Post Partum Tampon Use

[ktnzgtklws.livejournal.com]

Ok, just got back from childbirth preperation class. Felt like it answered a good abmount of questions, yay. :-)
BUT. ZOMG. The post labor pad? YIKES! Seriously, I thought it was to be placed UNDER you, not in your panties! It doesn't look like it even would fit!
As I'm being disturbed by this pad (seriously, wouldn't it be easier to just wear Depends?), the woman then said that we should all stock up on pads, as we wouldn't be allowed to wear tampons for the whole duration of lochia.
Uhm, wait, what?
I've read in a few other places that tampons are fine, as long as you're comfortable enough to use them!
When I asked for a reason, there was some vague answer as to swelling, discomfort, slippage, and TSS. The only real reason to ban them, then, seems to be the TSS, and I've always been under the impression that TSS occurs from using tampons too heavy for your flow. Seeing as how lochia is a ZOMG tsunami of blood, I really have a hard time seeing as how that would be possible.
Has anyone else ever heard of this ban on the post partum use of tampons?
I really dislike pads, and would MUCH rather use tampons if I can. The reasons given for not using them seemed like things one should consider, not reasons to outright ban them. :-/

Comments

[cathubodva.livejournal.com]

I thought it was because of an increased risk of infection with anything being put in the vagina, since the cervix is still pretty open.

[easiertobe.livejournal.com]

This.

[geminigirl]

Some people do like Depends or similar incontinence pads for the heaviest part of lochia. And while it looks tremendous, realize that the super heavy part of lochia doesn't last very long-with my first it was three or four days, I think, and with my second it was even shorter.

You've effectively got an open wound in your uterus where your placenta attached, and it needs time to clamp down and heal-tampons, and other things inserted into the vagina can introduce bacteria and push it up closer to the uterus where it can cause infection. I've never seen anywhere that tampons are okay for lochia. In fact, my midwife even says "no menstrual cups" too.

Sorry.

[bean668.livejournal.com]

This. I asked my doc about using a menstrual cup and she said, "Not only is your uterus open to infection, but you also have a dinner plate sized wound healing in there from where the placenta was attached. Leave it to heal."

[elialshadowpine.livejournal.com]

"but you also have a dinner plate sized wound healing"

O.O

D:

[neko-loliighoul.livejournal.com]

i really feel like never having children after reading that, lol.
i will though...but OMG IT SOUNDS SCARY! D:

[oopsiedaisies7.livejournal.com]

agh, me as well.

My coworker is pregnant and she keeps telling me all of these awful things about pregnancy/labor, and I think my ovaries might just surrender and stop releasing eggs if they learn too much more...

[bean668.livejournal.com]

yea I know! *that* was definitely the thing that made me just leave it to heal

[calliope-music.livejournal.com]

i think i made this EXACT FACE and then my ladybits all cried a little.

[sickofyourbs.livejournal.com]

Absolutely anything inserted in the vagina before the post-partum bleeding stops increases your risk of infection. Anything at all.
That being said, I wore a regular maxi pad inside my disposable panties, with a pair of Depends over top to hold everything in place. I only had to do this for 2 or 3 days, and after that, a maxi pad was fine.

[x-memoirs.livejournal.com]

I'm only 8 weeks pregnant, so I'm glad I've been able to read things like this. Although, I could've swore there was just an entry a few back that said she used tampons during lochia. Hm. I'd rather be safe than sorry, though.

[indis-earfalas.livejournal.com]

My midwife told me that it's because everything is still healing and really open to infection ... particularly if you've had some tearing and whatever else.

As tonnes of other people have already said, but I thought I'd say it too. :-)

Lochia isn't always a tsunami of blood though, so you might not need to wear the giant pad of giantness (OT: When I first started using pads, the normal size ones were what is now considered bigger than giant ... I sometimes look at the current ones and think to myself "WTF is this? A panty-liner or something?").

It also might be that for the first week or so the very idea of ANYTHING going anywhere NEAR the area will be a great big no.

[misspaigeb.livejournal.com]

You could get some cloth pads on Etsy! I HATE regular pads and won't go near them, but cloth pads are really comfy.

[jaggednib.livejournal.com]

This!
I bought a huge stash especially for after I had my son. It was the best idea EVER.

[frolicnaked.livejournal.com]

The post labor pad? YIKES! Seriously, I thought it was to be placed UNDER you, not in your panties! It doesn't look like it even would fit!
As I'm being disturbed by this pad (seriously, wouldn't it be easier to just wear Depends?)

I'm no help for your question, beyond what's already been said here, but... there are pads that are bigger/more absorbent than Depends?

[mangofandango.livejournal.com]

Having never actually tried Depends, I can't say for sure, but...have you tried postpartum pads? They are pretty mighty, though I have no idea if they are mighty enough for the wrath of your uterus. It might be worth a shot, maybe combined with some other method.

[frolicnaked.livejournal.com]

I have tried postpartum cloth pads combined with my menstrual cup. Since cloth pads vary widely according to maker, though, I'm not sure how my cloth ones would compare to a disposable post partum pad.

[storychick.livejournal.com]

I'm a postpartum doula, and yup, pads are it. If you think about it, the site where the placenta peeled off in your uterus is one big scab, and a bleeding oozy scab at that. Your cervix is slightly open throughout that time, so they aforementioned bloody ooze can come out. At the same time, you are more tired than you have ever been in your life and eating irregularly and protentially not so healthily (though you will plan ahead for that, right?!) and your body is going through a crazy transition of hormones and reducing fluid and having all your inner organs return to their accustomed places, so your immune system is down. Introducing anything that might spell infection into that process is not a good idea -- this is also why they say to wait to have sex.

For what its worth, the crazy heavy bleeding really shouldn't last more than a few days or maybe a week depending on how your birth goes. After that the flow will significantly decrease to something more like a normal period, then reduce further into spotting and then a whitish mucus-y flow. If it gets heavy again after a few days you are overdoing it and should get more rest, and potentially see your care provider to make sure there are no retained pieces of placenta. So you won't need the Depends for very long (and yes, some people do use Depends -- or cloth diapers -- for those heavy days).

Keep in mind also that depends on how the birth goes, everything is going to be swollen and stretched out and uncomfortable for awhile. You are likely NOT going to want to jam anything up in there and then yank it out again every hour or two. If you have stitches that is an even worse idea.

Hopefully you will be mostly in bed during the really heavy time, anyway -- I know people who just keep a supply of chux pads or old towels and lay on them instead of having anything directly against the sore spots. (Handy under the top half when your milk comes in, too.)

Oh, and put some water on a few of those giant pads and stick em in the freezer ahead of time. That feels GOOD in the first few days. :)

[neko-loliighoul.livejournal.com]

jeez, i feel sore in my ladyparts just reading that hahaha.

[barrelofrain.livejournal.com]

OMG me too.

[the-gersemi.livejournal.com]

Believe me, directly post-partum, you don't want anything being stuck up your hooha, least of all tampons.

[mangofandango.livejournal.com]

Just backing up everything everyone is saying. Tampons are a bad, bad idea immediately post-partum, for infection-related reasons.

For me, recovery from childbirth was not a pretty or easy time, and I can pretty confidently say that you will not want to even think about putting a tampon in your vagina right after even if things go really well. It might sound like the better option now - and believe me, I did get sick of sitting on big ol' pads - but pads are definitely the way to go. I recommend the disposable undies, too - they stretch to comfortably hold those big huge pads *and* stay on your body gently and loosely, which was a lifesaver for me. I took a few pairs from the hospital along with what was left of the package of my postpartum pads of doom.

I did use up the hospital ones, but I also used Natracare organic cotton maternity pads and they were so much more comfortable. They're not plasticky and they just...breathed better? I recommend them if you can find them. Hopefully you won't need maternity pads as long as I did, and it won't even be much of an issue, but...yeah.

[rockstarbob.livejournal.com]

Ditto to what everyone else has said, but also--you could totally lie on a pad in bed and not have it fastened to your underwear if you think that would be more comfortable. There are disposable ways to do this (all hail the Chux Pad!) and probably lots of cloth options, too.

Ain't no shame in wearing some Depends, either.

My MW whipped up this lovely herbal/witch hazel concoction (the same stuff she had me use for my sitz bath) and dipped some post-partum pads in it, then stuck them in the freezer. I can't tell you how nice they felt in those first few days when I was so sore!