It’s a shame that patriarchy, colonisation and modern obstetrics would ban such a powerful practice, eradicating it from women’s ancestral knowledge.

Peristeaming, the act of sitting or squatting over warm water with medicinal herbs is not a modern practice. You will find stories of women practicing this post birth in all indigenous cultures.

How women figured this out all around the world remains a mystery, but its benefits are just the same. Here they are in relation to short term benefits then long term:

– Calms the nervous system
– Boosts breastmilk production
– Regulates blood pressure and pulse
– Relieves pain
– Softens scar tissue from sutures or tears
– Reduces fluid retention and assists in water-based weight loss
– Prevents and helps resolve pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence
– Reduces and heals haemorrhoids
– Prevents or resolves infections and fistulas.

…and some long term benefits:

– No leaking
– No accidental pooping or farting
– No pain during sex, in fact you may have better sex!
– Deeper connection to your body
– Stronger pelvic floor
– Pain and fuss free periods when your body is ready.

Ask your grandma if she knows how her mother recovered post birth, and what she did to help recover.

I’ve spoken to a few women from different parts of the world who are Gen Z/Y/X who don’t know about peristeaming….but then recall an older aunty or grandmother who would sometimes squat or stand over a pot of warm water doing “secret women’s business” … even in their post menopausal years.

Let’s not keep something so profoundly effective and simple a secret anymore. Everyone benefits from the practice, it is cost effective and allows women to take agency over their own health.