The post-childbirth Keeper is only recommended if you’ve had a vaginal birth. Everything gets a bit stretched out in the process so you’d need a larger size.
For you, the regular size should work just fine.
Tally
ReverseCowgirl, those Bodyform panty liners are TINY- I’m talking just about suitable for low-rider thongs, and only as liners, not as pads. They’re probably about as long as your index finger
You need to position them just right, but they are handy enough, if your underwear is on the skimpy side.
I’ve used them on those “I have my period, but I need to wear a g-string with this dress, and I’m not happy if I don’t have a liner” moments.
Thanks, Irishgirl!!!
When I found Instead, I stopped using tampons and will never use one again. Tampons always leaked for me, and sometimes I’d find that the string had managed to not get “tucked in” the underpants after using the toilet, leading to a urine-soaked string getting on my clothes - yeccch! Also, tampons need changing too often.
Someone a page or 2 back asked what Instead are - they a menstrual cup. They’re flexible and plastic, and made to be worn for up to 12 hours. The cup holds the flow, instead of absorbing it like a tampon does. You have to insert and remove them by hand, and you must master the art of getting it in place correctly to get a good seal. Sometimes when using the toilet, if you bear down hard, you can get leakage into the toilet, which I find to be no big deal - it seals up again well enough when I’m done. I do use a pantiliner with one, but I use one of those every single day, as I always have light discharge of some sort or another. Another caveat: you absolutely can’t remove one of these things in a public restroom, as you really must be in close proximity to a sink and running water - once you pull that thing out, the blood it collects will spill out into the toilet and possible all over your hand, if you’re not careful. Since I’m right next to the sink when I do this, it’s easy to just reach over and rinse my hand, and the cup (which also prevents having a bloody, smelly product in the trash to stink up the bathroom).
At night I always use Always - Ultra maxi with wings. I also use them on days when I’m ill and not going out, to save on Instead cups.
I can’t believe I’m actually going to say this, but I am thrilled that I will have a period sometime within the next few months! Since I haven’t had a seizure in almost 3 years, I was finally permitted to go off Depo by my gynecologist. Yay, me! I get to go back on the pill until I want a baby! I can’t tell you how happy I will be when The Red Tide comes.
Anyway, my last period was three years ago, and I used to use OB tampons without an applicator. I seem to recall that they really hurt sometimes - if you weren’t, uh, bleeding enough, the cotton on the head of the tampon would get caught and would tug at some very tender areas. So, anybody have any input on the most comfortable tampons, applicatorless or with an applicator?
(This was probably mentioned earlier in the thread, but I may have missed it while reading it - it’s a damn long thread.)
I love o.b. tampons. Easily the best brand out there.
When I was in 9th grade I used Tampax. Ugh. One spring day about thirty minutes into a new tampon I stood up in class only to discover I had completely covered my chair in blood. Yah, that was fun.
ov … the best way to find out is go buy some cheap ones, poll your friends and bum one or two off of them, and try it all.
I used to be picky and would only use plastic applicators, now, nearly two decades later, I’m at the point where I’ll use whatever (though I’m going to try non-disposable things like the cups mentioned and washable pads).
I do have to say that in the 10 (only 10? seems like longer) years I’ve been sexually active and gone through ‘dry spells’ of no activity, I’d start with small ones w/applicators and move up to supers if I needed it. Usually the lack of activity made things need stretching out a bit.
But a quick splash with some water can solve that OB catching problem, or carry some feminine lube.
And congrats on getting the green flag. 
The first couple of cycles might be rough, as whatever wasn’t re-absorbed may come out torrentially.
How do those work out for you?
Environmentalist that I am, I gave Gladrags not one but TWO good tries, and they just didn’t fit into my life. Specifically, I found that it took a LOT of soaking to get the blood out. I’d toss them into my handy-dandy bucket with some OxyClean or Shout or whatever, but even with a couple of water changes, I’d have this bucket full of nastiness hanging around my bathroom. Ick.
If you have a secret, I’d love to hear it.
Back to the survey.
I use all pads, all the time, Always regular (Dri-Weave, IMO, ranks up there with sliced bread in the List Of Good Inventions). I’m a credentialed unicorn-catcher, if you catch my drift, and have never been able to use a tampon without excruciating pain.
I don’t get it.
Apparently the quoter had a lot sympathy for us at ‘that time of the month’ until that particular revelation.
still unclear on which Keeper … though I sectioned out, I still fully dialated and partially got him out.
I’m sure I’ll grow to hate my period just like normal women, but I’m just so freaking happy to go off the Depo. Not only has it made it nearly impossible for me to lose weight (which is not good because I gained almost 30 pounds right before going off it, and haven’t been able to shake it), but I also have a really reduced sex drive and I feel kind of numb sometimes, sort of like, unless I’m really pissed, I don’t feel my emotions as fully as I used to. It’s really bizarre - I talked to my doctor about it, and we managed to rule out depression and any other medical causes (like my seizures). The only reason he kept me on it so long was because it seemed to prevent seizures, but of course since they don’t know exactly what causes seizures, he’s not entirely sure. Anyway, I’m thrilled to be going off - it’s gross, but even if it’s a torrential flood, I can’t wait to get my period again (though I’m sure I’ll feel differently after weeks of bleeding from being on Depo so long). My fiance is really happy for me, too - he was worried about me taking Depo for too long (concern over cysts and so forth), so he told me even if I get a little nutty from hormonal changes when I go off, he’ll understand and give me backrubs when I get cramps :).
Using water or lube is a really good suggestion - I never thought of that one. Thanks!
Who knew women could talk so much about tampons & pads?!
Overly, IMHO, Playtex Gentle Glide Plastic Applicator tampons are the cat’s pajamas. I’ve tried Kotex, I’ve tried OB, I’ve tried Tampax - these are the only ones that don’t leak, are comfortable, and are comfortable to insert.
Oh and I know exactly what you’re talking about regarding the Depo and your mood - I can’t take it anymore for almost that exact reason - I know exactly the feeling you are talking about! The only problem now is that my new hubby is talking babies - I’m thirtyfreakineight, have an almost fourteen year old son - I don’t WANT a baby! But that’s another story. And perhaps another prescription depending on how nuts he makes me about this. 
yah, hormonal birth control made me very numb and exacerbated some emotional stuff … not fun.
Ah well, that’s what charting and condoms are for.
Guess at Credentialed Unicorn Keeper … hasn’t had her parking validated? Hasn’t been to the corner and back? Still wrapped in original packaging? Has an undisturbed warranty seal/safety seal? New in Packaging? Only shadow boxes? Only dances with herself? Hasn’t eaten from the tree of knowledge? Her furrow hasn’t been ploughed?
I suppose that is what she was getting at. Your euphemisms are very colorful.
So, did anyone try miniforms when they were available? I wanted to, but could not find them anywhere.
I was 12 when I got my period and became an avid pad user simply because it was easy at the time. I tried to use tampons intermittently throughout my teen years but simply faced pain when trying to insert them and found that they couldn’t enter my body further than an inch or so without hitting a “wall”. I was desperate to use tampons because I was sick of the sweaty/bloody feeling you get with pads and how I had to carry them around school with me! So I opted for a hymenectomy late last year because as it turned out I had an abnormally thick hymen that was blocking any entry into my vagina. Within weeks i was using applicator tampons without a problem! I still don’t like using non applicator ones because I have short fingers and cant push it properly into place!
Oh god my eyes! :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: of all the zombie threads to be resurrected it has to be THIS one??
Take a deep breath, son.
And whatever you do, don’t think about the fact that roughly 1/5 of the women around you are having their periods right now.
Ha. Well, it’s an absorbing topic.
Wonderwoman90, this is a pretty old thread and while there’s probably some good information here, a better idea might be to start a new thread with a new OP, and link back to this one. Some of the participants may no longer be around to respond and new posters might wish to have a new discussion without wading through numerous pages on the topic.
So, I’m going to close this but as I say, flow free to start a new thread! I mean, feel free. 
Ellen Cherry
Mistress of Early AM Tortured Puns