If you're planning to have a baby or just had one, make Padsicles! Covered in aloe vera, witch hazel and lavender oil, they are the best postpartum pads to aid in healing and soothing!
Hey y'all listen up: if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant you need to know about padsicles, why? Because they are the absolute best pads for after birth.
What are Padsicles?
They're essentially home-made cold packs for your lady area. Padsicles are the best postpartum pads because they are covered in aloe vera, witch hazel and lavender oil. All together, these reduce pain AND they aid you in healing faster.
A padsicle is a cold, soothing, healing postpartum pad for new mamas to use after vaginal birth.
I am not going to get into the nitty gritty details of postpartum right now. We'll just say it hurts. Before I delivered my baby in November, I read up about postpartum care and found out about padsicles so I whipped up a bunch of them in about 30 minutes one day.
After that baby came I was so glad I did this DIY. They were heaven sent. I kept thinking to myself that I didn't want to know what postpartum life would be like without the padsicles.
DIY Frozen Postpartum Pads
So, if you are going to have a baby I highly recommend making these ahead of time so they'll be ready for you when you get home. If a baby is in your more distant future, pin this for later! If you have a close friend or family member having a baby, make some for them and they'll love you forever. I made a batch of about 30 at first but that many only lasted me about a week so I ended up making another batch of 30 after that. It's up to you to choose how many to make!
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Supplies needed to make Padsicles:
- Biggest pads you can find (I use Always Overnights)
- Witch Hazel (I used this kind)
- Aloe Vera
- Lavender Essential Oil (I used DoTerra)
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How to Make Padsicles
- Partially unwrap a few pads at a time, but don't detach the wrapper. Spread aloe vera generously up and down the whole pad. Don't just do the middle part - spread it further down almost to the bottom of the pad. Just trust me on that.
- Pour about a teaspoon of witch hazel down the middle.
- Add a few drops of lavender oil. Fold the pads back up to how they were and stick them in a gallon sized plastic bag, then freeze.
- Pull them out of the freezer, one by one, as needed and let them thaw for two or three minutes before use.
You'll thank me later for this, I wasn't lying when I said they are the best pads for after birth! Oh and by the way, if you're making these, congratulations on your bundle of joy! The postpartum pain is only a tiny speck compared to the joy your sweet baby will bring to your life.
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Padsicles
Video
Equipment
- teaspoon
Instructions
- Partially unwrap a few pads at a time, but don't detach the wrapper. Spread aloe vera generously up and down the whole pad. Don't just do the middle part - spread it further down almost to the bottom of the pad. Just trust me on that. Pour about a teaspoon of witch hazel down the middle.
- Add a few drops of lavender oil. Fold the pads back up to how they were and stick them in a gallon sized plastic bag, then freeze. Pull them out of the freezer, one by one, as needed and let them thaw for two or three minutes before use.
Notes
Now that you're armed with the absolute best postpartum pads, you can sit back and relax, waiting for your sweet bundle to arrive!
xo,
This post was originally published in January 2015 and has been updated with new photos, video and more detailed information.
Leslie
Could I use these for the overnight underwear, like the Always discreet underwear?
Sarah
Probably! I can't say for sure because I've never tried it.
Maribeth
I've made these about 5 times now for friends who've just given birth and am now everyone's favorite hospital visitor! Lol, they have been a huge hit. Even the nurses were asking what they are. I'm giving birth in January for the first time and will be making them for myself as well. Thanks for the easy instructions!
Sarah
You are an amazing friend!! YAY. Congratulations on your pending arrival! :)
Stacy
I made these with my last baby and loved them! But I think I left them on too long? How long did you leave them on and did you just switch right to a new one or wait a little bit and then put another one on?
Sarah
YAY! I would change mine every few hours and at first, yes, I would immediately switch to another one. After a while I start using them less and less depending on how things feel!
Lynnette Beste
This was such a relief! Thank you so much!
I couldn’t believe what a difference it made!
Grace
Do you need to use 100% aloe Vera or will the 99% work just fine?
Jessica
99% works great!
Grace
Will the witch hazel burn at all because it’s an estringent?
Jessica
Nope-- it feels amazing!
Hannah
Hi there! I think I put wayyyy too much aloe Vera on mine. I made like the entire pack except for a few and realized that I was using a wayyy thicker layer of aloe than any other examples I saw. I used a ton. Do you think that’s okay or Is this going to be a problem? They are already in the freezer. Is there a way I can fix them? I have never used these before and I’m having my first babe next week. SOS!
Sarah
Hey girl! I think it's okay. Maybe just let them thaw slightly, wipe some of it off and re-freeze? I'm guessing that will work fine! I doubt a little extra aloe vera would hurt anyway. It might even help! Congratulations - you are almost to the finish line! :)
Tasha
I just made 24? Is that enough?
Sarah
Yeah, that's probably good! Everyone is different. With my first I went through probably 40, with my second I used way less. The good thing is that if you use them up fast and you want more, they are easy to make!
Stephanie
Great idea, but you really want to be looking for WitchAZel thAt doesnt include alcohol. The one you recommend does, Which will likely cause burning on already sore lafu parts! I found a suitable product on amazon.
Kali
Is 31 weeks too early to start making these?
Sarah
Not at all! They should be fine in the freezer for a few months as long as your bag is sealed well! :)
Courtney B.
This may seem like a dumb question, but did the alcohol in the witch hazel burn at all? I read on other posts to use alcohol free witch hazel but haven't been able to find any without the 14% alcohol (like the one you linked).
Heather Brown
i made these 2 months ago when I gave birth to my son and they were amazing!! Thank you so much for this post. I have a blog and i linked to this page on my postpartum post (which i have scheduled to come out tomorrow), just so you know. :)
Jessica
oh thank you so much! so glad you loved them!
Stephanie
Should i take the paper off the wings before folding it back together?
Stephanie
Apologies, just saw the video! Nevermind and thank you!
Jessica
No problem at all! Good luck!!
Kathy
I made some of these before delivery but ended up having an emergency c-section with no active labor. However, I am now having hemerroid issues. Would these pads be good for that? I notice a lot of the same ingredients in these as other hemerroid remedies.
Jessica
Yes they absolutely would! They may not heal them completely (depending on severity) but they should certainly be safe to use and help ease your discomfort! Good luck friend!
Kayla
Can you use pads without wings?
Jessica
Yes, you totally can!
Jacqueline Oliver
This might be a really dumb question but I'm about to give birth for the first time and so I don't have any experience with this. I'm confused because from what I've heard you bleed heavily after giving birth....are these pads effective at collecting the blood when they are coated in aloe and witch hazel? Thanks for your input.
Sarah + Jessica
Not a dumb question at all! And YES they still totally work for that! Good luck on your sweet new addition!
Janelle
Hi!
If my lavender oil is recommending using a carrier oil for skin use, would I just use the lavender oil alone or add a carrier oil as well? I did not see that you used a carrier oil.
Thank you!
Jessica
We have never used one and it has always been fine, but you can absolutely add some oil in there too if you would like.
Amanda
Did you use aloe vera with menthol, or just regular aloe vera?
Sarah + Jessica
It’s just regular aloe vera, like what you would buy to put on a sunburn! Not sure if it has menthol! I’ve linked the same stuff I used in this post :)
Anna Sauls de Reyes
About to have my third and just heard of these from a friend. Thank you for posting the recipe. AND these were kind of a fun nesting project to do to prepare for our new little. Thanks!
Jessica @ Pretty Providence
You are so welcome!! We are so glad you liked them, and GOOD LUCK with number three!!
crayolasun
I'm allergic to both Lavender and Aloe. Can I substitute the aloe for Vitamin E gel instead? And what could I use as a substitute for the Lavender?
Jessica @ Pretty Providence
I'm not sure! I have never had to substitute for these ingredients, sorry I can't be more help!
Sarah Skaggs
Monroe
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