Mumsnet Talk

A first timer here looking for recommendation on which 'thick heavy' pads to buy.. which are your favorites/worked the best?

I used 'always' nightime pads both times, did the job for me!

Boots do big chunky maternity pads I have stocked up with 3 packs this time that should see me through until I can use slimmer ones. They are nice to cushion your bits afterwards they can be a bit tender.

Last time the MW told me off for wearing Always as they have a waterproof sheet or something that doesn't allow skin to breathe and I had gotten a itchy rash.

I had Tesco ones and they were fine. Also after a week or so the Kotex night time ones (not maternity) in the black pack are good too.

BTW you do know you have to wear two at a time for the first day or two don't you? So get more than one pack!

cece- two at a time! great, yet another thing that I am not looking forward to. Am terrified of birth, find it disgusting, scary, painful, embarassing.... but at least if I have the right 'stuff' for my hospital bag I will feel better.

Thanks for quick responses!

the one i got from the mw at the hospital were the best IMO!every time they asked if i needed some i just said yes and stocked up!!Bled for about 6weeks after....and then there's the almighty 1st period!!! totally worth it now mind!!

I had ones from Mothercare - they did the job for me!

Definitely the Kotex Night Time ones - and buy more than you think you'll need!!

Tescos ones served me well, and also some sterile mothercare ones - but they worked out at something stupid like £1 each and are the same as what you get in the hospital. Great if you have a tear/episiotomy though

missytequila - the birth will be fine and once you are in the throws of it all you honestly won't be disgusted or embarassed. It really is all worth it. I found watching some of the births on discovery home and leisure helped me to be prepared for what to expect. It is fear of the unknown that makes you feel scared.

It is painful but there are good options for pain relief. I always remembered that millions of women have done it and also gone back for another (and another...) so it can't be that bad.

Mothercare or boots - like sitting on mattresses which tbh is just what you want after giving birth Found tesco own pads and breastpads rubbish as both leaked really quickly.

my handy hint of the day is to get some hardcore maternity pads..two packs or so for the first 2 or 3 days, and also some big huge nighttime pads with wings too..... i would stick on a nighttime pad onto my big sturdy knickers, then pop the maternity pad on the top without taking off the sticky strips to hold it in place...you get a bit of extra cusioning, and it really helps to boost your confidence in knowing that any leaks or spillages will not spill out onto your clothes...

sometimes, when you have been sitting down, or lying for some time, you get up and the blood just sort of pours out in gallons (not literally, but it feels like its flooding iykwim)...so change your pad before you settle down for any length of time.

i also found that witchhazel in a glass bottle poured onto a maternity pad was very soothing on any tears or stitches...

try not to be scared. its a means to an end..your body will tell you what to do....listen to it!

good luck.

Mothercare, with wings.. or tesco's ones.

but i did prefer the mothercare with wings, very soft.. nice on the stitches

You should avoid the night sanitary towels if you have stitches, they're absorbant, but not very breathable and not cushioned either.. it'll hurt more to sit if you end up with stitxhes.

Definitely recommend getting ones with wings... can't entirely see the point of ones without - bloody useless! (sorry, bad pun).

I used Always nightime ones second time round - much better.

I've got boots maternity pads to start with,then always night time for the following days...

missytequila - in the grander scheme of being a parent the birth is a tiny part of it, try not to be worried, yes it is not pleasant at times. It can be scary and painful not disgusting or embarrassing though but when you come out the other end it will be the best thing that has ever happened to you and you will be on a high like no other

I used cheap and chearful Sainsburys Maternity pads. They're great - really thick and padded and even better with a little witch hazel on to help with the 'various issues' you get after childbirth!

The mothercare one's with wings and aloe vera, I'm not sure that they helped mind!
It is a shocker to use a double thickness pad for a few days, they don't tell you that and the fact that I bled for 6 weeks and this was with a c section too.

Buy online so that you don't have the red face for buying 6 lots of mt. I still thought I bought a lot and then I used them up!

Def kotex night - they were the most comfortable and the best - I didn't bleed that heavily though tbh. Also had boots which were fine but not as soft and comfortable. Don't worry about the birth - it will happen and you will go with the flow and not care about it being disgusting - I bled more than I thought in labour and ended up walking across the delivery room to the loo with just my top on with blood dripping out and didn't bat an eyelid - gross sorry. (I am not terribly worried about that sort of thing though - I have little modesty!).

Kotex night definitely, although like a breeze block! I bled for 4 weeks after c-section and quite heavily (sorry, TMI) and they worked best.

I did a bulk purchase of boots ones online to save on blushing! To be honest I barely used the thick ones as I didnt like the idea of being without wings. The ones with wings served me very well

Good luck with the birth - as others have said you will be fine once you get into it

My other top tips for OP are dont bother with disposable paper pants - just nip to Primark and buy some pants 4 or 5 sizes bigger than your normal size and then bin them when done with them. It will all be fine - I've had 2 DC and still keen on having more so really isnt all that bad.

Sorry to hijack the thread, but those of you who have used witch hazel, do you use it undiluted or neat? I've just been looking at it on the Boots site and it says you shouldn't use it on broken skin, but is it ok because it's on the pad rather than straight on to the skin?

Never used witchazel but post birth (had lots of stitches after first one) used a jug of luke warm water with a few drops of comfrey (antiseptic - cleaned stitches) to wash stitches several times a day then blotted them dry with maternity pads. That combined with arnica really helped with the healing.

I will probably end up with Mothercare winged ones this time (4th time) as have tried ones without and wasn't that impressed.

Can anyone suggest any other maternity pads with wings as I was a bit suprised to find the Mothercare ones were about £3 for 12. Thought that was a bit steep (unless things have changed a lot in 16m?) and would ask here before I bought tons of them?

Once it slows a bit I tend to switch to some sort of night-time sanitary towel with wings.

(I think the advice is against sanitary towels is because, as mentioned, they are not very breatheable and have anti-smell properties which means it is harder to tell if you have an infection afterwards as this is usually detected by a bad smell.)