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. :)
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Date: 2010-03-01 05:11 am (UTC)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. :)