Giving birth is an incredible achievement, but it often comes with discomfort during the recovery period. Proper care for your vaginal area in the postpartum week is essential for healing and for preventing infections or complications.

Rinsing, cooling, and airing are three simple yet powerful ways to boost your recovery. They increase comfort, improve hygiene, and help your body heal naturally. Here’s why they work so well—and how to easily add them to your postpartum routine during your first week after birth.

Recommended by midwives and maternity care professionals in the Netherlands and Belgium.

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⬇️ Scroll for explanation and tips

1. Rinsing your vaginal area after birth: Keeping it clean

Rinsing—gently washing the vaginal area with lukewarm water—is essential for maintaining hygiene and preventing infections.

Why rinsing after urination helps in the first days postpartum

Rinsing has several benefits:

• Prevents infections: After childbirth, there is an increased risk of infection due to the presence of wounds and exposure to bacteria. Flushing helps to keep the area clean, reducing the chances of bacterial growth and infection.
• Removes residue(e.g. blood clots or placenta fragments): Rinsing aids in removing blood, tissue, and other postpartum discharge, preventing irritation and promoting healing.
• Gentle cleansing: Using lukewarm water or chamomile tea is much gentler on sensitive postpartum skin than soap, which can irritate and dry it out.

How to rinse your vaginal area after childbirth

• Use a peri bottle filled with warm water to gently rinse the vaginal area after using the toilet.
• Always direct the water flow from front to back to avoid introducing bacteria from the rectal area.
• Pat dry with clean, soft toilet paper or a towel.
• Focus on rinsing mainly during the first 1–3 days after birth, especially if you are bleeding heavily.

Tip: If you have stitches or a tear, urinating can sting as the urine passes over sensitive tissue. In this case, use your peri bottle during urination as well as after. Spraying lukewarm water (or chamomile tea) directly onto the stitches or tear dilutes the urine, making it less likely to sting, and removes the burning feeling.

2. Cooling your vaginal area after birth: Reducing swelling and pain

After a vaginal delivery, the area is often sore, swollen, and sensitive. Whether you have stitches or not, the tissues have gone through a lot—and even sitting or lying down can feel uncomfortable. That’s where cooling comes in.

Cooling is widely recommended by midwives and postpartum nurses to ease discomfort and speed up recovery. It offers immediate relief from the pain and swelling that often follow birth.

Why cooling helps postpartum recovery

• Reduces swelling: Cooling eases inflammation in the tissues.
• Numbs pain: The cold sensation offers instant relief from soreness and tenderness.
• Soothes irritation: Helps reduce itching and general discomfort.

How to cool your vaginal area after birth

• Use Cool Couchie Pads—maternity pads with a built-in cooling mechanism. They don’t need to be kept in the freezer, so they’re ready to use right away. They’re extra soft (no rock-hard frozen pads here!) and have high absorbency thanks to their thickness.
• Activate the cooling effect in just a few seconds, then place the pad in your comfy underwear (skip the thongs and those hospital mesh panties for this one).
• Cool 2–4 times per day in the first few postpartum days, depending on your level of discomfort.
• Never use multiple cooling pads back-to-back—alternate with regular maternity pads or air-drying (see below).

👉 See how the Cool Couchie pad works ↓