Postpartum Padsicles + Essential Oils
Padsicles. Your vagina’s best friend post birth.
Technically speaking, padsicles are the cooling, soothing answer to your swollen, sore, postpartum vulva and perineum. No worries though, your vulva skin is extremely welcoming to the healing nutrients in these lovely, cooling pads, and your vaginal tissues will thank you!
Chances are, you’ve seen several recipes for these glorious bad boys. Many of my clients will ask about using essential oils in the recipes for these pads, particularly frankincense and lavender, and this is what they typically hear from me: “Essential oils are so incredible when used well. They are one of the Earth’s most potent medicines. However, I want to advise you to think twice before applying these to your very sensitive, extremely delicate vulva, vaginal and perineal tissues. Essential oils are just way too strong here.”
Now, typically essential oils are okay when properly diluted in topical body products. (Though I still would not recommend you apply these to your coochie!) However, once you’ve given birth and are in those early postpartum weeks, your body’s hormones are fluctuating greatly! (Placenta consumption can help ease this fluctuating transition.) These hormonal fluctuations play a big roll in how your body absorbs and responds to different herbs and essential oils. This can explain how the oil you typically use on a daily basis all of a sudden gave you a stinging rash during labor, or landed you with instant nausea postpartum.
A more gentle, safe way for you to receive the incredible, healing properties of these plants during your postpartum period is by making an herbal infusion for your postpartum padsicles. An herbal infusion is like a tea, only much stronger. Benefit of using an herbal infusion rather than essential oils in your padsicles? An infusion will offer you a much wider range of healing plant properties and constituents that are often lost in the distillation/extraction of essential oils.
Take your pick of herbs:
You can do any combination of them. If you like them all, that’s great! If you only have one or two on hand, that’s great too!
Here are some of my favorite herbs for use before and after birth:
Plantain
Calendula
Yarrow
Chamomile
Lavender
Comfrey
Witch Hazel
Not sure which herbs to choose? You can purchase our favorite Peri-Tea here!
How to make an herbal infusion for your post-birth padsicles.
To make an herbal infusion, simple take the herbs of your choosing and place 1/2 cup of them in a quart sized jar. Fill your jar with “just off the boil” water and cover loosely with a top. Let your infusion sit 6-12 hours, or overnight, and strain. Once it’s ready, you can pour your “tea” into a spray bottle and liberally spritz your pads. Fold them back up, place in a freezer ziplock baggie or glass tubberware, and store in the freezer until you’re ready for them. Happy healing, sweet friend!