Padsicles: How To Make Your Own Cold Pack for Postpartum Pain Relief
If you’re preparing for Recovery after Labour, soothe your lady bits with these easy padsicles.
Guest Post by Mum Bub Hub
When I was packing my hospital bag and preparing for the birth of my baby, I came up with a long list of items for my newborn and other items to aid my recovery after birth. If you’re preparing for your recovery after labour, you’ve probably discovered padsicles in your searches!
What is a Padsicle?
So what on earth is a padsicle?? Cold packs are a must-have for your postpartum self-care because cold therapy helps soothe the pain and irritation 'down there' after birth. A padsicle is essentially a homemade cold pack - it is a frozen maternity pad filled with healing goodness that you put on your lady bits after birth. If you have a vaginal delivery it’s likely that your vulva and perineum will feel pretty swollen from the pushing. If you experience grazing or tearing of any degree it will definitely be very inflamed and sore so this is basically the most cooling and soothing thing your vagina may encounter during the healing process.
The pads are soaked with ingredients to speed the healing of the perineum and surrounding areas to help with recovery. They can be used to soothe discomfort from haemorrhoids as well. Padsicles are simple to make and very helpful to have on hand. They can be prepped anytime before baby is born and stored in the freezer for future use.
What Do You Need To Make Padsicles?
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Maternity pads: Any kind can work. We recommend Maternity Pads with extra long coverage, super absorbent and has wings for extra protection.
MBH Perineal Spray or Distilled Witch Hazel: We love witch hazel! It is a natural, soothing skin remedy that helps reduce inflammation and swelling and it has great wound healing properties which makes it an ideal remedy for reducing vaginal swelling and swelling of haemorrhoids. It also has sort of a numbing effect which is great for pain relief. If you are going to use distilled witch hazel, the most important thing when choosing a brand is to avoid any brands that have alcohol, which could further cause irritation. MBH Perineal Spray is made with distilled witch hazel and is alcohol free.
Aloe Vera Gel: Aloe vera is another wonderful, natural soothing treatment for skin. Try to find a brand that is pure aloe vera gel.
Essential Oils are optional: You can add 2-3 drops of essential oil to your witch hazel spray bottle. Lavender oil, rosemary oil, and tea tree oil are all great options and all have healing properties. If you are using our Perineal Spray this already has lavender and tea tree essential oil.
Spray Bottle (optional for the witch hazel mixture): Any spray bottle will do, and you’ll only use this to spray the witch hazel onto the pads.
Plastic Freezer Bag: You’ll want to use freezer bags or plastic wrap to store the padsicles in your freezer.
Padsicle Tutorial
Step 1:
Partially unwrap a few pads at a time with clean hands, but don’t detach the wrapper. Release the tabs from the wings, but save the backing so you can put it back on.
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Step 2:
Spread about a tablespoon of aloe vera gel up and down the pad spreading it almost to the bottom of the pad. Use the pad's inner liner pattern as a guide to keep the aloe in the center so that it won’t leak out the sides later as it melts. You will also be bleeding on the pad so you don't want to saturate them completely.
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Step 3:
Spray with the Perineal Spray - enough to dampen the pad but not soak it through. If you are using distilled witch hazel, fill your small spray bottle about halfway up with witch hazel. Add 5-10 drops of each essential oil then top off with more witch hazel. Use this mixture to spray the pads.
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Step 4:
Let dry a little bit, then fold the pads back up to how they were and stick them in the plastic bag, then freeze. Your padsicles are done! After baby, pull them out of the freezer one by one as needed and let them thaw for two or three minutes before use.
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BONUS:
Use the rest of the Perineal Spray for your perineum healing! You can use it on the perineal area each time you go to the bathroom. You can also spray your other regular pads before putting them on to get even more soothing, healing benefits from the oils & witch hazel!
Mum Bub Hub help women heal, rest and recover by providing resources and natural products to aid with postpartum recovery. Especially for the areas that need it most!
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