Douches are sometimes used to help rinse out the vagina, and a baking soda douche simply consists of a small amount of baking soda dissolved in water. Some women believe these types of douches can help them conceive a male child or cure a yeast infection. Many medical professionals, on the other hand, strongly advise against using any type of douche.
To prepare a douche, a small spoonful of baking soda can be stirred into a glass of distilled water. This water should be warm, but not hot, to help dissolve the baking soda. Using hot water for a douche could result in serious burns. When the soda has completely dissolved, it can be used to fill a vaginal douche bottle or pouch. Douche pouches are usually nothing more than soft rubber bulbs that, when squeezed, expelled the water. A tube is also usually connected to a douche pouch, and a plastic or rubber nozzle is attached to the other end of the tube.
To rinse the vagina, a woman should first be sitting or standing in a tub or shower. She can also be seated on a toilet, if that is more comfortable. The nozzle on the end of the tube can then be inserted into her vagina.
Gently squeezing the rubber douche pouch will cause the douche to enter the vagina. It is important to squeeze the rubber pouch very gently, since this will prevent the douche water from rushing into the vagina with too much force. The vaginal muscles should also be relaxed, which will allow the water to simply rinse the vagina and flow back out.
Using a baking soda douche can alter the pH of the inside of a woman's vagina, making it less acidic. Some scientists believe that the sperm needed to conceive a boy, sometimes referred to as the Y sperm, is less tolerant of acidic environments than the sperm needed to conceive a girl. Since baking soda can reduce the acidity in the vagina, some women use it in douches to help them conceive boys. It may also be used to help cure a yeast infection, although the infectious fungus may actually increase when the vaginal pH level is altered.
Although it was once a common practice, most medical professionals now do not suggest women use any type of douche. These can seriously upset the balance of a healthy vagina, and actually wash away the good bacteria that reside there. In fact, it is now believed that douching can actually put a woman at risk of developing a vaginal infection. Instead, health experts recommend washing just the outside of the vagina with mild soap and water.
