Posted by Les Mauvaises Herbes
You know, those magical final weeks of pregnancy, when the universe reminds you with some serious hemorrhoids that "it’s not gonna be easy"? You desperately look for tasks to complete to feel like you’re in control, but there you have it: the baby’s room is finished, your hospital bag is hanging by the door, and you’ve already bought yourself some very lovely nursing bras, which for now just make you feel kinky when you "unclip" them in front of your partner for entertainment during commercial breaks.
A popsicle for your perineum
Admit it, you shudder a little at the thought that a human being will soon come out of that place where you found it challenging to insert a Diva Cup the first few times. More than anything, you wonder what all that will look like in the weeks to come (inevitable mental image of a pound of lean ground beef)...
Enter: PADSICLES.
A padsicle is a kind of popsicle to soothe your crotch, like a reward for a job well done once you’ve expelled the result of your 9 months of gestation from your insides.
They are strips of fabric soaked in products that are good for your battered perineal region, which you freeze to insert between you and your sanitary pad during your postpartum recovery.
Most people (especially if you’re expecting a baby) know that there is a more or less long period (on average 3 to 6 weeks) after giving birth where the uterus, in its quest to return to a reasonable size, will evacuate everything it had hoarded during the last 9 months so that your little grape could be comfortable. So, you will have, on a delayed basis, the equivalent of all the periods you saved during your pregnancy (yippee).
So yes, stock up on overnight maxi-pads, Niagara-caliber. And ABOVE ALL, take advantage of those exasperating final weeks of your pregnancy to prepare your padsicles.
What do you need?
It’s very simple, you need:
- pure aloe vera gel (not extract or juice, PURE GEL, I tell you)
- witch hazel hydrosol (in a spray bottle, ideally, for better distribution)
- strips of soft and flexible fabric (in an ideal world, soft cotton, not tweed or denim, let’s say, that’s going into a sensitive war zone)
- wax paper (why not reuse your cereal box liners?)
- a rectangular container with a lid or a freezer bag large enough to hold the strips flat (mostly so your padsicles don’t smell like the onion soup sitting right next to them)
Fabric strips or disposable pads?
If you explore the Internets, you’ll realize that to make padsicles, many people use disposable sanitary pads instead of fabric strips. To me, this was an absurdity on several levels.
Disadvantages of disposable pads
- You still have to put another pad underneath, because when it melts, it necessarily makes a mess. So, you end up using TWICE as many disposable pads (the planet won’t love you anymore, not to mention the discomfort of such double padding).
- You have to open them to soak them, then fold them back up to freeze them. Hello, law of least effort that governs my existence at the end of pregnancy.
- They are HUGE. I’d like there to be room left in my freezer for my spag sauce, thank you very much, goodnight.
- The blood will stay trapped in your padsicle, which is already wet and lined with plastic, creating a humid tropical climate that is not needed in your crotch area. With fabric, the blood can move toward the dry pad underneath the padsicle and let you enjoy the benefits of the aloe and witch hazel in peace.
Advantages of disposable pads
- … (Insert sound of crickets at dusk)
QED.
Alright, so how do we proceed?
1. First, cut strips of fabric to the size that suits you.
I went with the width of the disposable pads I already bought in anticipation of the flood, but I cut them a bit shorter because it isn’t your tailbone or your pubic hair that will need some love. I do a lot of sewing, so I have a million fabric scraps. In this case, I used leftover flannel. You can go buy the fabric of your choice by the meter, or pull an Émilie Bordeleau and repurpose old dish towels and t-shirts. The important thing is to pre-wash new fabrics with a mild soap to avoid any irritation.
2. Arrange the strips flat in a single layer on a cookie sheet (to avoid getting it everywhere).
3. Drizzle on the aloe gel (don't go crazy, let's say one to two tablespoons per strip), focusing on the center of the strip.
3. Spray the witch hazel hydrosol on the strips, quite generously, without turning it into a flood.
4. Then stack the strips in the container or freezer bag, alternating between fabric and wax paper, so you don’t end up with an inseparable brick of padsicles.
That’s it. No joke. All that’s left is to take out the padsicles one by one when the time comes, let them thaw for a minute or two before putting them in your panties, because if you’re old enough to have children, you’ve surely already understood why you don’t stick your tongue on a frozen pole in winter.
When you run out? You shed a tear, wash your fabric strips, and start all over again, this time with a baby in your arms, to add a challenge.
The benefits of padsicles
Aloe gel
Everyone knows the benefits of aloe gel; it is an emollient for the skin (so it softens and soothes), which also helps treat inflammation, lesions, and infection. After being pushed to their limits, the perineal tissues will be sensitive, or even torn, increasing the risk of infection. Aloe is therefore a great ally for both repair and prevention.
Witch hazel hydrosol
For its part, witch hazel is recognized as an effective astringent in the treatment of, among other things, hemorrhoids, a frequent consequence of the effort of childbirth and the pressure exerted by the fetus on the rectum during the final weeks of pregnancy. Witch hazel is also anti-inflammatory and is often used for the treatment of skin issues, eczema, mucous membrane irritations, minor burns, or even bruising. By promoting blood circulation, it helps to repair tissues and reduce swelling.
The cold…
Finally, the cold. Freezing the soaked strips will give the perineal area a break by temporarily reducing sensitivity and swelling, to allow the tissues and blood vessels to repair themselves.
There you go! Have a great end of pregnancy and remember, all good things come to those who wait…
