Herbal Bath Tutorial (For Rivers deep cut)

This post is otherwise titled as: "That Taint just a little cut!"

We had a very interesting evening on Wednesday, River got himself an owee, and it wasn't you average everyday nick!

About a half hour before Mike was to be home from work, River started screaming, and I came to see, and he was holding down by his "stuff" and crying hard. I held him for a bit, and when he calmed down a little, I asked to look at his owee, not expecting much. So I moved him, and there was blood! On me, on him, and I was surprised!

So I moved him in a way that I could see, and low and behold, it was a possible stitcher! He had somehow (I still don't know how) gotten a jagged type of laceration, about 1/4 inch or so deep, about 1 inch long on his TAINT area! He was doing his acrobatic stuff on the couch, and this happened!

After really looking at it, and pulling the wound apart to see the extent, and deepness, I knew it was on the line of stitches. BUT, that's not how we roll in our house! So, I immediately got together some herbs, ran a bath, got him in (and he was doing good by now), and made some tea for the bath. After his herbal bath, I left the herbal water in the tub for awhile, and I put a little NeoSporin on the wound. I left the water in the tub, just in case he had to have a BM in the toilet, so we could rinse his "taint area" off carefully, and without pain. I ended up using the leftover water the next day, when he did have a BM, and he was never in pain, as we didn't have to wipe much, and he was able to rinse gently.

Today is the third day after, and it is closed up now, and no infection, after two herbal baths a day. And of course, he was still doing his silly acrobatics after his first herbal bath, playing with dad, and the next day.....can't keep those toddlers down!

Here is a tutorial of how to make an herbal bath. Remember, if you are not at least First Aid trained (I'm an ex EMT), I would not suggest leaving a big wound unchecked by a professional. We like to take care of ours at home, and I try to make sure I am up on what to do in emergencies.

This is the way we make an herbal bath for a postpartum mama after she has had her baby at home (it can be done after you leave the hospital too). I can testify how well I healed up from little nicks after having two at home, with herbal bath for a good three or more days after birth.

How to make an herbal bath:

First, you grab your herbs. You can use many different herbs, but some suggestions are listed below. I had on hand, and used: Comfrey, Lavender, Shephards Purse, Calendula, Plantain.

I boil a pot of water, big sauce pot is good, and once it starts to boil, I turn off the burner. I used about a half a handfull of each herb, although I used more Comfrey, as I know how healing it is for cuts. You then just put all the herb into the pot of water. Let that steep for 10 minutes (which is what I did in this emergency situation), or longer, up to half hour, which I would recommend if you can.

You can use a fine mesh strainer, cheese cloth, or even a bath towel if you have to. In this quick situation, I used a clean bath towel, it's all I could find right away! I carefully pour the herbal tea from the pot into a mixing bowl with the cloth draping over it, and the herb will be caught in the cloth, or strainer.

Then you take the "Tea" and pour it into the bath. That's it!

I make herbal bath tea bags in my business, but I didn't have time to make a few up and iron the bags closed, and anyway, I like the concentration of a good handfull or more of herb for healing uses, bulk works well for this. If I were to use my bath tea bags, I would have used three of them.
After you are done, you'll have some wet herb. After only steeping for 10 to 20 minutes, I re-use it, pour boiled water over it, in a big jar, or in the pot, and let it steep in the fridge overnight, for use in the morning herbal bath. After you are done with your wet herb, you can put some in your house plants, and outside garden, for organic nutrients in the soil! Also, if you don't consume all of your herbal tea, pour the leftovers in your house plants, they will thank you!

Here is a picture of the boy's getting involved in River's healing!

Some other herbs for healing bath:

Arnica (Arnica montana) used topically is a very effective remedy for bruising. I suggest using it in an infused oil blend. This can be used on perineal muscles and leg muscles if they are sore. Arnica in an infused oil form should not be used directly on the opening or any broken skin. It should not be taken internally unless in a homeopathic remedy.

Plantain (Plantago off.) has vulnerary, demulcent, anti-inflammatory, astringent and anti-microbial properties. Plantain can be incorporated into a sitz bath, compress, poultice or infused oil.

Calendula (Calendula off.) has anti-inflammatory, astringent, vulnerary and anti-microbial properties. This will assist with wound healing by softening the skin and reducing inflammation. Its healing power appears to be based in part on the presence of terpenes. A triterpene glycoside called calendulozide B exerts a marked sedative and anti-ulcerous action. Calendula can be applied in a sitz bath, infused oil and compress.

Lavender (Lavandula off.) is well known for its pain relieving properties and for keeping infection at bay. Lavender can be applied as a compress and sitz bath.

Chickweed (Stellaria media) has vulnerary, emollient actions. Chickweed is commonly used as an external remedy for cuts, wounds and, especially, itching and irritation. High in vitamin C and bioflavonoids, it assists in reducing scarring. Chickweed can be applied as a sitz bath, compress, poultice and infused oil.

Raw honey is a great remedy for first-degree tears. Honey's thick consistency forms a barrier defending the wound from outside infections. The moistness allows skin cells to grow without creating a scar, even if a scab has already formed. Meanwhile, the sugars extract dirt and moisture from the wound, which helps prevent bacteria from growing, while the acidity of honey also slows or prevents the growth of many bacteria. An enzyme that bees add to honey reacts with the wound's fluids and breaks down into hydrogen peroxide, a disinfectant. Honey also acts as an anti-inflammatory and pain killer and prevents bandages from sticking to wounds. Laboratory studies have shown that honey has significant antibacterial qualities.(2) Significant clinical observations have demonstrated the effectiveness of honey as a wound healing agent.(3) Glucose converted into hyaluronic acid at the wound surface forms an extracellular matrix that encourages wound healing; honey is also considered antimicrobial.

Aloe vera applied topically fresh from the plant has superior wound healing abilities. Allantoin, a substance in aloe vera, has been considered a cell proliferant, an epithelial stimulant and a chemical debrider. (The authors of some studies have claimed that aloe vera delays wound healing, but these results are debated.)(4) It has been shown that aloe vera increases collagen content and degree of collagen cross-linkage within the wound. Studies showed that collagen increased 93% with topical aloe vera treatment and 67% with oral treatment, compared to controls.(5) Because aloe vera has a high water content, allow the area to dry after application. If using a prepared aloe formula, the presence of preservatives may cause stinging.

Source: http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/herbspostperineum1.asp?q=herb*