A good postpartum sitz bath recipe is simple: 2 cups of Epsom salt, 1 cup of alcohol-free witch hazel, and half a cup of baking soda, mixed together and stored in a jar. Add about half a cup of that mix to a few inches of warm water and soak for 15 to 20 minutes, two to three times a day.
That is the short version. Below is the full recipe, how to use it, what each ingredient actually does, and how to adapt the same blend for hemorrhoids, plus the signs that mean you should call your provider instead of soaking again. Warm water does most of the work here, so even if you have nothing in the cupboard, a plain warm soak still helps, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Ingredients:
Mix everything together and store it in a clean glass jar with a lid. The witch hazel will make the salt slightly damp, which is normal. One batch lasts most people about a week at two or three soaks a day.
A note on the essential oils: they smell lovely, but oils can sting or irritate skin that is still healing, especially around stitches or a tear. Many providers suggest skipping them in the first weeks after birth. If you want them, ask your OB or midwife first and keep the amount small.
Rinse the basin after every soak and let it air dry. Our guide on how to clean a sitz bath covers the quick routine that keeps bacteria out of your next bath.
Two to three times a day is the usual rhythm, and the most useful times are:
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists lists sitz baths among the standard comfort measures for perineal pain after delivery. Most people use them for the first one to two weeks, then taper off as healing settles. For the bigger picture of recovery in those weeks, see our postpartum sitz bath guide.
The same base blend works for hemorrhoids, whether they showed up during pregnancy, after delivery, or on their own. Warm water relaxes the anal muscles and soothes the swollen veins, and the Epsom salt and witch hazel add comfort on top of that.
If you would rather not measure and mix, a pre-made soak does the same job with less effort. The Revivol-XR Sitz Bath Soak is a USA-made blend mixed specifically for hemorrhoid soothing, so the ratios are already handled.
After the soak, once the skin is dry, a topical can extend the relief. Revivol-XR Advanced Hemorrhoid Cream combines 5% lidocaine, which temporarily relieves pain, itching and burning, with 0.25% phenylephrine, which helps temporarily shrink swollen hemorrhoidal tissue. If you are postpartum, pregnant, or breastfeeding, ask your OB or midwife before using this or any topical product.
Sitz bath salts are simply soaking salts sold or mixed for this one purpose: a shallow, warm soak of the perineal area. Most are built on Epsom salt or sea salt, sometimes with witch hazel, baking soda, or botanicals added. When you are choosing or making one, look for:
Plain is better here. The goal is clean, warm, slightly mineral water, not a spa cocktail.
Yes. Sitz baths are routinely recommended after delivery precisely because they keep stitches clean and ease the ache while the area heals. Keep the water warm rather than hot, use a freshly cleaned basin or tub, and pat dry gently afterward. If your provider gave you specific instructions about your repair, those win over any general recipe.
Call your OB, midwife, or doctor if you notice fever or chills, pain that gets worse instead of better, heavy or increasing bleeding, a foul-smelling discharge, stitches that look open or infected, or a hemorrhoid that is intensely painful, hard, or not improving after a week of home care. Postpartum infections and clotted hemorrhoids both need a professional, not a longer soak.
Yes. Pre-measured soaks save you the mixing and guesswork. The Revivol-XR Sitz Bath Soak linked above is one made specifically for hemorrhoid soothing relief.
You should feel soothing relief during the bath itself. The deeper improvement, less swelling and less soreness day to day, builds over the first week or two of regular soaks.
Yes. Warm water alone is the medically proven core of a sitz bath. The salts, witch hazel, and baking soda add comfort, but skipping them does not make the soak useless.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Talk with your healthcare provider about your specific symptoms.