Vagina ‘ice lollies’ are a thing – the post-birth treat you need to know about

Giving birth is amazing.

It is most likely the most empowering, fantastic, exciting and life-changing thing you will ever do with your body. But let's all agree that it is also pretty painful. I mean; we are talking getting an entire human out of a teeny, tiny little opening. And not only is it sore while it is happening, many mums who give birth vaginally also experience pain, swelling and bruising afterwards. But now one genius dad has come up with an innovative solution to take the – ahem – sting out of those first few days post-partum. Trying to help ease his wife’s pain after she had given birth, Martin Wanless came up with the “vagina ice pop”. Yep, that's right. Ice lollies for your vagina. Wanless took to DAD to explain how he bought some condoms, filled them with water and froze them before handing them to his wife. He said:

“Filled with water and frozen, they’re the perfect shape to rest in between new mum’s legs and ease a bit of pain and swelling. "Don’t believe me? This is actually a thing. Shortly after giving birth in the hospital, my wife was taken to a fridge full of frozen condoms.”

In fairness, applying an ice pack to a swollen part of your anatomy is nothing new, and is known to help ease pain and reduce inflammation. We just hadn't really thought of this one before, to be honest. But as it turns out, Martin’s wife isn’t the only person who swears by this frosty treat – other mums have tried it too. Writing on PopSugar mum Michele Bell wrote of how a friend tipped her off about the trick after she had given birth to her baby.

“A friend of mine was tipped off from a mother, who also happens to be a doctor, to fill a condom with water and freeze it. "When the discomfort kicks in, take the vaginal popsicle out of the ice box and lay it lengthwise in your undies to give your girlie parts some relief."

Another mum wrote on Baby Centre how the trick made a “huge difference” after her delivery.

“Get about six regular condoms. Fill them up with water and tie the end like a balloon. When laying on a table they should look flat – don’t fill them up too much. "Put them in a container so they remain flat and put them in the freezer. Buy some panty liners and cut an opening in one end. Slide the frozen condom inside and wear the frozen panty liner until it melts.”

Even professionals recommend it, with US nurse-midwife Kate Page explaining to Parents.com how she is also a fan of vagina "ice pops."

“Fill up a condom with water, tie the end and freeze it to make a tube of ice. Wrap it in a clean, cotton T-shirt. It fits really nicely against the perineum. "The ice pops work by easing the pain caused by the trauma of birth and will also help reduce swelling and bruising."

Note: It’s vital to wrap the “vagina ice pop” in a clean piece of cloth before letting it get into any contact with your vagina. Enjoy.