Vaginal Steaming
I wanted to share some information about vaginal steaming as we talked about it in the community postpartum NURTURE class on Saturday and there was lots of interest in learning more. Anecdotally, I vaginally steamed after my second baby and noticed a BIG difference in my pelvic health and in my bleeding ending earlier. I now steam about once a month as part of my regular upkeep unless I’m dealing with other menstrual or pelvic issues.
Potential Benefits:
Bringing circulation to the entire reproductive system, which promotes healing.
Lifting the uterus
Decreasing inflammation in the vulva and vagina
Decreasing bacterial infection
Regulating menstrual cycle length (shortening cycles that are too long, lengthening cycles that are too short)
Decreasing menstrual symptoms (PMS, cramps, heaviness)
Medicinal benefits from the herbs used
Relaxation
Contraindications:
Not to be done during pregnancy.
If TTC, not to be done in the implantation window (between ovulation and bleeding).
Not to be done during menstruation
Not to be done immediately after a cesarean (wait until the scar has closed, usually around 6 weeks postpartum).
Postpartum:
Usually steaming is contraindicated during bleeding, however postpartum bleeding is exempt from this rule because postpartum bleeding is not singularly a hormonal bleed, it is a bleed from where the placenta attached to the uterus and a expelling of the leftover blood from the pregnancy. So steaming can help to heal the wound site (where placenta detached form the wall of the uterus) and can help heal the external wounds at the vulva and vagina. It is also exceptional at lifting the uterus which is low after birth.
Equipment:
It depends how much you want to invest in steaming to decide what equipment you might want. You can simply steam over a pot of water and herbs, or you can invest in a nice steam chair. I’m a big fan of steaming so I bought a steam chair on amazon for about ¥12,000 and use it monthly. The steam chairs in japan are much better than the ones in the US because there is a built in spot for the herbs, and it plugs directly into the wall.
You can also get very fancy with the herbs and learn about which herbs help which symptoms. For example, some herbs are anti-microbial so if you’re struggling with an infection, certain herbs can help.
I got my herbs from amazon japan. I use Wormwood, which is an all-purpose herb, but it looks like there are also some nice blends on amazon japan.
Resources: Steamy Chick is the most well-known vaginal steam educator and she has some good resources on her website, as well as history and research about vaginal steaming: http://steamychick.institute/
Disclaimer: Vaginal steaming is a traditional healing method that does not have a lot of evidence based research to support it. All of this information comes from traditional healers that I have learned with through the Arvigo Institute which comes from a lineage of healers in Belize, and from Steamy Chick who compiles the research that is available. Vaginal steaming also has a long lineage throughout Asia.
Cautions: Burn is a potential risk, although I trust that most women are wise enough to be sensitve to the level of heat they are using to not burn themselves, it still needs to be said.