Do I need Maternity Sanitary Towels (or will ordinary ones do)?

[chickane]

Hi,

I'm expecting my first in January and am in the process of getting my hospital bag together. Do I need to buy sanitary towels specific for post-birth or will ordinary ones do?

I don't want to buy the special ones if they are just another way of getting expectant parents to part with their cash if the ordinary ones I already have will do.

Thanks all.

PS Mumsnet rocks!

And just to add to all the above - make sure they are soft (not suggesting you try them out before you buy - LOL) but I bought some that felt, shall we say, like hardboard, and unbeliveably unforgiving to very sensitive bits afterwards.
Re excessive bleeding afterwards: I popped one of the bed mats from pampers under me initially which was really useful on chairs/beds at home. Happened when least expected

I am sooooooo shocked at this thread!
I thought my experiences were fairly commonplace -
used always night-time towels with wings for the first day or two then just the thin always ultra or whatever they are called.
Bleed for about 8 days with dd (only the first couple of days were heavy) and about 18 days with ds (again not heavily unless i'd been a bit lively - pushed the buggy up the hill or something!)

Amazed that that isn't the 'norm' and feeling very lucky!

Maternity towels and about twice as many knickers as you would normally pack. But don't bother buying paper knickers, that is a waste of money. It's only blood, it'll just wash out. (Dont' take your Agent Provocateurs either though - obv!!)

Used maternity pads for first few days in double & then the longer night time pads for the rest of the time. Wouldn't wear pj bottoms in bed and sleep on something to protect the mattress.

Both times I used Always Nighttime with wings and they never let me down. I had a lot of damage the first time and could not sit down on a bulky maternity pad anyway, although you can get softer, thinner ones than the hospital type from Kotex for example.

Good luck!

I would have big, cheap cotton knickers that it doesn't matter if you bleed on them and are comfortable.
I didn't bother with maternity pads and had just bought santitary ones. Was probably a mistake.
I had stitches... and tried the thin Always towels....very sore. But I had also bought some old fashioned thick padded ones that you can still get. So much more comfortable!
And get lots.... you bleed for much longer than you would imagine.

Agree with big dark knickers - buy lots then you can chuck if you need to. Matalan also very cheap. Also, I spent the first couple of weeks sleeping on a towel - more for milk leakage and hormonal night sweats, than bleeding. Easier to whip off and wash than changing bedding every day.

Wishing you lots of luck. It's all worth it.

pedalmonster - did I read your post right? I can't believe that you found paper disposables are more comfy and better fitting than proper cotton pants, when you just need to hold a giant hammock of a towel in place - were you talking before or after the birth?

Totally agree about needing many pairs of PJ/trackie bottoms though - and some old towels for sitting on to protect furniture if it really comes to it (and it did ).

Only 8 days of bleeding - lucky you. With DD I bled for 12 weeks!

With my two sons it was far less, only about 6 weeks I think!

Can I recommned Tena Lady Pants, like maternity pads and disposable knickers all in one. Fab as pad built in so doesn't move about and go skewif. Had baby 2.5 wks ago, was revelation when I discovered them, before that had leaky accidents all the time and went through about 3 pairs of Pj bottoms a day.

Maternity pads (and breastpads, disposable pants etc) all half price at Sainsburys ATM - 49p for 10 pads, not bad at all.

(They were doing this offer just after I had my DS - the poor delivery driver's face as he handed me a bag full of about 10 packets of Ultra Massive pads... )

Oh yes - sit on a towel on the way home from hopsital!

Definately buy the maternity pads!... i bought tesco own maternity pads, they were very comfortable to wear and are very cheap.

Mothercare do Sterile maternity pads which could be helpful if you end up with stitches. I'm having an ELCS and have bought some to stick to the front of my massive maternity knickers to keep my wound clean and dry once the drain is out.

The big, square bed mats are handy for the car home/sitting on the sofa/bed too as they protect whatever you're on if the pads should leak as well as allowing you to sit and air your bits now and again (not when you have visitors obvously) which can help with healing if you do have cuts/tears/wounds. I'll be taking some to hospital too as they were rubbish at giving me replacements and I ended up sat in my own mess for hours! But then my hospital is notoriously rubbish.

Any leftover mats are fab for protecting car seats and buggys when you're potty training your PFB too

The more the pad looks like a mattress the better. Just after labour is not the time to go for discrete "wafer thin" pads.

I would also recommend (like some ladies above) getting some pampers disposable change mats/pampers bed wetting mats to put under you when sleeping otherwise you will be changing the sheets a lot and that's the last thing you need.

On a slight aside - since you are planning your hospital bag, maybe think about taking a button front nightie instead of pjamas. I spent ages hunting for a perfect pair of comfy pjamas and only got to wear the top because I was catheterised for 2 days after the birth. Very embarrassing as the hospital just put me in the top and pants! Had to send DH on an emergency trip to mothercare to buy nightie.

get the biggest you can. i found the night time ones bigger and comfier

I used Boots own brand maternity pads. I would recommend them but I also had to use 2 side by side at one point. I did buy some heavy flow pads that are meant for bladder problems and they were lovely and wide. Which is great for night time. x

I used a disposable nappy opened out for the first few days, caught everything and wide enough to prevent accidents, just a thought.

I had my baby 9 days ago and had posted on this thread before. I used no pads for first 12 hours as had a catheter in following an epidural. Then used boots maternity pads or kotex night (I found kotex night really good and comfortable). I have been using them since then although I haven't had much bleeding - I only ever had to use one at a time and didn't need to change them that often. am now using boots ultra slim maternity pads or always and could have used them before but the bigger pads are softer and I was quite swollen so it made it more omfortable sitting down on. Probably used about three packs in total of the big pads, possibly slightly more.

Be aware also that you might think your bleeding is tailing off & be tempted to go pad-free, but it comes back with a vengeance if you are busy, and you can get caught out.