After giving birth, your body — and especially your vaginal area — is in serious need of rest and recovery. Cooling helps relieve pain, reduce swelling, and soothe irritation. It's a simple, natural way to boost your postpartum comfort and speed up the healing process.
What happens to your vaginal area after childbirth?
After a vaginal delivery, it's completely normal for your perineum (the area between your vagina and anus) to be swollen, tender, or even torn. The skin and muscles have gone through a lot. Whether you have stitches or not, you'll notice that sitting, walking, or even lying down can feel uncomfortable. That's why it's so important to take good care of yourself in those first days after birth.
A simple but effective way to do that? Cooling.
Why cooling works
Cooling offers several benefits for your recovery after birth:
❄️ Pain relief: Cold temperatures temporarily numb the area, offering instant relief.
❄️ Reduced swelling: Cold causes blood vessels to constrict, which reduces swelling.
❄️ Faster healing: It soothes stitches and decreases inflammation, which promotes healing.
In short: cooling isn’t just pleasant — it’s practical.
Stop DIYing: Why frozen maternity pads and freezer cool packs don’t work
In the past, women sometimes froze maternity pads in hopes they’d provide relief after childbirth. But a frozen maternity pad (which, let’s be real, turns hard-as-stone) isn’t exactly comfy on your stitches or tears — and it certainly is not comfortable to sit on.
Plus, freezing ruins their absorbency, so your blood isn’t properly caught, meaning you have to wrap the frozen pad in a washcloth or muslin cloth.
Reusable cool packs? You can freeze those, then wrap them in a washcloth or muslin and place them in your underwear. But these packs warm up quickly, don’t absorb blood, and need to be frozen for hours. Not ideal — especially since you’ll be bleeding and might pass clots as big as a steak!
And let’s be honest: you don’t have the time or energy to wash blood-soaked cloths during your postpartum week.
The most effective way to cool: Cool Couchie Pads
The Cool Couchie Pad is designed to provide cooling in the easiest way possible (it cools within seconds — no freezer needed), absorbs blood, and delivers maximum comfort (read: extra soft!).
Basically, the Cool Couchie Pad combines the absorbent power of regular maternity pads with an instant built-in cooling function.
These pads are scientifically proven, and midwives and postpartum nurses are raving about them!
How does it work?
Inside the pad are water and calcium ammonium nitrate beads that cool when activated. Fold the pad in half to break the beads and start the cooling effect. Give it a little shake to distribute the coolness, place it in your underwear/boxers (or yes — your postpartum diaper), and you’re done!
No freezer, no hassle with cold packs — just instant comfort when you need it.
How often and when should you use a cooling maternity pad?
We recommend alternating Cool Couchie Pads with regular maternity pads. Start with around 10 pads to get through the first few days. Need more? No worries — you can always order more.
Bonus tip: there's a fun promo where you’ll receive a free peribottle when you buy 10 Cool Couchie Pads, if you add both items (The Coolest Couchie and the Bye Burn Peribottle) to your cart, then the discount will be applied. You will see that the peribottle is free.
Cooling works best when you're resting
So ideally when you’re lying down or sitting. According to the popular 555 rule, you should spend the first 5 days mostly in bed or on the couch. Perfect moments to wear a Cool Couchie Pad!
Many women find it especially nice to cool before going to bed — that extra bit of comfort makes all the difference.
Don’t forget to pack Cool Couchie Pads in your hospital bag!
Be sure to toss a few Cool Couchie pads into your hospital or birth bag! You won’t know exactly how you’ll feel after giving birth, but one thing’s certain: cooling will be a relief. This is one of those postpartum tips you’ll be so glad you followed.
And of course, a peribottle is also great to bring. It’s not just for rinsing off — it helps dilute your urine (with water from the bottle), because oh wow, that can sting if it hits a tear or stitches!
Limited-time offer: Free peribottle with Cool Couchie Pads!
Right now, there’s a special deal where you get a free peribottle! You’ll receive 10 Cool Couchie Pads and a peribottle for only €38.95, including free shipping. Scroll below to read more about how to get a free peribottle!
In short, cooling is easy, effective, and so comforting in those early postpartum days. Whether you’re dealing with swelling, stitches, or just need some extra soothing — Cool Couchie Pads make a world of difference.
Treat yourself — you’ve earned it.
