11 Best Postpartum Pads for After Birth 2024 Mama Kenna

An absolute must-have in your postpartum care kit are pads!

YOU NEED TO HAVE PADS!

Whether or not you’re having a c-section or vaginal delivery, you’ll need to have a stock of pads at home.

But you don’t want just any normal pad, you want to have the best postpartum pads for after you give birth! Ones that will hold up to that heavy flow.

Post You May Like: Everything You Need In Your Postpartum Care Kit

Now, what am I talking about you may ask?

I’m talking about lochia!

Lochia is a vaginal discharge that you get after giving birth. It’s made up of blood, mucus, and uterine tissue.

Lochia or postpartum bleeding is like if you were to have a period. But this bleeding can get to be very heavy and messy in the beginning!

Heavy bleeding can last up to 10 days. Some women only have heavy bleeding for a couple of days.

After that, you’ll get regular or light bleeding and spotting will last up to 6-8 weeks.

But of course, everyone is different so it’s hard to give an exact answer to what kind of bleeding you will experience and when it will stop.

During your time through your postpartum period, you’re gonna need a pad that can hold up to the challenge of keeping you covered and protected.

Here you’ll find a list of the best postpartum pads to use after you give birth.

Buuuuttttt…

What are the best pads to wear after giving birth?

The best pads to wear after birth are ones that are:

Long
Heavy Duty
Have Wings
Unscented

Ones like these with help prevent any possible leakage and stains.

Overnight or heavy-duty pads have more absorbency so they will hold more longer than if you were to use a regular one. This will help with the heavy amount of postpartum bleeding you’ll have in the beginning.

And you always want to go unscented whether if it’s for after birth bleeding or for periods.

Using scented feminine products can disrupt the balance between good and bad bacteria as well as your pH balance.

I think it’s just best to keep those chemicals away from such a sensitive and delicate place on our bodies.

I mean you just had a baby! Give your body a break Momma!

Alright, below you can check out pads that are like these!

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Best Postpartum Pads

Always Maxi Overnight Pads with Wings

This pad offers great protection!

Always overnight maxi pad is made to absorb heavy flows while limiting leaks and stains.

This pad is great as it’s super long, has wings, and has a wide back to help keep you fully covered!

Here are some of the main takeaways about this pad:

Great absorbency
Long
Has wings
Has a wide back

You can buy these Always Overnight Maxi Pads here.

Stayfree UltraThin Overnight Pads with Wings

These pads are great for if you have stitches.

They have a nice soft surface to help from irritating areas that are still healing.

One thing that’s nice about this pad is that it’s thin and not super bulky.

The absorbency of this pad is from moderate to heavy.

The design of this pad is super long and has a wide back to help prevent leaks.

Here are the main takeaways from this pad:

Not super bulky
Nice for if you have stitches
Long
Has wings
Unscented

You can get these Stayfree Ultrathin Overnight Pads here.

Always Discreet Incontinence & Postpartum Underwear for Women

Even though these are made for incontinence, they work great during postpartum!

These have maximum protection and are made with a cottony soft waistband.

Some new moms pair these with a pad during the beginning when your flow is at its heaviest.

Here are the main takeaways from Always postpartum diapers:

High absorbency
Odor lock protection
Comfortable

You can buy this Always Discreet Postpartum Underwear here.

Rael Extra Long 100 % Cotton Pads

Rael is an organic pad that is hypoallergenic, soft, and breathable.

The top layer is made from certified organic cotton which is grown without the use of toxins, pesticides, or synthetic chemicals.

This pad is great for all skin types including sensitive skin!

Rael pads are also made with no common irritants such as artificial dyes, fragrance, and chlorine.

This extra-long overnight pad is made to hold extra heavy flows.

Here are the main takeaways from the organic pad:

Made with 100% cotton
It’s organic
Great for sensitive skin
Has wings
Extra-long

You can get these Rael Extra Long Organic Cotton Pads here.

Natracare Maternity Pads with Organic Cotton Cover

What’s unique about these are that the pads and packaging are plastic-free, biodegradable, and compostable.

Which is great if you’re an eco-minded Mommy!

These pads are nice and soft with their organic cotton cover.

They are unscented, dye-free, and chlorine-free!

One downside to these pads are even though they are long, they are made without wings.

Here are some of the main key points for this pad:

Biodegradable
Made with organic cotton
Dye-free
Soft
Long
Doesn’t have wings

You can check out these Natracare Organic Cotton Pads here.

Dutchess Cloth Menstrual Pads

Cloth pads are great for your body and great for the earth!

So if you’re a Momma who likes using cloth pads then you’ll want to hear about these!

This reusable pad that you can use for postpartum is made with soft double charcoal bamboo layers.

Its absorbency is for a heavy flow and it’s good for neutralizing odor as well.

Plus having those dark colors won’t make it look so stained!

And it’s machine washable!

Here are the main takeaways from this cloth pad:

Reusable
Saves money
Absorbency made for heavy flows
Has snap/button on wings

You can purchase these Dutchess Cloth Pads for after birth here.

Medline Deluxe Perineal Cold Packs

I used these after I gave birth to my second baby and oh boy do I wish I would have known about these when I had my first!

These made postpartum recovery SO MUCH BETTER!

But why? It’s just a pad, right?

Nope!

This is a pad AND an instant ice pack!

All you have to do is snap then shake to activate their cold effect.

And believe me, having that nice cold pack on your sore bottom is the best thing in the world!

What’s great about these is that they won’t melt like homemade padsicles.

These have high absorbency and some women just use that as a pad itself. When I was using them though I would place them on top of a menstrual pad.

Here are some of the main takeaways of this postpartum cooling pad:

Is a pad AND instant ice pack
Super convenient
Doesn’t need to be stored in a fridge/freezer
The cold effect only last 20-30 minutes

You can buy these Meline Deluxe Postpartum Perineal Cold Packs here.

Seventh Generation UltraThin Overnight Pads with Wings

This eco-minded company makes their pads without fragrances and is chlorine-free!

You can also recycle the packaging!

These pads are hypoallergenic to help prevent irritation that can come from other pads.

These pads are also long and have wings to help prevent leaks.

Here are the main takeaways from this disposable pad:

Chlorine-free
Unscented
Has wings
Long

You can buy these Seventh Generation Overnight Pads for postpartum here.

Poise Incontinence Overnight Pads

Now you may not have THAT problem, but these incontinence overnight pads are very absorbent!

And I may remind you that absorbency is super important to have with a postpartum pad (especially when it’s really heavy)!

These pads are also long and have a wider back to help avoid any leakage.

Here are some things to remember about this pad:

High absorbency
Long
Doesn’t have wings

You can get these Poise Overnight Pads here.

Organyc 100% Certified Organic Cotton Feminine Pads

These soft pads are made from 100% certified organic cotton!

There is absolutely NO chlorine bleach, latex, parabens, perfumes, dyes, colors, plastics, or wood pulp in these pads.

These pads have a high absorbency for heavier flows but you may have to change these out more frequently than your regular synthetic pads.

Here are some of the main things to keep in mind about this organic pad:

Completely made from cotton
No chemicals
Great if your skin is more sensitive
Doesn’t absorb as much as synthetic pads do

You can check out Organyc 100% Certified Organic Cotton Pads here.

Frida Mom 2-in-1 Postpartum Perineal Ice Maxi Pads

Frida has a wide variety of products for new moms.

One of them being this instant ice maxi pad!

These padsicles offer a soft top layer while providing a nice cool relief for your lady bits.

You can activate the cooling effect by slightly bending until you hear a pop then shake it. No freezer needed!

You can conveniently store them in the bathroom for easy access making it great for tired new moms taking care of a newborn.

These pads have full coverage from front to back and each pad holds up to 260g of liquid. Which is about 1 cup.

Here are the main takeaways for this cooling maxi pad:

Is an instant ice pack AND pad
Coldness doesn’t last forever
Soft top layer

You can get the Frida Mom Instant Ice Maxi Pads here.

Can you wear tampons after having a baby?

During your fourth trimester, it’s recommended that you only wear pads.

In this article, they state, “You should not use tampons until you’ve had your 6-week postnatal check. This is because you’ll still have a wound where the placenta joined with the wall of your womb, and you may also have tears or cuts in or around your vagina. Using internal sanitary products like tampons and menstrual cups before this wound has healed could increase your chance of getting an infection.”

What kind of underwear should I wear during postpartum?

Like I’ve mentioned before, postpartum is MESSY! So no need to buy any cute or fancy underwear.

The best kind of underwear to wear during postpartum are ones that are not super tight and 100% cotton.

Think of ones that are more in the line of granny or period panties.

If you had a c-section be sure to get high-waisted underwear so that it won’t rub up against your wound.

What pads are you supposed to use after a cesarean?

You can use the same pads as you would use for a vaginal delivery!

So don’t worry about having to get a special pad for c-sections.

But if you’re thinking about wearing adult diapers after delivery, the best postpartum diapers for that would be ones that are high waisted to avoid rubbing on your incision.

Is it OK to leave a pad on all day?

No-no-no-no-no-no. Do NOT wear a pad all day!

No matter how light it is, it’s always a good idea to change your pad out.

Wearing a pad for too long can cause infections, yeast infections, urinary tract infections, a skin rash, and bad odor.

How often should I change my pad postpartum?

In the beginning, you’ll need to change them out more frequently; about every 2-4 hours depending on how heavy it is. Though sometimes you may even need to change it out sooner than that.

When your bleeding starts getting lighter, I would keep changing them out at least every 4 hours or so. Especially if you have stitches.

You don’t want those getting infected.

And wearing a wet/moist pad for too long can cause skin irritation.

How many pads do you need for postpartum?

I would say about 3 packages of pads should get you through the postpartum period.

When I was in postpartum I went through about 3 packages.

I had a package for the heavy bleeding stage, another one that was just a regular pad for moderate bleeding, and thin pads for when it started getting pretty light.

Now I can’t really say that what worked for me will work for everyone else.

You never know you could end up needing more heavy-duty ones (like 2 packs instead of 1) or more light pads instead of mediums.

But I think getting at least 3 packages of pads should work just fine. And even if you don’t use them all up during your postpartum period, you’ll have an ACTUAL period coming back at some point.

So they won’t go to waste!

My Conclusion on Postpartum Pads

Remember the main things to look for in a postpartum pad is a pad that will keep you protected and leaks away. So ones that are longs, wide, have wings, and are super absorbent (overnight/heavy duty).

Try your best to load up on pads before you go to the hospital. That way you won’t have to worry about running out at the wrong time.

Also, be sure to keep yourself clean down there after birth. Meaning cleaning yourself after going to the bathroom and changing your pad when it’s appropriate.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the best postpartum pads!

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What do you look for when you look for pads for postpartum? What kind of pad did you like using? Cloth, disposable, or period underwear/diaper? Tell me below in the comments! And if you liked this post, give it a share! Thanks!