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Frozen pads for postpartum --- how does it work? - Page 2  

post #21 of 35
11/28/07 at 5:55pm
OMG. This thread just reminded me how much I love frozen pads PP!!!!
post #22 of 35
11/29/07 at 10:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by njbeachgirl View Post
OMG. This thread just reminded me how much I love frozen pads PP!!!!
Me too!
post #23 of 35
12/12/07 at 1:23pm
OKay so I know we dont eat these so in one sense it doesn't really matter lol..

but how long do these "keep" in the freezer?

I'm 36 weeks but I fully anticipate going the full 40 or more. Is it too soon?

M
post #24 of 35
12/12/07 at 7:55pm
My midwives brew the "tea" they use on the pads while I'm in labor (dh is amused that one of his jobs when I go into labor is to boil water! ) and make up the pads and freeze them. The thing is, I'm allergic to the disposable pads, so what I found was that soaking/wringing strips of washcloth (half a washcloth) or receiving blanket and freezing them worked great. I just put wax paper in between them so they wouldn't freeze together and put them on top of disposable pads so the pad would absorb the moisture. I only kept the pads in for 10-15 minutes and then changed to a regular pad. Basically every other time I peed I'd put a new insert in, unless I was getting uncomfortable and felt the need for a new pad. I also used the leftover "tea" in my peribottle - very soothing!
post #25 of 35
12/12/07 at 8:09pm
I just put a mixture of water & calendula in a spray bottle and sprayed them lightly so it didn't really affect the absorbency, just worked enough to be cool and soothing.
post #26 of 35
12/14/07 at 4:29pm
My local hospital takes size 1 disposable diapers, cuts them open, pulls out some of the stuffing, and then puts the ice in there. It holds a lot of the water in, though some does leak out into the chux.
post #27 of 35
12/22/07 at 11:29am
The ones I made for my previous dc's had a little bit of witch hazel, a little bit of aloe vera gel and a couple of drops of lavender EO. They were HEAVEN.
post #28 of 35
12/22/07 at 12:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Maltagirl View Post
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!
I used some of those and they were wonderful. I also used witch hazel on cloth pads. I did not soak them, just poured a little bit on them. They didn't leak, but they did get to feeling wet as they thawed and then I just alternated with dry pads.
post #29 of 35
12/26/07 at 12:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LynnE73 View Post
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!
This is exactly my plan! In fact, I made the comfrey tea and got the pads in the freezer last night. I put wax paper between the pads, and I put 2 pads in a bowl. Then I stacked the bowls up, and put it all in the freezer. I'll transfer them to ziplocks today sometime.

I also bought 2 packages of Depends - couldn't decide on the right size so I got both.

I tore with DD, and was stitched up. I remember having those "instant" packs in the hospital, and I couldn't get enough of them. They didn't seem cold enough to me, and they didn't last long. I wanted a new one every hour. Well, actually I wanted one more often than that, but the nurses complained at me and said it was supposed to last 2 hours. Ha HA! Those things were warm after 15 minutes!

So I have 10 frozen pads prepared, and if I seem to go thru them quickly, I can ask someone to make me more. I figure the Depends will be the absorbent part of the equation, and I'll still be on chux pads. Oh, birthing is so messy!!
post #30 of 35
12/26/07 at 6:51pm
I soaked pads & panty liners & froze them. The pads were a bit cumbersome. To prevent wetness I wrapped them in baggies and then wrapped in cloth diapers. I really found them indispensible to ease pain and swelling.

Ok, now for the horror story. So I had a laundry pail full of gross bloody cloth dipes and my very sweet MIL was by visiting and offered to take them home and wash them. After she brought them back, I used one with just a frozen pad inside and no baggies. After it started thawing and getting the diaper wet, I started to feel excruiating stinging on my freshly torn and stitched up crotch. Here MIL had used copious amounts of bleach to clean the dipes and they still retained quite a bit- I couldn't really smell the bleach when they were dry but after they were wet the reeked of it. So I was basically sitting in bleach. I was in the throes of postpartum emotions anyhow and that sent me over a cliff- I sobbed for like and hour afterward. No fun!
post #31 of 35
12/26/07 at 9:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Maltagirl View Post
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...
Where did you buy them? I had them for my last two hospital births and I would love to buy them!
post #32 of 35
12/26/07 at 9:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by EKilgore View Post
I soaked pads & panty liners & froze them. The pads were a bit cumbersome. To prevent wetness I wrapped them in baggies and then wrapped in cloth diapers. I really found them indispensible to ease pain and swelling.

Ok, now for the horror story. So I had a laundry pail full of gross bloody cloth dipes and my very sweet MIL was by visiting and offered to take them home and wash them. After she brought them back, I used one with just a frozen pad inside and no baggies. After it started thawing and getting the diaper wet, I started to feel excruiating stinging on my freshly torn and stitched up crotch. Here MIL had used copious amounts of bleach to clean the dipes and they still retained quite a bit- I couldn't really smell the bleach when they were dry but after they were wet the reeked of it. So I was basically sitting in bleach. I was in the throes of postpartum emotions anyhow and that sent me over a cliff- I sobbed for like and hour afterward. No fun!
Eek, that is horrible. But very sweet of your MIL.
post #33 of 35
12/27/07 at 12:10am
first of all--crotch pops LOL!!!
secondly I also used comfrey tea I seeped it before my birth wet a few pads and froze them, then saved the rest of the tea for the peri bottle I was healed very quickly and it DOES feel so good
post #34 of 35
12/29/07 at 6:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Beppie View Post
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!!!
My midwife said to use WitchHazel not water. But yes, it will probably leak and all but feel REALLY good. It's meant to act as an anti-bacterial ice pack for your soar Yoni...so don't worry about the mess!

:
post #35 of 35
1/1/08 at 4:09am
I squirted the sitz bath solution onto the pads and froze them. It was heavenly.
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