Postpartum Perineal Care
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on May 4, 2025.
AMBULATORY CARE:
Postpartum perineal care
is care for your perineum after you have a baby. The perineum is the area between your vagina and anus.
Contact your healthcare provider if:
- You have large blood clots or bright red blood coming from your vagina.
- You have abdominal pain, vomiting, and a fever.
- You have heavy vaginal bleeding that fills 1 or more sanitary pads in 1 hour.
- You have foul-smelling vaginal discharge.
- You feel weak or lightheaded.
- You have questions or concerns about your condition or care.
Care for your perineum:
Healthcare providers will give you a small squirt bottle and show you how to use it. Do the following after you use the toilet and before you put on a new pad:
- Remove the soiled pad
- Use the squirt bottle to rinse your perineum from front to back while you sit on the toilet
- Pat the area dry from front to back with toilet paper or a cotton cloth
- Put on a fresh pad
- Wash your hands
Decrease pain:
- Take a sitz bath. Fill a bathtub with 4 to 6 inches of warm water. You may also use a sitz bath pan that fits over a toilet. Sit in the sitz bath for 20 minutes. Do this 2 to 3 times a day, or as directed.
- Apply ice on your perineal area for 15 to 20 minutes every hour or as directed. Use an ice pack, or put crushed ice in a plastic bag. Cover it with a towel.
- Use medicine spray, wipes, or pads as directed. Healthcare providers may give you a medicine spray or wipes soaked with numbing medicine to decrease the pain. Pads that contain an herb called witch hazel may also help reduce pain. Use these after perineal care or a sitz bath.
Follow up with your doctor as directed:
Write down your questions so you remember to ask them during your visits.
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The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.
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