Lillipops are flavoured iced smoothies that contain no artificial colours, sugar or flavourings. They work by rehydrating the body and can help to ease nausea in the early stages of pregnancy, according to their creator Denise Soden, who is selling the lollies through her website. In some cases they also help with heartburn and dry mouth, she said.
They are made by ice-lolly manufacturer Greensleeves at a site in Ireland. The idea for the product came about when Soden was pregnant. When she was carrying her first child, Soden's morning sickness was so severe that she lost three stone in weight and ended up in hospital with dehydration.
During her second pregnancy, she discovered that eating ice helped her to remain hydrated without feeling sick. But it wasn't until she was expecting her third child, Lilly, that she decided to freeze smoothies so that she could put essential nutrients and sugar back in her body. That's how she discovered the concept for Lillipops.
"I had terrible morning sickness. I was nauseous, weak, dehydrated and I completely lost my appetite," Soden said. "I eventually realised that ice was a wonderful substitute to food and liquid; I was keeping it down and wasn't getting dehydrated. So I made ice lollies with lots of flavour. They eased my nausea, rehydrated my body and settled my stomach."
The ice smoothies come in five flavours: Lemon and Mint; Grapefruit and Tangerine; soothing Ginger; Lime and Vanilla; and Camomile and Orange.
The products will be launched in most pharmacies across the UK, through distributor AAH. "It is my ultimate aim to launch these into supermarkets."
Soden is looking to extend the range by adding products in a similar vein, but said that it was too early to reveal what these were.