to expect sanitary protection manufacturers to actually do their research

[paperdress]

Apologies if im repeating a familiar subject but i sort of wanted to join mumsnet just to rant about this and see if other women experience things in the same way as me.
When i was in my 20s i remember that tampons and/or pads did the job. These days (mid 30s, 2 kids), they dont touch the sides...changing 'night time' pads 2,3,4 times a night, wearing super xxx maxi etc. tampon AND pad and STILL leaking, waiting on the loo to pass a clot before even attempting to wipe...
I used to use a mooncup and keep meaning to go back...but honestly? Should that be my only option? Why cant the big brands be arsed to do a bit of r&d and produce a functional product accordingly?
Surely im not the only woman in the market for some decent san-pro?
(and as for those spookily scented ones...yeah, thats just what i want to be jamming up against my privates...)

Joanna I'm 43. Since about turning 40 they have definitely become much lighter and a day shorter. From day 2 I don't even wear a tampon at night, just a liner.

I feel so for you ladies with heavy painful periods. I have definitely got off lightly there.

Tenna Lady - Not very attractive but would do the job, even if you only want to wear them at night ;)

YANBU

The argument about weather or not a period is 'normal', or 'in need of medication' is mute really, in the interests of this actual thread.

Medical problem or not it is obvious there are women out there struggling to absorb their flow, even when using the heaviest duty pads/tampons available. ie: GAP IN THE MARKET.

No one would dream of thinking that there shouldn't be any incontinence protection (tenna lady for eg.) out there because stress incontinence could be treatable. So where is the 'heavy duty sanitary protection?

Why is it all getting smaller and smaller and why does it ALL have to resemble flowery, delicate, pretty stuff (advertised by women prancing about in satin dresses or tight lycra trousers) when sometimes what some women need is just something to soak all this flippin' blood up please?

Who IS doing the market research?

Actually they do do research as have recently been invited to take part.

P.S - currently preg. so happily free of it all for 9 months, but as i'm getting older my periods are actually getting lighter. Still makes me angry that there's nothing out there for those struggling though.

Well, maybe we have hit on something here, we need a designer amongst us to create the Mumsnet Pad.

As Del and Rodney say "This time next year, we could be millionaires!"

BlahBlah will look at Tena Laydee's , thanks.

JoanneBaxter - I could have written your post - mine too are now dead regular, with 48 hours of flooding. Have found the Always Infinity better than other pads, but always wear more than 1 just to catch it all (unfortunately I have to work in a light blue uniform - have been known to have 6 of em down there on a bad day )

Fluffy - yes agree there is a gap in the market

And why oh why wings on the flipping things - hate hate hate them, they do NOTHING to secure a pad IMO

there does seem to be a trend for them to be smaller/more discreet/scented - almost like these pesky wimmins things should be invisible eh?

I have a flood for about 24 hours each month, and I'm finding Lillets night time towels pretty good for the heaviest days. The day ones are comfy too and quite wide. However, I agree that knicker gussets are getting narrower (even on my big pants!). Weird!

Those of you who wear more than one pad at a time, how are you doing it?

One on top of the other like a sandwich or some stuck a bit further forward and backward or what?!! Must be in that bathroom for hours doing BuildaPad

Mine have changed since I had kids too - used to last 5 days, first 2 a super tampon was fine, the last 3 days were light so just used a pad. Bad pain. Since kids the pain and PMT has gone which is great and they only last 3 days but for the first 2 days I have to change a super plus tampon every 3 hours or I leak. Not as bad as some but I could still do with a more absorbent tampon really. At night I use 2 night time pads in a line if that makes sense, they overlap in the middle under my fanjo where most needed, I usually don't have to get up but they need to be changed ASAP in the morning. Third day is very light, only need a panty liner. So yes bigger tampons and longer pads would be good.

How about the Footlong Mumsnet Pad. Like they have a Footlong Subway?

Watching with interest.....

Exactly, OP and Fluffy.

I have a gynae condition that is being investigated at the pace that the NHS moves at. In the meantime I need some products that give me more than an hour's sleep at a time during a heavy period but nothing exists.

Even when I was in hospital they couldn't provide anything suitable.

Oh and fuck off with scented towels.

I found that Li lets super plus extra tampons were best during my 2 'flood' days, they actually gave me up to an hour and a half before leaking.

Can't get the bloody things anywhere now. Have just discovered that a bodycare 30 mins away does them so have bought 6 boxes.

Seems like san pro manufacturers are trying so hard to corner the teen end of the market they've forgotten about the rest of us. (also reckon they own shares in Canasten due to the sheer volume of scented stuff at the moment!)

On my heaviest days (and nights) I wear one pad slightly more towards the front and the second towards the back so they just overlap in the middle. Then a third on the top over where the first 2 overlap. Then if its really bad a shorter one at the back in the opposite direction so its all in a t-shape. Have to take tranexamic acid but it is still bad for at least 2 days. Big grin

Scented sanpro should be illegal. It's a stupid idea.

Bodycare is awesome...they sell the old Imperial Foamburst gels which are great for shaving. The new kind in the black bottles don't smell as good.

Yanbu.

Since having kids my period is regular every 28 days like clockwork, only lasts 3-4 days, and pmt so much better, but
but, but day 2-3 is so heavy I'm changing tampon and towel every hour.

I know I will be up and down all night. I need a tampon that is going to last 3-4 hours.

Gap in the market for sure. Come on manufacturers.

I've just remembered the tampons I found on holiday in Greece this year - they were super++ ones, brand name OB I think.

I swear to god they are twice the size of super++ ones in the UK. They meant I could actually go swimming on day two, whereas I can't normally even leave the house on day 2. Giant blobstoppers!

I bought 3 boxes, but prefer pads generally. I two stopped bothering with tampons here in the UK as lilets super++ got too hard to find.

So... do Greek women have heavier periods, or do their sanpro manifactuers just actually make the stuff women need?

They definitely do research, there are gyne consultants who work with e.g. P&G specifically on heavy periods. But there is some kind of weirdness in their marketing and brand development, I have yet to encounter anyone who likes scented products in the UK. No idea how big the market is though... Unfortunately suspect it isn't big enough to be deemed financially viable.

Not sure about the teen market.
My periods have been awful since I was a teenager and the bleeding not helped by my mother giving me aspirin. Doh!
It was a blessing when the doctor prescribed ibuprofen. Period pain versions tend to be high concentration and I need a least the 500/600mg version, sometimes two.

I'm sure I have foot long pads at home. The night time version. I prefer the modern thinner version because it fits better the anatomy down there, and with wings there is less leakage. I often wear a very large tampon plus the foot long pad at night and it's ok. But I used to put extra smaller pads at the back for spillage.

Yanbu! I agree, the new generation type pads just don't absorb! Kotex do a maxi one which is much more like the old style ones (feels old...)

And at blobstoppers!!