A peri bottle is an essential part of postpartum care, but if you’re a first-time birth mom, you may have absolutely no idea what it is. For the uninitiated, it’s basically a portable bidet. You can certainly use the hospital-provided peri bottle, or you can purchase one that has a much better design for your body and is a whole lot easier to use. We suggest packing one of the best peri bottles around in your hospital vag bag, right alongside a couple pairs of reliable postpartum underwear.
What is a peri bottle?
A peri bottle — or by its more official name, a perineal irrigation bottle — is an easy-to-squeeze squirt bottle for use after giving birth. More advanced options feature a narrow, angled neck designed to gently clean the vulva after you use the toilet. They can be filled with warm water (and even one or two drops of witch hazel for added relief) and aimed at the vulva for a gentle clean after you urinate and/or change your postpartum pad.Since your lady parts will be bruised and swollen after birth, using toilet paper to wipe isn’t the most ideal scenario. In fact, it feels pretty awful, but a peri bottle full of warm water can actually feel good and alleviate some of the burning sensation and pain — at least temporarily. A peri bottle can also be super helpful if you have a C-section, as bending over to wipe after using the toilet can be painful with your incision.
What do I need for postpartum care?
After bringing a brand new person into the world via your badass superwoman body, you’ll need a few essentials on hand for your postpartum home care: a peri bottle; Acetaminophen for perineal pain and overall body aches; witch hazel pads to ease vaginal pain and help with hemorrhoids; sitz bath to soak in for pain relief and cleansing purposes; mesh underwear for comfort; Dermoplast spray for short term pain relief; and a padsicle, which is a pad that’s chilled in the freezer and placed inside your underwear to relieve pain and encourage healing.
Is the Frida Mom peri bottle worth it?
One of the most popular and beloved peri bottles on the market today is the Frida Mom. Does it work well? Absolutely. It’s a bit pricier than other brands at around $16, but it also has the most positive reviews. If you like to purchase items based on experiences from real moms, then the few extra dollars are probably worth it. If that isn’t something you care about, then any other peri bottle on our list will get the job done just as well.Whether you’re looking for just a peri bottle or a whole postpartum recovery kit, we have the best ones you can buy below.
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