part of the body. In the last century, blessed thistle has received a reputation for its action on the internal organs such as the liver and kidneys. Plus, it is an excellent source of potassium and sodium.
• Dandelion Leaf: This amazing weed enriches breast milk in nursing mothers. Dandelion is rich in many nutrients, vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron and vitamin A. This plant contains all the nutritive salts for the blood. It restores and balances the blood so anemia that is caused by deficiencies of these blood salts disappears. It also contains bitter compounds that enhance the efficiency of the body’s eliminative and detoxifying functions. These compounds help restore normal liver function, increase the production of digestive fluids and enzymes, particularly bile, increase the flow of urine and have a laxative effect... all very important functions that should be in good working order after pregnancy!
• Borage: Highly respected for its ability to increase milk flow. Borage contains high levels of calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, vitamin B & C and beta carotene. This flower also has very high levels of gamma linolenic acid, an important essential fatty acid. It is often used to boost GLA deficiencies in children as well to ensure proper growth. Borage is used to restore the adrenal glands to their natural balance, which can create a calmer body and mind. It is also well known for its soothing qualities and has been used to treat nervous conditions. Its natural sedative effects have been used for lifting the spirits and softening the nervous edge. Borage works well to ease depression and mood swings often associated with menopause and menstrual cycles.
• Fennel Seeds & Cumin Seeds: Known to increase milk production and tone the digestive system. Fennel & Cumin not only help in milk production, but is also fantastic for colic & flatulence in small babies. Their powers are carried through the breast milk, curtailing colic and indigestion. Both help normalize the appetite, increase the flow of urine and help cleanse the liver. One of fennel's greatest attributes is its ability to make the unpleasant taste of many herbs more tolerable.

Let's Make Tea!

After researching all that... I am simply amazed that we have these natural resources to nourish ourself and our babies. God is awesome! Are you ready to order the herbs and make up a batch of Mama's Rich Milk Tea?! Yeah, I thought so.

Again, I bought almost everything from Bulk Herb Store. Their quality is excellent and the prices are even better! I purchased the Borage and Cumin Seeds from Mountain Rose Herbs  because BHS does not sell these two.

Now, some of you are probably wondering why I didn't include fenugreek seeds... my midwife said she preferred not to use them because they give a strong, somewhat unpleasant taste. She believes all the herbs and seeds listed above is more than enough to improve the flow and nutrition of Mama's milk.

You are more than welcome to add fenugreek seeds if you believe you must have them! Use the same amount as the fennel and cumin.

If you decided to buy everything in bulk you can just mix what you need and have enough to last through your time of nursing. You will have extras of each herb, but they can be used for other things.

Second option is to simply mix everything together with only some herbs leftover. The extra you will have are simply wonderful to give away as gifts to other nursing mamas... yeah, putting this tea in a dressed up jar made wonderful gifts!

Third option is to simply order Bulk Herb Store's already made nursing tea if making your own seems too much for you right now. Either way, you will still be getting important vitamins and minerals needed for healthy milk and baby!

4 parts Red Raspberry Leaf

4 parts Nettle Leaf

3 parts Red Clover Blossoms

3 parts Blessed Thistle

2 parts Dandelion Leaf

2 parts Borage

1 part Fennel Seeds

1 part Cumin Seeds

Mix everything together in a large bowl or pot. Store in airtight containers or jars in a dark, cool place.

Hot tea: add 2-3 teaspoons of the premixed herbs to 1 cup of boiling water. Let it steep for up to 10 minutes, cover the mug. Strain and add raw honey or stevia to taste.

Cold tea: To make a pitcher of cold tea, add 10-12 teaspoons of the premixed herbs to 8 cups of boiling water. Let it sit for a while (30 minutes up to 4 hours for maximum absorption of the vitamins & minerals), strain and add raw honey or stevia if desired. Discard the used herbs, and put the tea in the refrigerator to drink over ice or it can be reheated.

Herbal ice cubes: Pour finished and cooled Mama's Rich Milk Tea into ice cube trays. Put in the freezer. Pop them out when frozen and put some in your glass of nursing tea for the day. I love this method because I can iced my tea using herbal ice cubes and it won't dilute the flavors!

My midwife said to drink at least a 1/2 gallon for the first 3 days after birth and to drink it slowly throughout the day. Then drink it daily or when you feel that you need a boost for your milk.

Hope you will enjoy this tea as much as I did! Also, the links above are my affiliate links and I will earn a small commission if you decide to order the herbs through those links (no charge to you!). Thank you for reading this and supporting my family through your purchases!

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