Our Five Ring Circus: Keeping It Real! #RecycleYourPeriodPad

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Keeping It Real! #RecycleYourPeriodPad

When I was pregnant with my first baby, every mother around me enjoyed scaring me with their labor and delivery stories.  I listened to all the gory details and prepared for the worst.  

Do you want the truth?  Labor and Delivery wasn't as bad as it was made out to be.  The part that nobody told me about was after delivery. SO MUCH HAPPENS.  You definitely need protection.  A lot of protection. So what happens when you leave the hospital? Those ridiculously enormous hospital pads are overwhelming, but regular period pads just aren't enough.  So #RecycleYourPeriodPad and turn to Poise®!

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It all makes sense.  Your body goes through so much to grow and birth a baby! Those after delivery details are hard to share, but I'm keeping it real and sharing them with you so you can be prepared!

COMING FROM A MOM WHO GAVE BIRTH FOUR TIMES, HERE'S WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER HAVING A BABY:

-You will continue to have contractions for hours after you have your baby. It's completely normal and serves a good purpose: shrinking your uterus back to its normal size! The contractions will feel even worse if you breastfeed.  NOBODY told me this, and I swear, it hurt just as much as my most painful labor!

-You will bleed.  For weeks.  Even if you have a c-section.

-You very well might have stitches and they will be uncomfortable!

-That adorable newborn puts a ton of pressure on your bladder and pushing weakens those muscles.  Light Bladder Leakage, AKA LBL, is common during pregnancy and childbirth.  It could last anywhere from hours to, well, forever. 1 in 3 women will experience LBL at some point in their lives, and pregnancy and childbirth is a common cause!

Thankfully, the after effects of childbirth went away in the normal time frame for me, but I want to make sure all moms-to-be are prepared!  There's nothing to be embarrassed about.  All those possible side effects are completely normal!

The birth of my 4th baby is almost 2 years behind me, BUT...a few months ago, I experienced my first UTI since I was a child.  My doctor warned me about LBL as a possible side effect, so I wore a period pad JUST IN CASE. Although it didn't happen, I was worried! Tampons are my go to for that pesky monthly visitor, so those regular pads felt so bulky and uncomfortable.  I felt like everyone knew I had a UTI!

I knew I needed a better JUST IN CASE solution. I was thrilled when I was offered the chance to try Poise® Thin-Shape Pads.  Poise® Pads and Liners are specifically designed for LBL and they are 40% thinner than original Poise® pads.  They're surprisingly thin and they're much more comfortable than the pads in the JUST IN CASE pouch stashed in my purse.  I promptly swapped those old pads with Poise® pads, and they are so much more discreet!

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I have to admit, I also used one in the place of a Pullup on my 3 year old daughter!  She occasionally pees a little at night, and she was having an unplanned sleepover.  I didn't want her to make a mess, but I didn't have a Pullup with us.  I did, however, have a Poise® pad, and I figured since it was for LBL, it would work well for her, too.  It worked SO well that I now keep one in my diaper bag for those last-minute sleepovers! 

https://ooh.li/d8ea667

There's nothing left to do but buy Poise® and #RecycleYourPeriodPad!

YOU CAN:

-Use those period pads as bandages.  Seriously!  They work great in the place of gauze.  They're definitely more absorbent! My brother-in-law actually borrowed pads from me for this very purpose before. Hey...it's practical!!!

-My son broke his little toe last week and I didn't have any surgical tape.  I cut up a pad, wrapped it around his toe, and secured it with tape until I could go to the store to buy surgical tape.  He had NO idea! He actually asks for the special pads now, because they're more comfortable than just surgical tape!

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-Use them as Barbie mattresses.  I wish I was kidding, but I have two daughters with HUGE imaginations!  Honestly, nothing surprises me anymore!

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-When all else fails, donate them to a women's shelter.  They are always in need of donations!

Although my birthing days are most likely behind me, I'm still ditching those old period pads I keep in my bathroom closet. I really hope I don't get another UTI,  but I feel confident that Poise® Thin-Shape Pads will help me feel discreetly protected if I do!

Thank you, Poise®, for sponsoring this post! You can give Poise® Thin-Shape Pads a try by requesting a free sample HERE.

So tell me...how will you #RecycleYourPeriodPad?

11 comments:

  1. Great info to know! Thanks for being willing to write about a topic that's not always easy to talk about.

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    1. All modesty goes out the door after you have your first child! Haha!

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  2. Replies
    1. My kids can turn anything into a toy! It makes me wonder why we spend so much on REAL toys!

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  3. LOL! The Barbie bed cracks me up. Kids have the best imaginations.

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    1. They really do! I found my son shooting tampons out of applicators when he was 4. He said they were torpedos!

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  4. The Barbie bed cracks me up! Kids have the best imaginations!

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  5. LOVE those ideas— a bed for the doll, how stinkin' cute! And in place of a pullup for a sleepover? Genius. I'm a huge fan of Poise (I even wrote them a love letter on my blog a few months ago), so I really liked this post. And seriously, more people need to talk about what happens after the baby arrives.

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    1. The pullup replacement is working great! She used another one recently and it worked just as well!
      I agree about after baby. It's rough!

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  6. Great ideas for recycling; I especially love your daughters' idea! :)

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