First of all,  what is Vaginal Steaming:

Photo credit
Chrissy Teigen Instagram

At this point many of us have seen the infamous photo of Chrissy Teigen with a face mask sitting on a stool steaming her vagina postpartum. Think about vaginal steaming like a cup of herbal tea… for your vagina. The practice involves placing a steaming pot of herbs under your vagina and letting the steam come up into the uterus where it can do all it’s healing work.  You can try it on your own or with a practitioner. We highly suggest using a practitioner because there can be contraindications for steaming. Also you want to work with someone that has a good working knowledge of the herbs and what medicinal qualities they have. (Most importantly you want to work with someone that knows how to NOT burn you)

When the steam rises, it carries the medicinal oils of the plant with it, and directly applies them to your vaginal tissue, perineum, cervix, and uterus. The steaming uses the support of medicinal plants to break up tissue residue so that it can be easily flushed out of our body with your next cycle.

Where did Vaginal Steaming come from:

Apparently this practice has been around for thousands of years.  Roots of this ancient healing ritual have been found in Africa, the Indigenous Americas, Korea and India.  It is most commonly known by the Korean name chai-yok, Most indigenous cultures to Asia have similar folk practices that have been in use for centuries.

Steam stools at King Spa

Why should women steam their vagina for fertility:

Many women have trouble conceiving due to improper blood flow to their uterus.

Sign of an imbalance or improper blood flow:

• Trouble conceiving or staying pregnant
• Menstrual cramps
• Excessively heavy bleeding
• Very light bleeding
• Brown spotting
• Blood clots
• Ovarian cysts
• Hemorrhoids
• Long cycles
• Short cycles

There are many reason due to our modern society that this can happen, sitting at desks and in cars all day, every day, more processed foods, etc. This leads to years of an unbalanced period which can lead to a build-up of tissue in the uterus.

When there is an excess of old tissue residue in the lining of the uterus, a fertilized egg has no secure nesting place to develop inside the uterus wall. If you are a women who experiences cramps during ovulation or during your cycle, those cramps are your muscles contracting trying to squeeze all of that extra tissue out of your body.

The steam will increase your blood flow enhancing your circulation, detoxification, and directing nutrients straight to the uterus. This can clear out tissue residue and create a healthy environment for a baby to grow.

Different plants support the healing of each of the different imbalances listed above. With the right combination of herbs it is possible to heal and work towards a healthy pregnancy. 

P.S. Vaginal steams can also be used for other issues such as challenging menstrual cycles, PMS, postpartum healing, menopause, cysts/fibroids, endometriosis, PCOS, trauma and more.

Written by: our Labor Doula Christine and yoni steaming specialist. If you are interested in yoni steaming please click here.