Carriwell
Hot & Cold Pack Intimate
7.1/10 overall£24.95
A reusable gel pack shaped to fit inside maternity underwear, used chilled for perineal swelling or warmed for cramping and engorgement.
Where the Frida Mom and Lansinoh products in this category are disposable, single-use cooling pads, Carriwell's version is a reusable gel insert shaped to sit inside ordinary maternity briefs. Chilled in the freezer it works like the disposable ice pads for perineal swelling in the first days after birth; warmed in the microwave, the same pack doubles as a heat pad for afterpains, engorgement, or general lower-abdomen discomfort — a use case none of the disposable pads in this category cover.
The obvious trade-off against the disposables is hygiene and logistics: it needs to be washed and re-chilled or re-heated between uses rather than thrown away, which is less convenient in the first exhausting days home from hospital when a fresh disposable pad is genuinely easier to reach for. It also needs a functioning fridge/freezer and microwave nearby, which isn't guaranteed on a postnatal ward.
Where it wins is cost over time and versatility — one £25 pack replaces an ongoing box of disposables and works for both cold and heat therapy, so it's a sensible buy for anyone planning a longer recovery routine or wanting to avoid disposable waste, used alongside rather than instead of a first box of disposable pads for the initial days.
What we liked
- Works both cold and warm — two products in one
- Reusable, so cheaper than disposables over weeks of recovery
- Contoured shape stays in place inside briefs
Where it falls short
- Needs washing and re-chilling between uses, less convenient than grab-and-go disposables
- Higher upfront cost than a first box of disposable pads
Specs
- Size
- One size, fits standard maternity briefs
- Type
- Reusable gel pack, contoured for maternity briefs
- Uses
- Chilled for swelling, warmed for cramping/engorgement
- Reusable
- Yes — wash and re-chill/re-heat between uses
How we scored it
Healing Comfort
How much relief it provides for perineal soreness or post-birth discomfort.
Ease of Use
How simple it is to use one-handed while exhausted and sore.
Genuinely useful but needs a fridge/freezer and microwave nearby and a wash between uses, which is more friction than the grab-a-fresh-one disposables in this category.
Value for Money
Cost per pad/use relative to how much relief it gives.
Weighted by importance for this category — see our editorial policy for how we test.
The alternative
Always
Discreet Post Partum Pants, Medium, Pack of 18
High-absorbency maternity pads designed for the heavier bleeding that follows birth.