Maternity pads v nighttime towels

[scaryfairy28]

Wondering if anyone has any recommendations?

Definitely get maternity pads for the first few days then you can move onto night time towels. Lochia at the start is certainly more than just a heavy period, especially for the first day. You can also get gushes whilst feeding.

Lovely eh!

to be honest, i didn't really notice the difference between maternity pads and sainsbury's maxi nighttime towels - apart from price!

I've seen it mentioned in several places that normal sanitary towels can increase the risk of infection/hide infections (due to absorbancy, colour, perfume)/contain dodgy chemicals, variations thereof... not really sure what the story is but it seems midwives tend to advise to use maternity pads.

Mat. pads are also thicker and cushionier if you have stitches. When I was in hospital my MW insisted I used hospital pads and didn't use up my supply. The hospital pads where much, much larger, but when you are sitting on it, it doesn't matter much.

I stopped bleeding after 5 days, so I have a stock of about 3 packets of normal and 4 slim knocking about still.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/1162938-Are-maternity-pads-the-same-as-sanitary-towels/AllOnOnePage

If you had stitches, definitely mat pads.

I looked at maternity pads but was a bit worried about leaking due to lack of wings.

I was the same. I used Always thick nighttime towels (the big mattressy ones with wings in a purple packet) and they were great.

Ooh those black Kotex ones for nighttime are so much softer than maternity pads. I used them after a couple of days, couldn't see much difference but I didn't have stitches.

Boots slimline maternity towels have wings - look and feel just like always but don't mask the colour of the discharge making it easier to pick up signs of infection. I did use always later on and what you see on the towel in terms of colour etc is very different. Maybe you'll not be that bothered but I had lots of stitches and really wanted to be sure I was doing everything I could to make sure that everything was OK down below!

First few days I was wearing 3 maternity pads at a time (midwife showed origami know-how). Covered the gusset from side to side. Yes felt like brick in knickers, but with stitches and copious bleeding, the moisture wicking absorbant synthetic sanitary towels are not ideal.

Finally after DC3 I got it sussed, 2 maternity pads- one more towards the front and one overlapping going towards the back on paper knickers with big black primark knickers on the top. No leaks and the primark knickers muffle the rustling.

I wore two at a time at first too.had forgotten that!