Maternity pads *yawn* any recommendations?

[Thighbrow]

Hello - any recommendations for maternity pads please - or advice on ones to avoid? And how many will I need post birth? Having a home birth so won't have any hospital ones unfortunately (which were great after ds1!)

Was thinking this too. ATM I'm wearing normal period pads Incase waters go and I keep leaking pee.

I found the mothercare ones were good - nice and soft and absorbant (& similar to the hospital ones!). Sainsburys ones were terrible - really uncomfortable.

I think I used about 40 in total, but cant remember very well.

Boots own were great for me. Used the thick ones for the first week and then the thin ones.

My only recommendation is to go wing-free - easier to double up in the first few days (using two to extend the length) and generally more comfortable in my opinion.

Can't comment on brands as I was in Aus when I needed them.

I would buy a pack or two of the thicker ones for the first couple of days and then some thinner ones for when the bleeding calms down. Boots own brand are good. Definitely buy proper maternity pads, not sanitary pads, they're softer and less likely to catch on stitches etc. also I'd recommend some witch hazel to soak them in - absolute bliss for the bruising

Boots were great. I found Sainsbury"s went a bit lumpy and uncomfortable. Tesco's were ok from memory.

I Had mothercare, boots and asda.

I liked boots the best.

I found Boots and Mothercare were good. This may just be me, but I was allergic to the Asda ones. Doubling up is definitely a good idea. Also, don't forget that you may find bleeding increases about a week after birth.

I just used Always night time ones. Actual maternity pads are like sitting on shards of evil.

Boots thin ones were by far the best, well, after the first few days when to be honest a mattress wouldn't have cut it... TMI?

I liked the mothercare ones. I bled for 6 weeks so got through loads of the bloody (literally) things.

Where I live you can get a giant wheels roll of cotton wrapped in a gauze sleeve in the pharmacy, which you cut to size and is super soft and cushiony. On my midwife's instructions I made an infusion with thyme and soaked some long strips and then froze them, for the first few days post-labour. They were AMAZING.

I just buy the big fat Tesco ones. Do the job perfectly until I could move to the slimmer ones.

Boots :) and they're often included in their 3 for 2 as well.

I second freezing them too!

Any big, fat, comfy ones for the first few days. I had to use 3 at a time to begin with and was grateful for the cushioning given the state of my undercarriage.

If you end up having stitches then avoid anything with a dry-weave top sheet until the stitches have dissolved - the last thing you want is the stitches catching in your pad

I liked using kotex night. You can get them in super drug and home bargains. I'm very fussy about things not being comfy and these were the softest I tried. I've stocked up already for this time!

I found the bigger and more padded they were the better!! haha Also, I preferred ones with wings as the ones without had sides which used to rub a little and were very sore/uncomfortable. x

I liked the boots ones, my midwife said always were notorious for ripping out stitches!

Awesome. Thank you all so much for the recommendations and advice!

I found they were all abortive same, just make sure you buy lots of the thick proper maternity ones.

Yeah don't use normal pads because they are all plasticy material and full of chemicals that are not great when you've just given birth and often have stitches, tears etc.

I used the boots ones eventually but I just kept asking for the hospital ones and when we went home they gave me quite a few which I definitely preferred (plus they were free)

Boots ones are on 3 for 2 at the moment! Just stocked up for hospital bag (is 3 packs enough??)