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...

@cantthinkofausername26 thats my worry. The pooling.

I use a mooncup alongside

@iliketheradio have you tried ‘stripping’ them?

I used cloth nappies and cloth baby wipes when my kiddos were babies, and stripped them every few months.

it usually involves white vinegar and a few cycles of rinsing/hot washes. Loads of advice online re stripping nappies, same principle applies to cloth pads and period pants.

the smells are usually from detergent building up and mingling with bacteria, causing a smell. This is made much worse if softener is used, as this coats the fabric and makes them less absorbent and less effective.

sorry if you already know all of this and I’m teaching you to suck eggs 🤣

I’ve rescued loads of nappies, cloth pads and period pants over the years by stripping them, when I thought they were destined for the bin as they got a bit smelly.

we also use cloth wipes for wee’s in our house rather than toilet roll … microfiber cheeky wipes. I strip these every few months - just chuck them in with my pads and period pants.

I don’t rinse my pads or pants, i just chuck them in a lidded bucket as they are when I then off - then at end of period do 2 cold rinses in the washer, followed by a hot wash with bit of antibacteria liquid and bit of detergent. I hate rinsing/ wringing/ soaking them so have used this method for years.

Another poster who only uses period pants as a back up for when my ultra plus tampon leaks after 2hours 🙃.
Also hate the feeling of pooling!

Merula XL (50ml) menstrual cup was a godsend. I used with wuka heaviest absorbency pants. If going out (usually avoid as much as possible on first few days) I'd put a pad on too so I didn't need to change pants while out, just empty cup and change pad. I didn't bother with cloth away from home but cloth post partum cloth ones were great for overnight and at home but they are bulky. I also found Wuka shorts good, but couldn't wear with a pad to extend wearing time.

I'm on tablets now to stop it.

I use the Uniqlo ones (which are BIG PANTS) with an incontinence pad the first 2 days/overnight - it's the best chance I've found for not waking up and having to change the sheets, or bleeding all through my jeans/onto the car seat on a 2 hour journey. I do still have to get up in the middle of the night to change pad, and obviously do it a few times in the day.

I've not had any luck with any other period pants, and the pads are good, but I tend to get leaks if I'm not using the big period pants around them.

It was my second child that did it for me.. ever since, heavy for 2 days, then clotty for another 4 or 5... roll on menopause.

It’s not necessary but they do last longer if you rinse - it’s the same principle as cloth nappies which I used too. If you wash same day it’s fine but otherwise you degrade the fabric if they sit full of blood for too long.

I rinse in shower and use the same lidded bucket to store until washing that we used for cloth wipes and nappies.