Disposable pads with period pants?

[CherryMaple]

Sometimes DD cannot access the toilets at school to change her disposable pad and gets really stressed thinking that she will bleed through her clothes. I have bought Modibodi period pants (the shorts style) so that if her pad gets too full, the period pants can act as back up and avoid leaking into her clothes. But the most absorbent part of the period pants will be covered by the pad - will this work?

Would be great to hear from anyone who uses a disposable pad with period pants. I don’t fancy her just using the pants alone as her flow is heavy, and I’m (selfishly) trying to make the laundry as easy as possible…

Thanks

DD wears the adult size 8 overnight and that covers a full school day, even on a heavy day. What kind do you have for your DD?

Adult size 8 equals the biggest teen size and the overnight have the "pad" all the way up to the back and that makes a difference DD found.

I wore disposables (night ones) with Modis but more because we were on a car journey on my heaviest day and I worried that even the overnights won't cover me the whole day. But I still changed the disposables every 3 hours and only didn't replace them at the last stretch. So if your DD is able to at least go to the toilet at lunch she could get away with a disposable and then just the Modis.

My DD wears a disposable pad in her period pants, then takes that out at lunch & uses the pants for the rest of the day. She does it because she wears trousers so can’t easily change the pants - I don’t think it would work in the circumstances you describe OP.

I really would just use the pants, they cope with my perimenopausal flooding for 10hrs so I can’t see them not lasting a school day. They just go in your usual washing after rinsing so no additional laundry.
The only barrier is cost as the good ones are expensive. I have Wuka or Modibodi for heavy days and cheaper M&S for lighter. But you could try pants just for school to start with and pads at home.

Could you buy some re-usable pads? I have a very unpredictable heavy flow and suspectable to flooding. I use a re-usable pad and then the period pants. The blood flows through the re-usable pad and into the period pant. It's not comfortable when the pad fills up but I don't leak onto clothes. Definitely go for the full pad up the back and front of the period pant as it does help.

Reusable pads are a lot better than disposables. Leak less, smell less and you can just pop in a bag. I'd try those with the pants. Honouryourflow flow ones are pricey but the best I've tried. Wish I'd bought them years ago, especially the night time ones

I use Honour Your Flow reusable pads with Tu Love Luna period pants as they have protection all the way up the back to the waistband.

Is there any reason she can't access the toilets when she's bleeding heavily?

Sometimes DD cannot access the toilets at school

I would be prioritising making sure she can access the toilets when she needs to.

Agreed, surely the problem here is that she can't access the toilets when she clearly needs to.

Thanks everyone - really helpful.

@Bearpawk The toilets are often locked, or there are other girls sat on top of the cubicle walls so no one can use them. It’s really rubbish.

I have taken the issue of the toilets up with school - it’s appalling.

I’m also curious as to why your daughter can’t readily access toilets on her period?

I think pads and period pants are generally a good combo for someone with a heavy flow though. Either way she should be able to access the toilet though.

cross-posted
that’s terrible. The schools needs to solve this ASAP.

I think that's how incontinence pants are constructed- absorbent material with an additional pouch for inserting single-use pads. Just doing research on this for my mother and am told this is because the flow involved can be heavier than with actual period pants. No idea if it would be worth trying as a substitute.

OP, I understand your daughter's pain about toilet access. Our secondary school designated toilets for year groups during Covid to reduce mixing and kept this in place, so there's one set of toilets for yrs10 and 11 and you can only use those. So potentially 250 girls wanting access to 5 loos in a 15 minute break time, and if your lesson beforehand is in a different block, it's a 5 minute walk to even get there!

My DD uses a pad with the Modibodi, but ditches the pad at lunch. The pants would hold fine on their own but she hates the sensation of the discharge next to her skin, so this is the best option we've found so far.

@WhatsitWiggle The school has just done this since Christmas and separated toilets for the year groups. There are now even fewer cubicles available. Madness. Good to know the pad for the morning is working for your DD.

@reluctantbrit I have just bought one pair of the Modibodi heavy/overnight boyshort for her to try on, which she did tonight, and she is really pleased - great fit. I think the maxi/24 hours doesn’t come in the shorts style. I thought shorts would work better with a disposable pad - but taking onboard all the comments from posters about reusable pads, and trying without. Thanks All.

My DD is 15 and she has Modibodi shorts, the extra heavy/24hr ones and she swears by them. She's quite heavy and doesn't leak. On occasions she'll wear a pad as well and it works well. We've tried several brands and Modibodi are by far the most reliable.

If she just wears the period pants they will last. When she gets home from school she takes a shower and puts on some clean ones and drops the dirty ones inside out into the washing machine on a cold rinse (ours is 15 mins) then you can just add more laundry on top and wash as normal. Totally effortlessly

Tena pee pants work wonders or a supermarkets own and you can bin. Midwife told my aunt and mam years ago and then all girls hated pads so started pants as we grew and never looked back. Best for school no leaks, can buy diffrent size pant s.m.l.xl and mostly never even know your wearing them either

@TomeTome Thanks so much. That sounds really easy - I was worried about all the rinsing, etc, when I am already tearing my hair out, but that sounds amazing if we could do it in the machine.

Just be aware you have to wash them at low temperatures, no stain remover or conditioner.

My (young adult) DD uses period undies that include provision for ‘built in’ reusable period pads with overflow into the undies. Brand is Ruby Love. We get them imported from USA so not cheap but lasts ages before she replaces them (seems to be 3yrs). She also uses their period swimwear as they have stuff that is not just plain black.

should have added you but the resale pads from them as well as they are fitted into a mechanism in their period pants.

I collect all period pants in a wash bag and then chuck them in the machine for a rinse cycle before washing.

I think do what fits with your child as you’ll know what works. I like dd being as independent as possible and she’s fairly likely to leave a heaving bag of dirty pants if she collects them up.

She has a little wet bag with a clean pair in the bottom of her school bag so she can put them on and put soiled ones in the bag if she is taken by surprise. It looks like a pencil case.
Periods are a pain but I do think period pants have made them less stressful and much more comfortable.