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There are many surprises that come with giving birth; birthing the placenta, adult nappies, postpartum bleeding but the pain and swelling of your downstairs area is something to be expected.
The pain will eventually subside and become a distant memory but those first few days or weeks are when any form of pain relief is welcome. A great way to ease the pain is a padsicle (a hybrid of a sanitary pad and an ice lolly).
A padsicle is a chilled sanitary pad and something you can DIY at home in preparation for that postpartum pain. You can of course just use a good old fashioned ice pack but a padsicle is more comfortable and efficient option as it also provides absorption for postpartum bleeding.
The ice reduces swelling and pain, the sanitary pad provides protection and absorption and they can also protect against infections, especially when you add healing herbs.
It’s best to prepare your padsicles pre-birth in bulk, spend an afternoon following our instructions to give future you a helping hand.
Step one: Lay a sheet of foil on the surface you’re working on. There needs to be enough to wrap around the entire pad.
Step two: Unwrap your sanitary pad and place the sticky side to the foil, absorbent side facing up.
Step three: Spoon or squeeze the aloe Vera gel all over the pad evenly. Aloe Vera is great for soothing and alleviating pain due to its antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.
Step four: Apply the alcohol free witch hazel, pour or spray. Witch hazel contains tannins that help reduce swelling, repair broken skin and fight bacteria.
Step five: Additionally or instead of, add a few drops of lavender essential oil onto the pad. As well as calming properties lavender can aid in reducing inflammation.
Step six: Fold over the foil keeping the pad flat and place in the freezer. Leave it for at least one hour.
Although the aloe Vera and essential oils are extremely beneficial, be careful not to apply too much to ensure the sanitary pad will still be absorbent.
Foil is probably the best option for wrapping the pads up to prevent them sticking together, however you could use baking paper, a sandwich bag or even Tupperware if you’re wanting a more sustainable option.
Before using the padsicle, let it thaw for a few minutes once removed from the freezer so it’s not too shocking on the skin. Use it exactly you would a normal sanitary pad by placing it in your underwear, if your postpartum bleeding is on the heavier side you can put your padsicle in an adult diaper for extra protection.
Change the padsicle as often you would a sanitary pad, around every 4 hours. It’s cooling benefits will ware off but the healing properties of the aloe and essential oils will still be working.
