Maternity pads

[moomin35]

This may be the wrong forum but for anyone that has already been through childbirth can you recommend a particular maternity pad to me? Was just going to get super drugs own brand - 10 for 99p. Are they basically all the same or is there any that are better/worse than the next?

I used cheap ones and didn't have any problems. My only stipulation really was that they have wings.

I went for the cheapest biggest mattresses I could find for the first few week (s) - I think I used boots, super drug, sainsbo and tesco and I couldn't tell the difference. Then after the first week ish (its a blur…) once my bits didn't feel so bruised and the stitches had dissolved/got better I switched to slim ones with wings, again they all seemed the same (used all the supermarkets, boots and mother care).

I did stick to proper 'maternity' pads as I read somewhere online (maybe on this site in fact I can't remember) that normal pads have chemicals and stuff which you don't want neat your fanjo at this delicate time, maternity ones on the other hand don't.

Are they the thick 'massive brick' sort? My only advice would be to get a mixture not just one sort. I've needed stitches both times, and by god all that padding makes sitting down easier. I didn't want the 'thin with wings' sort for a good 10 days or so.

adagio - I think it's mainly the perfume you don't want near your poor sore bits!

I used the ones from which ever supermarket my hubby was in at the time! And the bigger/fatter/most ridiculously sized the better! You'll find that you get through soo many more than you ever thought possible so go for cheap and cheerful!

Get big padded ones, not slimline ones. Kotex nighttime pads in a black packet are suitably enormous. Also get three times as many as you think you're going to need.

Asda ones are meant to be one of the best

How many packs do you think I will need? Should I buy upfront or wait and see if I like the brand before getting more?

I'd buy loads upfront - the supermarket ones are cheap and you will want to change them frequently. Also you won't want to run out - 'nipping out' can be really hard in the first couple of weeks (or really easy, but you never know what kind of experience you will have had or how you will feel. And yes, for me the big mattress ones offered some much needed cushioning!
I'm preg again and will get probably 8 or so packs in as a start - will buy the tesco ones again

hospital have on my lists to bring one pack in labour bag and 2 packs in ward bag.

Sainsburys and boots worked well for me. Think they were 99p a pack too. Think I took 1 pack in hospital bag and had another 3 or 4 packs at home. I then just used normal sanitary towels.

I preferred the mother are variety. They were thick and had wings too.

Def go for the heavily pAdded ones, makes sitting a whole lot better especially if you have stitches.

I bought 4 packs of thick ones (Boots and Sainsbury's own brands) and one pack of Boots thin ones but a month after the birth I'm still to use then all! My bleeding was heavy at first but tbh I've had periods that were heavier. Have just switched to normal flow sanitary pads as I wanted something smaller