Worried about Fanjo maintainence, to be blunt!!

[shouldIbecrossaboutthis]

So there are loads of thread about labour bags which cover all the baby stuff but not very much for the mum other than pack a drink and some breast pads - job done.

I'm exoecting the area to be a bit of a car crash for a while - but how long?

I'm a bit confused about maternity pads. Which ones are best? How many will I need in each type of absorbency? How many will I use in a typical day? What about wings are they a must? I also wondered if something like Tena lady pants might be a good bet? When can I stop using maternity ones and then use always one or something like that?

So many questions; think this is made worse by the fact I use a mooncup normally. nothing to do with being due in 3 weeks!

What else do I need to worry about in the fanjo area? Witch hazel or something in case of stitches? Something to tip warm water over the offending area before peeing (sports bottle?)?

Any other tips? Going to the shops once the baby is here wont really be an option. I'm working right up to 39 weeks so will be staying in my pjs for a month!!

I do remember asking on here a few years ago about maternity pads and IIRC they are softer than sanitary towels and it's easier to judge how much blood is on them. I really can't remember how many I got through though, but I had c-sections so after about 2 weeks I went onto sanitary towels as there was nothing to heal and the blood loss had slowed.

Maternity pads are hefty things but they do feel like they are doing their job properly.

Right. I am an old gimmer officially but I reckon my experiences still hold good.

Mat pads... pack 4 times what you think you may need.

Sluice fanjo with warm water to which you have added a spoonful/quick squirt of Badedas Original. Squirty sports bottle is a fab idea - I used a big plastic jug.

I did this with both DC and had massive stitches piecing my nether regions back together and HV was astounded that I had healed in about a week.

Sainsburys pads are excellent for first few days, but the ones the hospital use are even better if you can source them!

You will need loads for the first few days. I wore micro fibre seamless pants from primark over the top of my big cotton pants too- held everything in place. Don't stress too much about bladder weakness- I had no issues at all second time so you may be fine without tena pants!

I switched to always ultra about five days after giving birth, as soon as stitches healed. I bled for three weeks but last week panty liners fine!

Tea tree oil in the bath is excellent for a bit of pain relief! I also took pain killers for first few days as my after pains were really bad when breast feeding.

From what I remember, it is advised not to use Always for lochia, but I can't remember why

Mat pads are much softer, and though they feel bulky and horrid, they do give a reassurance that they will cope with the flow

If you're wanting disposable undies, I'd buy a pack of cheap cotton ones from asda/tesco and just bin them afterwards. They're much comfier than paper ones (or tena pants!) and probably no more expensive

Thanks both! I think I will stick with maternity pads for the first 2-3 weeks, is 50 massive ones and 46 slimmer ones too little do you think, to last 2-3 weeks? I'm still wondering if Tena lady might be an option, just seeing if there is anything on google from other forums.

Thenightsky, just looked at badedas, what is it, looks like bubble bath?!

Yes Badedas looks like boring old bubble bath, but it has good stuff like witch hazel in it.

back in the olden days ALL new mums got bought a bottle. Amazing stuff.

Please do use maternity pads, and not normal pads at first. The standard ones are just not up to that sort of job IMO, although you can switch to them after the first few heavy days.
I tried putting some oil in the bath, it can sting though. In hindsite, I would use water only for the first few days, maybe 5 or 6 times a day.
It will feel like you can park a bus in it for the first few days, but this is common, if you're relatively young you'll bounce back really quickly. Good luck. Don't forget your kegels

I don't remeber bleeding for more than a few days but then I had an emergency cs so I suppose I had no reason to.

I can't overstate the glory of moist toilet tissues-you're fanny will thank you! Andrex do ones or supermarket ones targeted at kids are cheaper.

I think your 50/46 bulk buying sums are good. I'd go with that.

I would also pack some lactoluse too.

Maternity pads are much thicker and very soft making them more comfortable, especially if you have stitches, for the first few days at lest. Adding a cup of salt to bath water really speeds up healing, or tea tree oil (10 drops max). You can use a shower head directed at the nether regions but make sure it's not too hot!

Yes, moist toilet tissues are great!

Fab, thanks so much everyone, I'm frantically making a list! Are all maternity pads the same them? I see sainsburys ones crop up alot and superdrug. What about boots? I goot get my fanjo survival kit with my points them .

I wasn't as fussed on boots- they were not as soft sainsburys. I also used always maxi night pads after first few days! They are still massive but individually wrapped so a bit more discreet in the baby bag!

Just Do Not Expect the NHS to supply you with civilised loo roll. Take your own in. And, don't share. You'll need it.

And, do your fecking pelvic floor exercises. That way, mopping up is a short term problem...

Hadn't eve thought of taking in Loo Rool, good shot Nankypeeny. Will start to do pelvic floor, I promise. I need to find a guide to check I'm doing them right. Do you reckon do pelvic floor and perennial massage at the same time is cancelling them out? I do wonder that, hopefully they are different muscles? .

I'm another mooncup user and I hate all the mess! Maternity pads are like the old fashioned pads, the modern ones can melt stitches so very bad and of course they don't hold anything like as much and they're too short. If you don't have stitches and as you're feeling more up to normal pads night time pads are brilliant.

Whilst you're in hospital wee (only!) on the bidet! I wish I had known this before, I discovered how amazing they are with #3. It feels better to wee with warm water being run over you, if you can't bear to wee on them, use them afterwards.

confuddled speaks wise words... I nearly prised the bidet off the wall to bring home with me

ok, wee, not poo in the bidet - got it!

Oh and use pads for about a week after you think you've stopped.

Oooh, that's a good question!

Peroneal massage is something I body swerved the idea of it kind of gave me the heebie jeebies. And, am happy to announce that I must be blessed with a naturally stretchy fanny as none of the 9lb+ babies managed to tear my remarkably elastic fanjo. Huzzah for luck!

Quick guide to PF (disclaimer - I'm a physio, currently on a high horse after getting involved in a thread on here which led me to believe that incontinence was waaahaaay more common than the official stats state. Seriously, I'm becoming evangelical...)

Imagine you are on a first date and going to do a giant fart....well, it's a first date, you're not going to disgrace yourself (imagine it's a first date with someone you'd like to have a second date with, that might help) what you are doing right now - that is you contracting your pelvic floor round your bumhole.

Now, imagine you are bursting for the loo. Really, really bursting. but, you've been to the shop and you've got eleventy billion bags of food that you need to get from the car to the front door first. Right, that feeling is you contracting your pelvic floor round your fanjo.

Now, imagine you can't quite find your key. You are really, really, bursting and doing that funny wee dance thing whilst muttering darkly. That is you contracting EVERYTHING and anything you can.

Think about that feeling - hold it for 10 secs. When you let go there should be a "drop"

Then, 10 quick flicks

Then, imagine you've got a lift in your bits - lift to floor 1, then 2, then 3, then descend in a controlled manner.

Do that on the hour, every hour. Or, at least, every time the adverts come on or you are feeding your baby, or you think a mean thought about your DH...somehting that happens regularly so you remember.

Ask for a midwife or a physio to talk you through it before you leave the ward. And then, do the blardy exercises.

If you ever want to have an orgasm again - do them.

Oooh, and, bendy straws for your labour bag...if you are both comfy and thirsty, they are a Gawdsend.

Good luck.

Do your blardy exercises, I mean it. x

IME maternity pads and a squirty water bottle to use when peeing will be right, and help any stitches heal quickly.

x-posts there, should F5

I was the same thenightsky, I'd have loved to take it home with me, sadly I have a cubicle for a toilet here so no where to keep it lol

Had to add in the only just in case...

Second the lactulose! I don't recall when I changed to regular pads, but I bled for 6-7 weeks each time and maternity pads would have been too expensive to use for the whole time.

And cheapo knickers rather than disposable. Primark are great for this.