Lillipops Iced Soothies review

When I was emailed about a new product targetting pregnant women suffering from morning sickness, the concept instantly appealed to me. Lillipops are iced soothies - ice poles that contain extracts designed to help relieve morning sickness, such as ginger and camomile. Denise Soden, Lillipops' founder, who came up with the idea when pregnant with her third child, herself had had a history of hyperemesis gravidarum – an extreme form of morning sickness that saw her hospitalised 13 times during her first pregnancy.

  She explains : “I had a nightmare first pregnancy. I couldn’t even keep fluids down and ended up in hospital being treated for dehydration. Pregnant with my second child, and fearful of repeating my earlier experiences, I discovered that ice was a wonderful substitute to food and liquid. It eased my nausea; I was keeping it down and, thankfully, wasn’t getting dehydrated. By the time I was pregnant with my third child, Lilly, I was craving flavour! That’s when I decided to make my own ice pops with a secret blend of delicious ingredients like tangy lemon, fresh ginger and refreshing mint.”

The Lillipops come in five flavours : Ginger, Camomile & Orange, Grapefruit & Tangerine, Lime & Vanilla and Lemon & Mint. Denise and the Lillipops team researched the best ingredients, preferring to use only natural ingredients suitable for mum’s heightened taste buds and those that have a tradition as herbal remedies. Ginger, for example, has traditionally been used to ease symptoms of nausea; camomile for its calming and relaxing properties; citrus fruits such as orange, lime and grapefruit are refreshing; and mint is revitalising and calming for the digestive system.

Not having any pregnant women here at the Madhouse to try them on, the Madhouse Mini-Testers were enrolled to help me out with the taste-testing. Despite the unusual flavours and combinations, I was surprised to see that they really liked them. I thought that everyone would turn their nose up at ginger but it was actually a big hit, because you get the subtle flavour of ginger but without any of the heat or spiciness. The unanimous favourites were the citrussy ones though.

They are smaller than normal ice poles so the kids wanted two each. This wasn't a problem as we'd received a free box to test but at £6.95 for a box of 20, they are not something that I'd let the kids enjoy as a regular treat throughout the summer, which is a shame as I love the idea of giving them unusual flavours and products packed with natural ingredients.

  Lilipops have been designed to help relieve morning sickness but they are not, however, a medical product, so if symptoms are severe and a cause for concern, any pregnant woman should seek the advice of her doctor or midwife. The Lillipops team say that they have been inundated with testimonials recommending them to alleviate nausea and an inability to take and keep down fluids caused by various medical conditions including chemotherapy, diabetes, tummy upset and as a post-operative comfort, as well as pregnancy. They add that if the nausea is of the self-inflicted kind, they make great hangover cures too !

I love the concept, and I can see them being popular with mums-to-be suffering from morning sickness or just the heat during the summer, but I do find the price very off-putting, which is a shame, as they're a product that could appeal to mums for their kids to enjoy too, with a much lower price tag.

star rating : 4/5

RRP : £6.95 for 20

for more information : www.lillipops.com

Disclosure : We received a box of Lillipops, in order to write the review.

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