Stop messing with sanitary pads

[Elsa2000]

I’m so annoyed that people at these companies keep finding ways to “improve” pads.

I used to use Always but then they introduced that hideous scent that literally gave me an itchy feeling all day. I felt like it was burning. Not to mention I could smell the stench of artificial perfume all day. Almost headache inducing.

Recently bodyform have started messing.

I use the night pads as I’m so heavy. Now they are no way near as absorbent, plus the adhesive is not as sticky to the wings don’t stick properly. Bloody awful.

AIBU to think they should stop messing and actually get women to feedback on these “improvements” and “new designs”

I use a menstrual cup and period pants
from Modibodi. They actually use the words woman, girl and girls, women which is a huge incentive for me to invest with them.

I also use light incontinence dailies as they’re cotton, absorbent and don’t smell.

The post above talking about bleaching, @Oblomov22 . There’s nothing wrong with you or the pants. Vaginal fluid is slightly acidic so bleaches dark coloured material. It’s normal but as we don’t talk about these things enough. Not many women know and are embarrassed about this perfectly natural phenomenon.

My biggest worry would be someone smelling the stench of the scented pads tbh. I'd rather stick to wadding up paper than using one of those but thankfully reusables are available.

My dd used Superdrug’s own make , day and nighttime ones , but they are now so thin now and don’t give much confidence they would be absorbent enough

But who’s going to see them? Knickers bleach and discolour as well, vaginas are acidic and that’s what they do. Most of my knickers have some degree of bleaching in the crotch.

I use Tesco slim maternity pads. They're as big as a nighttime pad and very soft. They're also reasonably priced

I use a saalt cup but bought some always pads as a back up when my periods returned after being on the implant. I’d always used them in my teens and liked them. The smell made me feel sick! They’re stashed away for an emergency now but they’re even making the drawer they’re in stink. It’s not even a nice smell, it gives me a headache. My husband and children can smell when I’m using one. Yuck.

I do have mild incontinence and I use Lidl panty liners but I would like to switch to reusable liners if anyone knows any good ones for light urine leakage and discharge?

buy some reusable ones and your periods will instantly stop due to meopause

#kindabitterkindathrilled

Ha ha @QOD That's what's putting me off, as well as dithering over which ones to buy.

I went about 6 months without a period until a few weeks ago and was starting to wonder if that was it (I'm 49) and it would be typical if bought a load of reusables, use them once so I'd not even be able to give them to someone else and never need them again.

Although it would be a small price to pay to be #kindabitterkindathrilled like you say.

This is on of the reason I switch to a menstrual cup and sanitary pants. No fuss and much kinder to my body.

Anyone here who's used period pants- what are they like? I think it sounds like a brilliant idea but I'm worried I'd feel icky walking around with bloody pants. Do they absorb well?

I was just having a rant to DH the other day about how frustrating and nonsensical it is that none of the shops near us stock unscented pads! Sainsbury's, Tesco, Scotmid, Co-op, a few pharmacies - non of them! Who on Earth is buying the scented ones!? I don't know anyone who doesn't get thrush from them 🤷

The perfume in always has made me switch to own brands instead. I have bought some reusable ones and they’re ok, but they’re too bulky to wear outside the house.

i gave 1 away to a friend as I hadn't worn it at all, but the rest I had worn when I thought "it" was due so it have 3 sat mocking me
BUT that lovely menopause is now 866 days since I had a period and I have had a couple of cough and pee incidences 🙄 ain't it grand ... so someone saying about using inco pads has made me think I may actually get an alternative use out of them haha
#neverusedtopeemyself

Best comment award goes to @ShowOfHands 🏆
Made me literally LOL 😂

Of course women are buying them - they have to! If you need sanitary pads and you go to the shop and they only have scented ones, a lot of women will think 'fuck it' or 'shit, I need them NOW' and buy them anyway. Captive market.

@LadyCampanulaTottington
Thank you. I do of course know that many women's discharge is acidic. Totally normal.

@WhackingPhoenix asked who would see them? I had 6. I washed in our normal wash, then I put them on our washing airer to dry. Dh asked are they supposed to look like that, they look a bit tired and old, but you've only just bought them. I showed them to my 2 closest friends when we went on a weekend break to Lisbon. I just didn't like them. I thought they looked tatty. I don't wear underwear or socks with holes in either. I just thought they didn't look very nice.

Do you think I'm over-reacting?

Always do a sensitive version. Which is also a lot cheaper

Thanks all. I switched from always to bodyform due to the scent.

bodyform don’t smell but they’ve changed them and they are not good at sticking and just not as absorbent.

already wear period pants over the top (very heavy periods) and will try the Superdrug ones too.

there’s no need to fix what isn’t broken… always and bodyform used to be brilliant a few years back before they started messing.

Off topic a bit but I agree - I wish manufacturers would just stop messing with pretty much everything.

I like Scotch pancakes (often make my own, but weirdly, my husband prefers bought!). So many times I've almost picked up the lemon-flavoured ones, or the salted caramel-flavoured ones in M & S. For goodness sake - just leave the original recipe alone. And the word 'flavour' is crucial because usually it's a chemical and quite artificial addition which fools no-one. Similarly with hot-cross buns - stop putting chocolate, salted caramel, apple etc into the classic recipe. Some things lend themselves to innovative 'flavours' - such as ice cream or yoghurt - but traditional baked products - please, just no.

I'm being unreasonable - but I feel better after that!

@PrtScn
I wasn't talking about period knickers. I'm on HRT and haven't had periods for 6+ years. I like to wear a pad daily though. It's a choice.
Wash and dry them at home. Ds's would see them. Not that they'd notice or care tbh. But, They don't look great. If I packed them and went to use them when I go abroad with my 2 closest friends, we always hire a triple room, for fun. I showed them. I don't want to wear them, or people see them, because I thought they looked tatty. Does that seem odd to you?

No, I thought you meant period knickers, which I wouldn’t think you’d actively want to display anyway. If you use them as actual knicker replacements I can see why you’d want them to be more presentable

They absorb really well and you can’t feel anything, they’re really quite thin too so no bulkiness between your legs. They feel a bit like swimwear.
I read about them on here, thought I’d try them and couldn’t believe how good they are. Now my DD at uni has them and has told all her friends how brilliant they are. I honestly think pads etc will be a thing of the past soon.

DD has only ever used reusables. Some homemade others from makers like English Garden Lovelies. Plus padded boy shorts from Modibodi.

Agree too many are scented. I started buying natracare liners. Sticky is crap on cheap lidl ones so no point buying. No pads as I have coil. Boots brand v good

@CoastalWave

Recheck the packet. It does say scented in Aldi ones now.