If you have ever given birth to a baby, you will know just how scary that first pee (or worse, poop!) can seem.
I mean; that whole area has just been through a lot, right?
When I had my first baby, which was a relatively quick labour and with no medications, I was up and in the shower only 20 minutes after she was born. And apart from feeling a little shaky and battered, the shower – with the help of a nurse – went fine.
However, once the shower was over and done with, I sort of felt like I had to pee, and yet when I went to sit on the toilet, no pee would come out. It was the strangest sensation. I felt like I really really wanted to pee, but when I tried, I just couldn’t.
I called the nurse, who was waiting outside, and she came in, felt my abdomen and said that yep, my bladder was full, but not to worry, she had a trick that might help.
She went out and came back in a few minutes later with a little bottle of peppermint oil, which she then proceeded to drip it into the toilet bowl.
And seriously, this was so weird, but within seconds, I was peeing.
The kind nurse explained that using peppermint oil to help with postpartum bladder issues is actually rather well-known, and she also recommended I buy one and bring it home with me. Many women, she explained, experience some issues with their bladder after giving birth, such as swelling or temporary loss of sensation, and peppermint oil can help.
Why this works? Well, peppermint oil is a diuretic and sniffing it, or being exposed to the vapours from it, can help create the need to pee.
Have YOU ever heard of this tip before, mamas? Let us know in the comments or tweet us at @herfamilydotie
