So, basically postnatal incontinence is when your pelvic floor is weakened (terminology?) during pregnancy and childbirth and you find you have some leaks (especially coughing/sneezing/jumping) - so many women struggle for a while after having a baby but they’re not the same as the maternity pads which are much more absorbent as the volume of lochia at first can be a lot. You need these for the first few weeks and then if you find you have a weakened pelvic floor and are leaking urine you’ll want some tena or equivalent xxThis is probably a stupid question but are the pads that are labelled as "for postnatal incontinence" also suitable for bleeding? Or do I need thicker ones for dealing with the blood? For some reason postnatal pads is what my mind is choosing to overthink today
Pregnancy #62
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Thank you, I'll make sure I get some of each type
Personally didn’t have that much bleeding either time. I got loads of pads and didn’t need them.
Aldi inco knickers for the first few days, they absorbed just fine, didn’t have a problem with these. I also used these when my waters broke. Then the ABENA maternity pads from Amazon which are nappy like in thickness and massive!!! But didn’t need the whole pack. I had the lillets maternity pads which I didn’t rate as they were just really, really long and I didn’t really leak forward or backward so a bit of a waste of time. My favourite were Asda bladder weakness ones. Wide, kind of elasticated to cup but not so massive they’re uncomfortable. Also had some really cheap pads that were like old fashioned sanitary towels I used for like half hour here and there (say between removing one and getting in the shower just while I fed baby).
Overall, I had maybe 5 days of very heavy period type, then 3-4 days heavy period then it just went to normal sanitary towel heaviness before tailing off to need liners. I never needed the length, more so the width. 1 pack of pants, 1-2 Asda packs and just sanitary normal towels and liners would have seen me through comfortably.
I have a waterproof mattress protector anyway but got incontinence pads as I use them as disposable travel changing mats (don’t want to put a pooey travel mat back in the bag). I sat on one in the car but the inco pants contained the leaking waters and though my waters went in bed, I felt something and stood up and then they came so the bed didn’t get it.
Never needed to protect the bed from PP bleeding. But a waterproof mattress protector would be a good shout for PP sweating, possibly bleeding leakage and waters so seems like a good multi use idea. But pads, don’t buy loads in advance, supermarkets or prime sell them if you need them, you’ll never be without.
Aldi inco knickers for the first few days, they absorbed just fine, didn’t have a problem with these. I also used these when my waters broke. Then the ABENA maternity pads from Amazon which are nappy like in thickness and massive!!! But didn’t need the whole pack. I had the lillets maternity pads which I didn’t rate as they were just really, really long and I didn’t really leak forward or backward so a bit of a waste of time. My favourite were Asda bladder weakness ones. Wide, kind of elasticated to cup but not so massive they’re uncomfortable. Also had some really cheap pads that were like old fashioned sanitary towels I used for like half hour here and there (say between removing one and getting in the shower just while I fed baby).
Overall, I had maybe 5 days of very heavy period type, then 3-4 days heavy period then it just went to normal sanitary towel heaviness before tailing off to need liners. I never needed the length, more so the width. 1 pack of pants, 1-2 Asda packs and just sanitary normal towels and liners would have seen me through comfortably.
I have a waterproof mattress protector anyway but got incontinence pads as I use them as disposable travel changing mats (don’t want to put a pooey travel mat back in the bag). I sat on one in the car but the inco pants contained the leaking waters and though my waters went in bed, I felt something and stood up and then they came so the bed didn’t get it.
Never needed to protect the bed from PP bleeding. But a waterproof mattress protector would be a good shout for PP sweating, possibly bleeding leakage and waters so seems like a good multi use idea. But pads, don’t buy loads in advance, supermarkets or prime sell them if you need them, you’ll never be without.
For those mentioning that they’d rather be scheduled for a c-section than be induced, could I ask for insight on the reasoning behind this? I’m wondering if this is something I should consider myself, especially since I want to avoid an induction as long as possible.
Thanks everyone for the wisdom 🩷
So I’m a week after birth, I used in the hospital Always disposable pants and for the next 2 days at home.
I found them really super absorbent and comfortable to wear, also I’ve sworn this week by the Spritz for Bits it’s really taken the edge off stitches.
Then switched to the boots own maternity pads, now on regular pads as I havent really been bleeding too much this last day so I’ve not personally used many so far. It might come back so I have another stash of pads.
The disposable knickers maybe a little too high for c section mummas.
I got maternity pads but then switched to some type of thick period pads from Tesco that cost about 80p for a pack vs branded maternity ones. I bled quite heavily for a week or two then it tailed off after 6 weeks. I don't remember leaking in bed because I was up every 2 hours to feed, so you can keep an eye on it. I also remember (TMI
) having a wee and thinking I was done but weirdly, I could hear wee trickling out 
stay sat down longer than you think! I have read that it burns to wee, but I never experienced that and I was stitched up to tit
I used boots maternity pads, I think I possibly only went through 2 or 3 packs, switched to lillets maternity pads when it got a bit lighter.
I also got some fridamom disposable underwear (you still need to use pads with them) that I never ended up using - so personally wouldn’t bother with those if anyone is thinking about it ! Just buy a pack or 2 of big black underwear that you might also still be wearing well after a year of having your baby too
This time round I’ll probably use the same things, might even bother with the disposable underwear just because I have it there already
I also second the spritz for bits if you end up having stitches, I felt like that helped !
I never noticed any leaking on our bed but I keep a mat underneath Incase, I was also paranoid about leaking on our light coloured sofas so always had a mat where I was sitting but never leaked.
Also never got the burning when peeing thing I don’t think, I got one of those perineal bottles but wasn’t allowed to use it on my first pee since they needed to collect it, and I never felt like I needed to use it. I think my hospital bag will be much lighter second time round
I also got some fridamom disposable underwear (you still need to use pads with them) that I never ended up using - so personally wouldn’t bother with those if anyone is thinking about it ! Just buy a pack or 2 of big black underwear that you might also still be wearing well after a year of having your baby too
This time round I’ll probably use the same things, might even bother with the disposable underwear just because I have it there already
I also second the spritz for bits if you end up having stitches, I felt like that helped !
I never noticed any leaking on our bed but I keep a mat underneath Incase, I was also paranoid about leaking on our light coloured sofas so always had a mat where I was sitting but never leaked.
Also never got the burning when peeing thing I don’t think, I got one of those perineal bottles but wasn’t allowed to use it on my first pee since they needed to collect it, and I never felt like I needed to use it. I think my hospital bag will be much lighter second time round
How are you all dressing small nurseries? I’m thinking some ikea drawers with a changing mat on top and a cot.. not sure we can fit much else in unless anyone has any ideas?
unless anyone has any ideas?I got a peri bottle and never used it due to c-section but it came in handy to shower over baby when we used a baby bath/sink wash or for sandy toes when they get bigger so not wasted.
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3 mths in and I’ve not used the changing table, just the bed or mat on the floor. Maybe when they’re bigger but I don’t think it’s a must if a wardrobe with drawers would work better. Or you can get those cot top changing mats.How are you all dressing small nurseries? I’m thinking some ikea drawers with a changing mat on top and a cot.. not sure we can fit much else in
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I didn’t want drip induction (when I was considering going naturally) as I didn’t go well with it first time and apparently it makes contractions worse. But there are various methods and I kind of forgot that when I said I’d rather a section than an induction. It may be worth considering the different methods, seeing what you’d prefer/not want before ruling out induction as a whole.
Personally for me I would like to avoid as many invasive internal checks/interventions as possible due to previous trauma and anxiety surrounding it. I know during a vaginal birth they will also happen but I don’t want more than medically necessary and if I’m struggling with them I can request pain relief so that I’m less aware of what’s going on.
I also am a bit of a control freak and get anxious with things outside my control and detest being in hospitals so the thought of waiting around for potentially days to see if one thing works and then the next thing etc just really doesn’t sit well with me, on top of the above anxiety.
No other reasons really, just the more I’ve considered what might happen if we go over and I’ve thought about the process of induction I’m just not comfortable with it and the last thing I want is severe anxiety surrounding my baby’s birth before it even happens!
I think it’s just personal preference, a lot of my own thoughts in my head are probably flawed haha, but a big one for me was that if you feel the need to evacuate baby sooner than they are ready then let’s do so quickly, not potentially drag out a 5 day induction
I know people do have positive inductions, but everyone I know personally enough in life to know their birth stories ended with emergency c sections anyway and I didn’t like those odds. It’s whatever you feel comfortable with
My house is incredibly small, all the rooms already have dual functions. So the baby will sleep in a Finnish baby box ( there's a small gap by my bed), when it needs to go into a crib it'll go into the incredibly small spare room which is already my husband's office, stuffed up the side of the sofa bed - I've not actually measured, I'm just hoping. I'm thinking of having a 2x2 IKEA kallax with a plank of wood on top and some legs the other end as my husband's desk. Baby's clothes will go in the kallax and a bag under the crib. ABSOLUTELY no idea where I'll put the milk making/warming stuff. I've no room in my hallway so I'm putting the pram in the living room and using it as a moses basket.How are you all dressing small nurseries? I’m thinking some ikea drawers with a changing mat on top and a cot.. not sure we can fit much else in
Personally, I don't like having a changing mat in the bedroom, my small bathroom miraculously has space at the end of the bath. If your kid does a poonami, how are you going to wash your hands/clothes/ everything covered in poop? Germ phone here
So yeah, I've just read that back and realised my baby can't have it's own room in this house!!
We don't have a nursery room so the baby will be with us until we can afford to move next year. We picked up a silver cross chest or drawers with changing space on top on FB marketplace for free! Honestly so happy with it and we'll squeeze a cot in beside the bed. I was tempted to go for the next to me crib but it only lasts 6 months so didn't see the point of we can get a cot that will last longer.How are you all dressing small nurseries? I’m thinking some ikea drawers with a changing mat on top and a cot.. not sure we can fit much else in
For me choosing between a section and induction, I also factored in my husbands paternity leave. With us only getting two weeks, I didn’t want to waste multiple days of that in hospital while waiting to see if various methods of induction worked or not, but I also didn’t want to go through it alone. There’s obviously other things too as other posters have mentioned, but my friend’s husband was already five days into his paternity leave by the time they got home with their baby after every method of induction failed and they then had an emergency section and had to stay in another night.
That’s a great point! Hadn’t considered that angle before!
On the pads front - with my first in the early days I used the frida mom pants with a maternity pad inside (was quite heavily bleeding first couple of days). Then just moved to maternity pads, then normal pads after that. I’d stopped bleeding at 3 weeks and by the end was just wearing a liner.
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I really don’t want a c section with this baby - recovery with a 2 year old isn’t going to be fun. Partner is off for several months so I’m happy to wait and then discuss induction methods if I go overdue. Apparently once you’ve had a baby inductions so go a bit easier.
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I really don’t want a c section with this baby - recovery with a 2 year old isn’t going to be fun. Partner is off for several months so I’m happy to wait and then discuss induction methods if I go overdue. Apparently once you’ve had a baby inductions so go a bit easier.
I actually hadn't thought of this at all. My bf gets two weeks and does have 1.5 weeks of holiday after yoo but it's still not much if I'm waiting days on end for the induction to work. How many days did you have to stay in hospital after it? I feel very nervous about having to stay in hospital myself when my bf gets home which is why I haven't been worried about a C-section.
I had a planned section and only had to stay in 24 hours after my baby was born.
Bit late to the party but thought I’d share some
Thoughts as a ftm who had a c section
I used disposable pants for a couple of days with Tesco maternity pads then moved on to big black pants with Tesco maternity pads. They were really soft and would recommend. After your c section they just shove a pad and a puppy pad under you whilst your catheter is in. I bled for about a week and then it tailed off and stopped but it did randomly start in the night and I was covered in blood so just beware.
I would have had an induction over c section
If I had the choice but now I’ve had a c section I can understand why people choose it , however it is major surgery and not being able to drive for so long was a real pain, if I had another I would go for induction again unless medically advised
Thoughts as a ftm who had a c section
I used disposable pants for a couple of days with Tesco maternity pads then moved on to big black pants with Tesco maternity pads. They were really soft and would recommend. After your c section they just shove a pad and a puppy pad under you whilst your catheter is in. I bled for about a week and then it tailed off and stopped but it did randomly start in the night and I was covered in blood so just beware.
I would have had an induction over c section
If I had the choice but now I’ve had a c section I can understand why people choose it , however it is major surgery and not being able to drive for so long was a real pain, if I had another I would go for induction again unless medically advised
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