What Is a Peri Bottle?
It goes by many names; peri wash bottle, perineal bottle, perineum bottle, or perineal irrigation bottle, but it’s essentially the same thing, an innovative handheld cleansing tool designed to provide gentle and effective cleaning of the perineal area after childbirth. Have a look at ours for reference.
What is the Perineum or Perienal Area?
The perineum is the area between the vagina and the rectum, and it undergoes significant stretching and sometimes tearing during childbirth. As a result, it can be quite tender and sensitive in the days and weeks following delivery.
The Purpose of our Peri Bottle
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Hygiene: The primary purpose of our peri bottle is to maintain proper hygiene in the perineal area. After childbirth, it's essential to keep this area clean to prevent infection and promote healing.
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Pain Relief: The gentle stream of water from a peri bottle can provide relief from the discomfort and soreness experienced in the perineal area. This is especially vital if you've had an episiotomy (a surgical cut made to enlarge the vaginal opening) or if you tore during childbirth.
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Promoting Healing: Keeping the perineal area clean and free from irritants helps to speed up the healing process. Water is a gentle and natural way to do this, as it doesn't contain any harsh chemicals that could irritate sensitive tissues.
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Design & Ease of Use: Due to its innovative upsidedown design, it provides an effortless way to clean your perineal area. You can use it sitting down or standing up and it removes the need to bend or ensures you don’t end up in any awkward or painful positions.
How Often Should I Be Using One?
We recommend using it during or after every toilet break. This ensures your perennial area stays clean and aids in the healing process.
What Should I put in the Peri Bottle?
Warm water is all you need. Simply fill it up and you’ll be good to go.
Aloe vera and Epsom salts are also often used but we recommend chatting to your doctor before adding anything other than water, just to be safe.
Can I Still Use A Peri Bottle If I Had a C-Section Delivery?
100%, yes. Even if you didn't experience a vaginal birth, you’ll still find a peri bottle to be useful — especially if you laboured before having the C-section, as your perineum likely still be painful and swollen.
Going number two can be difficult and straining will likely aggravate your incision and sore abdomen, so a peri bottle will be super uselful here.
If your C-section was planned, you might still find yourself in pain when trying to wipe yourself or the location of your incision could make bending over to clean yourself difficult, which is where the peri bottle can help.
You will also experience the same bleeding as those who had a vaginal birth and the peri bottle is great for managing this scenario. Plus, you can also use a peri bottle to clean your incision to avoid the wound becoming infected.
How to Use a Peri Bottle
Using a peri bottle is a straightforward process. Here's our step-by-step guide on how to use one:
- Prepare Warm Water: Fill the peri bottle with warm water. The temperature should be comfortable, not too hot or too cold. We recommend between 37C - 38C.
- Position Yourself: Stand over the toilet or sit on the edge of the toilet seat with your legs apart. Alternatively, you can use the peri bottle while sitting in a bathtub or standing in a shower.
- Cleanse Gently: Hold the peri bottle with one hand and use the other hand to part your labia. Direct the stream of water toward the perineal area, ensuring the water flows from front to back to prevent contamination from the rectal area.
- Air Dry: After cleansing with the peri bottle, gently dry the area using a hair dryer on a low setting. Alternatively, you can pat dry using a clean, soft towel. Do not rub, as this can be abrasive.
- Repeat as Needed.
