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Once your little one is finally here it's time to bond with your baby and also time to let your body recover. Postpartum bleeding is - annoyingly - a necessary and natural part of that recovery and you'll need to choose the right maternity pads, to make sure you are feeling safe and secure against leaks, plus are avoiding any extra irritation.
We discuss how to choose the best postpartum pads, considering absorbency, odour neutralising capabilities and breathable materials and we share with you our pick of the top 10 maternity pads in the UK from Tesco, Asda, Boots and Amazon. Luckily they are just an online-order click away, as you will be swapping-in fresh pads very regularly during those early days of motherhood.
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When you're looking for comfy maternity pads, consider the sanitary towels you regularly use. What material are they made from? Use this staring point to guide you to look for a similar maternity pad. Although when you're a new mother, you really want extra comfort, especially in the early days after giving birth. So be careful of choosing woven fabrics that could tug on your sensitive areas or on your stitches.
Picking organic cotton pads guarantees extra comfort, as they're smooth, soft, breathable and chemical-free. Polyethylene pads offer high absorbency and a wide, extra, leak-proof layer. Some pads also use special materials designed to prevent leakage, like a double hydrophobic layer. Pads with air plus technology use a breathable back sheet, this helps counteract the sweatiness associated with man-made materials.
You're going to be bleeding a lot after you give birth, as your body heals itself. Distant memories of even your heaviest regular periods don't come close to what your maternity pad will have to deal with. As the miracle of new life has just arrived, you want to be thinking about your little one, not worrying about leaking down below.
That's why you should pick postpartum pads for the very early days which are really thick, really long and really wide, at least 20 cm wide by 30 cm long - if they make you waddle when you wear them, you are on the right track! As the flow lessens you can pick thinner, shorter pads - more akin to regular sanitary towels (but still much thicker and much more absorbent).
The attachment methods of maternity pads vary, just as they do with regular sanitary towels. Most have a central adhesive strip which attaches to your underwear, some lack this feature however (usually if they are the medical-type, designed for use when laying fairly stationary in a hospital bed) - so do check.
Those with wings (or even two sets of wings) fasten securely in place to stop the pad from slipping, plus the wings add to the coverage provided by the width of the pad. As you'll know from regular sanitary pads, those with wings do take longer to attach and remove. So if time is of the essence (if you have a roaming toddler to deal with too, for example) then wings may not suit.
Postpartum bleeding can last between 2 and 6 weeks. Although, thankfully it does get far lighter towards the end of that time scale. You shouldn't use tampons for a while after you give birth, so it's postpartum pads all the way and you are going to need a lot of them.
Pay attention to how many pads there are per pack. You might have to change your pad every hour or so straight after giving birth (and for the first few days) and you don't want to have to order more in a panic. If you are unsure of how many you'll need, start with around 60 sizeable maternity pads to hand.
Many expectant mothers also choose to wear maternity pads as the due-date approaches, to catch any escaping liquid from their waters spontaneously breaking. If you do this, make sure you haven't used up all of your maternity pad stash before baby arrives.
Now's probably a great time to check out our recommended baby essentials, including the best nappy rash creams, reusable nappies and biodegradable nappy bags.
Just like when wearing regular sanitary pads, your maternity pad can start to smell - as it gets sweaty down there. Luckily, some maternity pads have odour neutralising technology. The odour neutralising layer contains odour sorbent, binder and water.
This makes them kinder to your skin compared to scented alternatives. Fragranced pads might sound nice, but they can mess up your pH balance, putting you at a higher risk of infections. So, remember to choose odour protection instead, if aroma concerns you.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Price | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Abena Premium Maternity Pads | £4.00 Mid | Mum-Approved Thick, Soft, Premium Pads | ||
2 | Lil-Lets Extra Long Maxi Thick Maternity Pads with Wings | £6.00 Mid | Super Wide and Super Long Pads From a Leading Sanitary Wear Brand | ||
3 | Boots Organic Super Soft and Cushioned Cotton Maternity Towels | £2.00 Low Mid | Soft Organic Cotton Pads | ||
4 | Tesco Maternity Towels | £1.50 Low Mid | A Good Quality Option on a Budget | ||
5 | Natracare New Mother Maternity Pads | £8.24 High Mid | Breathable Organic Pads to Combat Sweating | ||
6 | Organyc 100% Organic Cotton Maternity Pads | £6.49 Mid | Organic, Biodegradable Cotton Ideal for Sensitive Skin | ||
7 | Canpol Pack of 10 Postpartum Night Pads | £8.99 High Mid | Odour Neutralising for a Fresher Feel During the Night | ||
8 | ASDA 12 Maternity Towels | £1.75 Low Mid | A Cheap and Convenient Option | ||
9 | Always Ultra Night Size 4 Sanitary Towels | £14.11 High | Winged Sanitary Pads from Always for Those Without Stitches | ||
10 | Medicare Maternity Pads Non Sterile | £6.98 Mid | Extra Absorbent Pads for the First Few Days |
These postpartum pads are some of the most absorbent you can buy. They're a lot longer and wider than ordinary sanitary towels, giving you the cover you need. Even the back sheet is both waterproof and breathable with air plus technology.
Highly recommended by and for new mums, you can use them right after your delivery. They prevent any nasty smells with odour protection, plus the extra thickness provides a very welcome layer of padding.
Lil-lets is a well known sanitary products brand, but they also make excellent maternity pads. These have 2 sets of wings, for ultimate non-slippage security and extra coverage all around the pad, to stop any leakage.
These pads have a supersoft and cushioned surface, to care for tender areas during this time. They are individually wrapped for discretion - most maternity pads are unwrapped and hard to disguise in your bag. A lighter version of these pads are available for when the bleeding has calmed down a bit.
The 100% organic cotton topsheet of these maternity pads is super soft and because it's made from plant based fibres, each postpartum pad uses substantially less plastic than standard maternity towels.
As you'd expect from a Boots own brand product, these maternity towels are well designed to be extra long and thick. Apparently wearing one is like sitting on a cushion, which is something many new mothers need to do for the first week or so.
If you are looking to save money, these maternity pads are a great choice. Available from Tesco, you can easily order them alongside your regular grocery shopping online. These soft towels have wider sides, making them absorbent and comfortable.
The extra padding and the wings are the features which make these maternity pads stay fixed, so you don't have to worry about them slipping out of place. You even get 20 of them per pack, providing excellent value for money. Tesco does a slimmer version of these towels for once the bleeding has lightened.
These breathable pads will help stop you from sweating - which is a common annoyance caused by sanitary and maternity pads. They are chlorine and plastic-free, so no need to worry about toxins. They're also biodegradable, which makes them better for the environment.
They may look a little expensive, but you do get 30 maternity pads per pack. They even have a soft organic cotton cover for extra comfort, which makes all the difference when you are healing after giving birth.
Do you have sensitive skin? These 100% cotton maternity pads are a dream come true! The material provides extra comfort, as well as added absorbency. If that wasn't good enough, they also have a biodegradable film that makes the pads breathable and helps stop infection.
These pads are an American brand, so can be a little tricky to get your hands on in the UK. If these sound like the right pads for you make sure you order a stash of them well before they are needed.
These pads are specially designed for straight after you give birth. The blood after giving birth can have more of an odour than your regular period, which is why these pads are made to neutralise unpleasant scents.
Unfortunately, these maternity pads are a bit pricey and you only get ten. Especially because you're going to want to buy a few packs, as you'll still need to change them very regularly for the first couple of weeks.
Here is a cheap and cheerful supermarket own brand option. The towels are thick and absorbent, meaning some mums have even compared them to the hospital pads. They aren't the widest of pads however, so are further down the ranking.
They have added contouring and a soft surface, so they won't further irritate your skin after birth. However, each pack only contains 12 pads, so you'll want to make sure you bulk buy a few when doing the supermarket shop in preparation for your new arrival.
These may not be maternity pads, but a lot of new mums want to use them - Always is one of the most trusted sanitary towel brands in the UK. These pads are thick with wings to help keep things in place and the extra wide back portion is great for time spent sitting down (which you will be doing a lot of).
Just be careful, as the woven pattern usually found on sanitary towels can irritate, particularly those women who have had to have stitches or are feeling very bruised down below. This sanitary pad-option would best suit those experiencing post-partum bleeding after a caesarean.
Are you looking for something to prevent leakage? These pads are long and wide, plus Medicare maternity pads have a double hydrophobic layer - that's technical talk for extra absorbency. In fact, they can hold up to 80ml!
Unfortunately, these pads have no adhesive strip. They can move around and even come off. But let's be honest, for the first few days after birth, you're not going to be moving around much anyway.!
You will need to change your maternity pads very frequently (every hour or so) during the first few days. Start with at least 60 very absorbent pads - you don't want to be caught short! As your bleeding lightens, you will want to wear slimmer-but-still-cushioned pads, so don't over-buy the very bulky pads.
Maternity pads are softer, thicker, longer, wider and more absorbent than regular sanitary pads. Also maternity pads have a smooth surface, so as not to irritate stitches or bruised and chaffed parts. Highly-absorbent sanitary pads would however suit those who have had a caesarean birth or those who wait for the initial swelling to subside.
Written and researched by Rosa Fairfield
No. 1: Abena|Premium Maternity Pads
No. 2: Lil-Lets|Extra Long Maxi Thick Maternity Pads with Wings
No. 3: Boots|Organic Super Soft and Cushioned Cotton Maternity Towels
No. 4: Tesco|Maternity Towels
No. 5: Natracare|New Mother Maternity Pads
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