Talk to me...about heavy flow period pants.

[OnNaturesCourse]

I am a heavy flow girl. Talking ultra tampons lasting only a few hours, wearing post partum pads lasting maybe 3-4 hours on my worst day(s).
(I have been scanned etc and all is well, I've always been on the heavier flow side of things and it's got slightly heavier with every birth I have had)

Not used tampons since giving birth for the 4th time 5 months ago. No reason other than I feel more secure in the pads and get slightly longer out of them.

I get the flood when standing up in mornings, or after being still too long, and it's honestly one of my biggest "ick" feelings so I did love my tampons for atleast eliminating that.

Ideally I am looking for pads with a full coverage gusset from front to back that can hold a lot and absorbs quickly.

On impulse today (thanks to clubcard prices luring me in...) I bought Wuka "heavy flow" midi pants and a heavy flow pant from Always. Now researching I see my previously belief of "heavy flow" being the highest absorbency is incorrect! And there is so many different brands promising the world...

Has anyone with a flow similar to mine used period pants? How have you found them? What brand? Tell me everything...

I've got some from M&S that are like shorts so feel a bit more secure
With the gusset front to back
And also some modi bodi heavy ones that also go front to back and are quite thick and absorbent,
However they can't really cope with my heaviest flow for very long (at my heaviest I fill a moon cup in a couple of hours).
But apart from my heaviest day they do ok and I use them with a moon cup and/or pad for extra protection.

I think you’d need the 24hr version that Wuka do. I get 8 hrs out of a Wuka heavy but I’m not as heavy as that.

I only use period pants during the day if I'm exercising as otherwise I feel wet after a couple of hours. During the rest of the time during the day I use reusable pads, I rinse them out in the shower at night and chuck them in a normal wash. At night I use a disposable pad and a pair of period pants over the top. If I'm not quick enough to get to the loo with the morning gush then I feel confident I'm protected enough. I was finding sometimes I was leaking at night so the pair of pants over the top made a massive difference and it's not happened since.

My reusable pants are bodyform, I've heard good things about cheeky pants and Wuka though.

Cheeky wipes boxer style ones are very absorbant.

I am poking around the Wuka website as I type this and the super doper absorption ones look good but they are all seemingly super high waisted which doesn't usually sit well on my body shape. High waist pants usually roll themselves down to digging into my hips after a while...which with my hormonal rage and usual period discomfort would make me more unpleasant than usual on my period lol

Are you all putting the pads on the period pants? Or on normal pants with the period pants on top?

I already usually do pads etc at night and then a slightly smaller pair of pants on top of it all to "hold it in place" and help me feel secure.

You don't need pads with period pants, that's the point of them.

@Hercisback1 if you read this thread you'll see people do, and I've seen it on other threads too. Unfortunately doubling up products is normal and needed for some.

Sorry I thought you were going to use a pad, plus pants, plus another pair of pants!

If you currently use one pad at a time, you'll be OK without a pad and heavy absorption pants.

An eco alternative is reusable pads on top of the pants.

Pads on normal pants then period pants over the top for me

Pad onto the period pants for me (can't do that with the shorty ones though)
And only on heaviest days, I also wear just the pants quite a lot

Knix or fruit of the loom overnight shorts. I can get half a day out of them on even my heaviest days. If you’re going out, put a pad inside and remove when full to extend how long they last.

Better to wear, comfier and when people parent guilt us for having children and damaging the environment, it's at least one thing we can say to defend ourselves (and usually will get at least some of them to stop going on at us for being so irresponsible as to have children). Seriously, many mums I know use them all the time if they're irregular/have the odd leak, because wearing disposable towels can be uncomfortable. I would always see the GP if I was getting heavy periods though-sometimes there's a reason and something they can give you to help.

I use cheeky pants (from cheeky wipes brand) extra heavy, big pant style (don’t know what the my are actually called) They have absorbency from front to back. I wear them with a cloth pad at night… I have never found one ling enough or the right shape, so learned to sew my own with free inline tutorial/pattern advice etc. I buy the materials online.

I find that a cloth pad in period pants is the only overnight leakproof solution for me.

During the day I use cloth pad in period pants, and change the pad regularly. The pants catch leaking/overflow and make me feel more secure.

I read that you need to rinse until the water runs clear. I’m like the OP with extremely heavy flows - how much water does it take to thoroughly rinse the pants? Is there a lot of water waste?

Most people leave them in the shower whilst you are in it, that does the trick

I have varying, but sometimes very heavy periods and I have loved my period pants from Lady Days.

https://www.ladydaysclothpads.co.uk/collections/period-pants

I get the maxi version which has absorbent coverage from front to back, which I need and helps me feel more secure. I've done a couple of custom orders with the owner and she's always been really helpful.

I have tried many of the main known brands but I'm not overly keen on the feeling of some of the fabrics used.

I soak mine, which means water waste is kept to a minimum.

Not strictly necessary to rinse pants in shower etc . You can just keep them in a lidded bucket , then at at end of your period put them on a few cold rinse cycles in the washing machine and then a wash. Works for mine x

I've used reusable pads previously for some time so I'm assuming I'd just store/rinse like the same as I did for those.

(quick rinse, into the wash bag then wash at end of the week)

Bodyform here, and (I have a flow like yours) on days 1-3 of my period I wear two pairs of period pants on top of one another at nighttime, otherwise I will leak through. During the day one pair + a pad is my preferred method.

Sympathies - exactly the same here and after my last pregnancy it went from heavy to HEAVY.

I am quite similar for a couple of days - use a heavy flow pad overnight on top of the period pant, and I do often change pants midday as well.
m&s and cheeky wipes

Heavy flow here. Normally have to change pads every couple of hours in first two days of period. I wear WUKA pants and have never had a problem! 5 years and going strong, think i may need to replace them soon as I can’t get them smelling as fresh as normal anymore but that’s pretty good going.

@iliketheradio do you wear the pants with or without pads during the day? Or do you find the pants contain the heavy flow OK?

I can only use period pants as back up to tampons. I don’t feel they can cope with a really heavy flow, it seems to pool!

I have the ultra (I think they are called) from modibodi, they are suitable even for urinary incontinence which I have an issue with. Not cheap but I feel more secure when in environments where facilities aren’t readily available (or I have a cough, embarrassing!) I do use a pad as well if out all day so I don’t need a spare