Postpartum vaginal steaming: Hot water procedure for vagina good for woman afta delivery?

Afta child birth, woman womb and uterus need to go back to dia normal sizes.

Dis na natural procedure for evri woman becos na so women body dey.

But Monica Azeru say e get tins wey dem dey do to help women gain back dia body afta child birth.

Azeru, a midwife say true true women dey get complications afta child birth, na why dem dey treat dem wit care.

Part of di tins wey women dey go through afta delivery na to sidon on top very hot water wey dey produce steam. Also, dem dey make di women take hot peppersoup.

"Pregnancy na journey and di process of healing na anoda journey. Di only tin be say di distance dey different," Azeru tok.

Benefit of hot water procedure

Most women dey experience pain afta delivery.

However to experience pain afta normal child birth dey different from di pain pesin go experience wey born through medical procedure, cesarean section (CS).

Monica Azeru wey dey practice for Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital for south-south Nigeria say dis na why women dey go through warm water procedure.

"Di warm water go help flush out some kain tins wey dey di woman body," she tok.

She say though drugs dey wey fit do dis same tin, women dey rely more on di hot water procedure.

"Dis procedure dey increase blood flow, e dey help to heal and repair tissues for dia body fast.

"Hot water and pepper soup afta birth dey help to reduce di size of di uterus and also clean di pelvic area.

'Better to use drugs'

Consultant obstetrician gynaecologist, Prof Rosemary Ogu say e dey better for women to take post-natal advise from dia doctor.

She also express concern about di possibility of di woman getting infection if error dey for hot water procedure.

Prof Ogu say: "Di use of hot water afta delivery especially wen dem do am for 20 to 30 minutes na good practice but not very hot water.

On massage of di belle, "We advise women to stop using hot water to press dia belle before and afta delivery, dis na bad practice and pipo need to stop am."

Di consultant obstetrician gynaecologist also discourage women from patronizing "local birthing centres," because di law for Nigeria no recognize dem.

"E dey illegal and dia practice don cause a lot of death for many women.

"Dem no get training or teaching to attend to pregnant women especially wen complication dey."

'Recovery afta delivery'

Women dey get dia body back at least six weeks afta delivery and e dey take longer time for odas.

But di process of recovery depend on di body of di woman and di way she take give birth.

UK National Health Service (NHS) say women need to ready to see changes to dia physical body.

"Afta delivery, your belle go still remain probably a lot bigger dan before pregnancy. Dis na partly becos your muscles don stretch. If you chop balance diet and get some exercise, your shape should gradually return.

"Your breasts go produce one yellowish liquid called colostrum for your baby. Wearing supportive nursing bra fit help. Speak to your midwife if you dey very uncomfortable," NHS tok.

Some common reactions wey women go experience afta delivery include; stitches, going to toilet, bladder control, piles, bleeding afta birth and so on.

Why I do vagina steaming afta I born

"To do sitz bath wen woman born na better tin, sake of say na correct experience e be for me."

Na so Omotayo Gbanigbe wey don born two children tell BBC Pidgin

Di reason be say three days afta I born pikin body bin dey pain me, I no fit siddon well and my belle still be like say anoda pikin dey inside.

"As I come do di steaming, I den notice one better change for my system, I sleep wella dat day and before e reach seven days my belle don come down and all di blood don clear kommot.

"I believe say na better tin I do and e dey right for my system sake of say if I bin no do di steaming, I wonder how long e for take my body to heal afta delivery," she tok.

"Although pesin suppose dey careful wit hot water so e no go fit pour for dia body wen dem dey try do di steaming."