Rather embarassingly, tampons don't seem to provide a complete barrier since DC2...

[Thankyouandgoodnight]

I've just had my first proper period at 4 months post the birth of DC2 who weighed 9lbs 4oz and had a rather large head. No tears or grazes and amazingly, I could still activate my pelvic floor muscles immediately after the birth.

Anyway - I've been having to use pads as well as tampons due to 'leaks' which I thought was due to a heavy flow but the flow has slowed down hugely but the leaks have continued . Has anyone else had this

Yes - and my LO is 6 now ! I use tampons & towels to make sure

I found lillets much better for some reason ??

I think it's normal - though poor you getting a period so soon. I went to post natal aqua fit at around this point and water would continue to leak out of me for an hour after I'd got out of the pool - ds1 had a very large head!
Anyway ime it all goes back to normal and in the mean time there are some big tampons out there - applicator are smaller than non ime and lilets wider than tampax.

you need a mooncup.

I'm a bit squeamish about it for some reason hence i use ones with an applicator and can't imagine getting on with a mooncup for the same reason. Am I being a daft mare? With non-applicator ones, does your finger get covered in blood

Curiously I don't feel any 'bigger' during sex or anything.

never used non-applicator, but my hand gets quite bloody with mooncup.
Am assuming you have tried a bigger size?
I once knew someone who used 2 tampax each time.

Tried non applicator in the past and it was a bit yicky and a difficult problem is in public toilets where the sinks are outside the cubicles iyswim.

Yes I have tried a 'super' and had a wee bit of trouble getting it in as the last one had barely anything on it but still leaked.

i've defected to lilets (largest size) and a towel since dd (9lb3) too. actually, tampax now just fall out

I'm beginning to think that i may as well just use a towel and no tampon at this rate

I have this problem but have always found lillets non-applicator to be so much better than tampax.
I have a very heavy flow so use the super ultra ultra ultra ones and I take babywipes or something into public cubicle with me to deal with the bloody hand situ.
After ds was born it was like being 15 again and learning ow to use tampons again, lots of experimenting

Lilets now come with an applicator and are far better than tampax IMO.

Tampax seem to expand downwards and myself and a couple of my friends can't use them as we seem to have short fanjos so it feels like the tampax tampon is coming out

Lilets expand widthways so seem to do a much better job at sealing. I had 2 c sections so can't comment on the stretched fanjo side of things.

Lilets super are the answer for me too. Although I still need to use a pad as well on the first day.

yy mooncup. if you have any clots then tampons are no good.

Lilets expand sideways (but its increasingly hard to find the applicator ones near me). Playtex are also very good at expanding in the right direction

best of luck

interested and relieved to read this - i have also found since i had ds (who is now 2!) that tampax do not really stay in properly and now veer towards towels.. thought i was a bit freakish tbh but now i will try lilets!

I got mine back at 6 weeks despite EBF I used towels as it was so soon. I tried tampax after about 8m and leaked everywhere one night. I went back to towels with a reg size tampax at night which did the trick.

I have found the flow just "different" and you have to get used to using different sizes over one period. The tampax lites (?) are great for the last day or 2 but day one and two I need supers. Other months I can use regulars the whole time and no leaks at all

DD is 26m btw.

The tesco delivery man thinks I am very odd. Last time I did an on line shop they were on BOGOF so I bought 2 big packs of every size and 2 boxes of condoms

This is very reassuring to read that I'm not the only one - thank you everyone for making me feel better!

I really don't think that it's a flow thing with me as I still leak on the last day or two when the flow is very light, even if i use a super.

As I'm currently in cognito with a name change for another thread I'll confess to having the same problem too ie. leaks when using tampons.

Its not that the tampons can't cope with the amount, its just they seem to be by-passed

I couldn't have put it better myself