Maternity Pads

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That's it really...just wondering which ones to get and vitally - how many I'll need? Would prefer to stock up now and be ready but equally don't want to have tons of them left over either...

I'm not sure but my advice would be buy a mixture of thick ones for straight after the birth then thin ones for when things have calmed down a bit.

I didn't stock up as such, I had a few packs for when I got home (my hospital supplied them while I was in) then my DH would pick them up at the supermarket for me anytime I was running low.

I bought a mixture of thick and thin. I didn't bleed heavily but the thick ones proved useful for cushioning the area when I sat down.

As for how many, it really depends. I took the advice "you can never have too many" a bit far. I bought far too many, and was using the thin ones for regular periods for quite a few months afterwards.

I just used regular sanitary towels. The thick night time ones initially, then just regular ones once the bleeding had died down a bit.

I had 40 thick ones and a pack of sanitary towels for the end bit.. I think I have maybe 5 thick ones left?

I bled very heavily and had stitches. I had 40-50 thick ones and I changed them every time I went to toilet for comfort and hygiene/stitches. Wore thick ones for about 2.5 weeks and then was wearing regular (but ultra-absorbent) sanitary pads for another 3 weeks.

In the first couple of days you might need to wear two thick pads on top of each other.

Have got about 50-70 thick ones for imminently due DC2! Most are plastic backed this time as I had a lot of soaking through/strike through with the plain cotton ones....

On a related note, don't forget to take iron in the postnatal period. I looked and felt like death and it was only after a midwife looked alarmed at how pale I was after a week that I remembered to start taking it again!

I bought the Robinson healthcare ones off Amazon. Haven't used them yet but it is quite handy that they are individually wrapped, similar to what you might get in hospital (however my hospital didn't provide pads). Environmentally not great but v handy.

The quantity of pads you need will depend on whether your hospital/birth unit provides them. Obv if you're planning a home birth or hospital don't provide, then get lots and lots!

I used the Boots thick ones. I found them nice and soft on my sore bits.
The midwives advised to only use the thick ones in the first few weeks as sanitary towels can mask signs of infection.
Quantity is difficult, with DS2 and DS3 I soaked through three packs just from my waters gushing all day. I was buying extra pads 30 mins before DS2 was born!
They did have them in the bathrooms to use on the ward. In the early days I was using three pads at a time, one front, one back and one over the top.
I bled for about 6 weeks in each pregnancy and around 4 of that I used the thick pads but I did have to take blood thinning injections so bled quite heavily.

To echo Notso worth keeping some in EVERY bag near your due date!
The bigger the better - you'll have time to get thinner ones as time goes on. I had am EMCS and bled for 6weeks.

But I really wish someone has told me to use them for waters breaking. I was induced and my waters broke in one massive gush - proper movie style, but my pads were still sitting nicely in the car waiting for AFTER the birth.

I had my ds one week ago and have so far used 3 and a half packs of the boots ultra thin maternity pads (12 in a pack). I prefer these ones to the big bulky ones, still bleeding quite heavily and had stitches.

I preferred the ones with wings, I'm such a wriggly sleeper that even after a c section I still moved around enough to make wings an essential! I'm really not sure why so few seem to come with wings though, I tried the plain variety and they got bunched up and messy.

Boots soft, thick and chunky ones were the best for me.

Moved onto the boots 'slimline' ones after a bit.

Like previous posters I was advised to avoid sanitary towels as they make you sweat and can mask infection. MW even told me off after seeing some on the shelf in my bathroom!

I've just finished bleeding after 4 weeks. The Boots ones were the best and I probably got through about 5 packs of 10 plus I used a few of the ultra slim ones.

last time I preferred the boots slim ones and I have got them for this time! anything else made me feel like I was wearing a nappy

I can't remember which ones I used, but they must be maternity pads and not ordinary sanitary towels for the first few days anyway.

I was kept in hospital for 5 days as DD wouldn't feed and I ran out and had to send OH down to the shop for some more.

I also bled heavily for ages afterwards and for the full six weeks so I got through loads.

Another vote for Boots own ultra thin maternity, I would buy a good 10 packs at least, they only come in small packs (daft) and I remember being irritated about running out and ending up with Always scented shite from the local shop.

On the flip side I bought loads and only used about a third. Had a cs and from day 1 it was lighter than a period and really light after 2 weeks.

I used loads, probably about 5-6 packs of 10, that was after a c section. For a while I used 2 at a time.