Can I use regular pads during childbirth?
Pads have to do a lot in the postpartum period. After all, the bleeding or the discharge after birth can be quite heavy. You can find out in this article which insoles are suitable for the period of confinement.
Binding in childbed – what happens to your body after childbirth
It is completely normal for you to experience increased bleeding and discharge after giving birth. This is the so-called weekly flow .
- In this way, the body gets rid of everything it no longer needs after pregnancy. These are, for example, remnants of the egg membrane, but also mucus and blood residue from the uterus.
- How strong the weekly flow is varies from woman to woman. At the beginning it is rather light red. Over time, the discharge becomes more brownish. After about 14 days, it turns yellowish or white.
The right pads in the childbed
The weekly flow must be able to flow off unhindered. For this reason, tampons are an absolute taboo during this time. The optimal postpartum pads are thick, absorbent and made of natural cotton.
- Since the weekly flow can be quite strong, postpartum pads are also slightly larger than normal pads. In addition, postpartum pads should do without foil and without plastic. This is especially true if injuries occurred during birth, such as a tear in the perineum or an episiotomy .
- As you can see, normal pads usually do not meet all of these requirements. For this reason, you should use either special maternity pads or, alternatively, fleece diapers during childbirth .
- For hygiene reasons, change the pads every two to four hours to prevent bacteria from multiplying. After about two weeks you can then switch to normal pads. But only if the weekly flow has decreased.
- There are also a few things to consider when choosing your underwear during the weekly flow. During childbirth you should only wear cotton panties. Since maternity pads are quite large, net panties are a good alternative. This variant has the added benefit of being guaranteed breathable.