Frozen pads for postpartum --- how does it work?

[Beppie]

Logistically, how does it work with putting water on a pad and freezing it, to be used pospartum to help ease a sore perineum....

(1) What happens when all that water thaws?

(2) And if the pad has water in it, how can it absorb any blood?


While a frozen pad does sound like a good idea, it also frankly sounds a bit messy. Just curious!!!

[DreamsInDigital]

IME, you don't leave the pad on long enough for it to thaw entirely. Too much cold will really inhibit your body's ability to heal. I'd leave on it only long enough to alleviate any swelling, not to mention, you're right, it would be very wet.

I never had any problems with absorbancy because, like I said, I didn't leave it for long. I would also have a chux pad underneath just in case.

[adtake]

not to ignore your questions at all....but who cares!! it feels sooooo good!!! lol maybe you use just a little water and it absorbs to the bottom and still soaks on top??

I do agree with pp...my mw didn't leave it on too long...just enough to cut down on the intial body shock of birth I think. Then on to a normal pad.

I just saw some at my local grocery store of all places..I thought how funny! My mws have used gloves in the past also..fill with water and freeze a bit....was soo nice!

Good luck on your hb!!

[Danielle13]

i think my mw used witch hazel in mine and she put it on under my other pad. hth

[Beeblebrox]

Originally Posted by Danielle13

i think my mw used witch hazel in mine and she put it on under my other pad. hth

I'd use witch hazel too.

[rootzdawta]

Originally Posted by Beppie

Logistically, how does it work with putting water on a pad and freezing it, to be used pospartum to help ease a sore perineum....

(1) What happens when all that water thaws?

(2) And if the pad has water in it, how can it absorb any blood?


While a frozen pad does sound like a good idea, it also frankly sounds a bit messy. Just curious!!!

I don't remember it being all that messy. I used regular Always pads so they were super absorbent. I wore the pads with those mesh panties. By the time it was completely thawed, I needed another pad anyway. I soaked mine with witch hazel too. Very soothing.

[Alice27]

Just sprinkle a bit of water on it, that way the pad turns cold but not into ice. I used big thick pads with no plastic in them, they-re soft to sit on. They sell them either as post partum pads, or inserts for cloth diapers for older kids.

Alice

[hubris]

Oh, goodness, thank you for reminding me that I put some GladRags inserts in the freezer and need to pop them off the cookie sheet and into a container to store them!

Somebody here referred to "crotch pops" and suggested freezing just the insert part of GRs, then putting them into the little insert part under the top part of the pad. I wrung mine mostly out so they won't be sopping wet when thawed.

[cornpicker]

I prefered witch hazel to water, too. I just squirted some on, pretty liberally (those pads are mega absorbent!), and froze in ziplocs. They were AWESOME.

[StacyL]

Originally Posted by Beppie

Logistically, how does it work with putting water on a pad and freezing it, to be used pospartum to help ease a sore perineum....

(1) What happens when all that water thaws?

(2) And if the pad has water in it, how can it absorb any blood?


While a frozen pad does sound like a good idea, it also frankly sounds a bit messy. Just curious!!!

I like a trick I learned from an L&D nurse - use newborn size disposable diapers!

You just lift the edge of the top layer of the liner at the back end of the diaper and stuff crushed ice inside. Then you put it in your underwear for 20 minutes. The top layer of the liner protects your skin from direct contact with the ice, while the diaper aborbs all the water of the ice as it melts - no mess!

They work great!

[ilikethedesert]

I used frozen pads and just squirted a little water mixed with witches hazel on it- or sitz bath tea. Enough so the top layer was frozen, but not so much that it couldn't absorb more. That way it's not too cold. I also found a bag of frozen peas very useful!!!

[holly6737]

Originally Posted by Beppie

Logistically, how does it work with putting water on a pad and freezing it, to be used pospartum to help ease a sore perineum....

(1) What happens when all that water thaws?

(2) And if the pad has water in it, how can it absorb any blood?


While a frozen pad does sound like a good idea, it also frankly sounds a bit messy. Just curious!!!

I haven't read all of the posts, but here's my experience:

My midwife made a tea of postpartum herbs and soaked my cloth pads in them. Then, she put then all in separate baggies and put them in the freezer. When I wanted one, I took it out and popped it in the microwave for a couple of seconds, enough to where it was partially thawed. Then I put it in my underwear. It was *AMAZING*!! It did so much for the pain and soreness. I was so swollen and the partially thawed pads felt so good. It was kind of messy, but I just sat on a towel. Then just changed my whole underwear and put on a regular cloth pad. So, a little messy, yes...used the microwave to thaw a bit before putting in my underwear.

[hanno]

Before I had the baby I really didn't think that anything would make me want ice on my crotch but I froze the pads anyway just in case. After having the baby I found that I was right so they got tossed.

[ilikethedesert]

Originally Posted by hanno

Before I had the baby I really didn't think that anything would make me want ice on my crotch but I froze the pads anyway just in case. After having the baby I found that I was right so they got tossed.

[Lizzardbits]

Originally Posted by StacyL

I like a trick I learned from an L&D nurse - use newborn size disposable diapers!

You just lift the edge of the top layer of the liner at the back end of the diaper and stuff crushed ice inside. Then you put it in your underwear for 20 minutes. The top layer of the liner protects your skin from direct contact with the ice, while the diaper aborbs all the water of the ice as it melts - no mess!

They work great!

Ok! whew! I was given some super-cheapie newborn sposies and a package of name-brands and I was thinking that *I* would use them (since the thought of putting a papery crackly sposie next to my newborn's soft tushie makes me cringe) I told my husband that I was going to use them on me for the heavy post partum days and I got a strange look. I am glad that I am not the only one that has thought of this.

I just need to get the ice trays back out and make some ice to crush and I am all set then! Thank you!

[Kam]

If a whole frozen pad sounds like too much (and it was for me), you might try sprinkling witch hazel on something smaller, like a cotton round for makeup, and freezing that. Strategic placement instead of a frozen bum.

[Peacemamalove]

I used tucks pads with witch hazel ( I put the tucks in the fridge so they would be cold) and I placed 3 of them on my pad it worked great.

[LynnE73]

My plan is to make a tea and thoroughly wet the pads with it. I'm going to freeze them in a bowl (read that here on MDC) so they are not a board shape and then I'm going to put them in some big old pull on disposable incontinence underwear for the first few hours!

As a side note, I didn't do this with my son and he was a homebirth transfer to the NICU and I will never forget the sucky feeling of bleeding all down my legs in the emergency room so this time I am going with the "better to be safe than sorry" motto.

[zoie2013]

I filled a peribottle with whatever I wanted in the pads and squirted a generous line down the middle, then froze them in a bowl (so they were curved)

BTW, I found out that I was allergic to witch hazel this way. It was no fun having a rash while healing pp, so I suggest you try them out first. I switched to pp sitz bath on the pads. ahh!

[Maltagirl]

I actually bought pads that you twist and they turn cold...my midwife brought them after my last homebirth and I had to get them for this one, too!

They were fairly cheap. PM me if you want to know more, I am sure I kept a receipt or something somewhere...