Talk to me about mesh panties and some other stuff

Nukke

My hospital gave me a small list of items that I should pack with me in my hospital bag (I guess the trade-off for free health care is that recently hospitals have been cutting back on the hospital freebees.....grumble grumble).

Here's what my list says:

"What to Bring to the Hospital

Toiletries

Sanitary Pads (for heavy flow)

Breast Pads

Diapers

Baby Wipes

Vaseline

Comfortable Underwear (bring extra pairs)

Slippers

Extra Pillows

Pajamas

Pen and Paper

Cell Phone

To Go Home

Baby's First Clothes

Car Seat (have in the car for discharge)

Note: The hospital will provide you with 2 pair of Mesh underwear, 6 sanitary pads, 5 diapers, 1 Peri bottle and linens and towels"

My questions are:

1) mesh panties.  is 2 enough?  How do they work (can you attach maxi pads to them or do you put them over your undies with maxi pads or....) 

2) vaseline.  What's this about?  I'm assuming it's in reference to a little boy who might be circumcised.  Am I wrong and are there more reasons to bring vaseline?

LnR70707

WTF....I am sorry your hospital is cutting back so much.  No...2 pairs of mesh panties won't get you too far depending on your level of bleeding, at the very best you'll want to change them just like reg. undies.  Mine were like boy short undies and I just stuck the mammoth pads inside them.

2 - my guess is also circumcision.

 

kje120

I honestly can't remember how many pairs of the mesh panties I went through in the hospital.  Two doesn't seem like a lot, but if you aren't bleeding a ton and leaking it might be ok.  I put on a new pair after showering and I showered every day so maybe I only went through two of them? You can affix the pads to them (from what I remember) like any other underwear.

I'm not sure about the vaseline, though.  The only vaseline we used was for DS after he was circ'd. 

LilPez

FTM here, sorry if this is a dumb question, but why mesh undies? To be breathable? Or is that another term for disposable undies? Seriously confused...

DonnaMartinGraduates

I love the mesh undies!  My hospital gave me a couple packages and I think I used them for a week or so? Two is definitely not enough, but you could always just buy some larger panties to put the ginormous pads in. 

 We never used Vaseline on our circs but not sure what else that would be for? 

HeatherMc78

The mesh panties sound like the disposable undies. I only used them immediately after birth. The next day I used my own. This might sound completely nuts but for the heavy bleeding after birth, I bring black men's briefs in a size small. It has plenty of room for those monster size pads and are snug enough to prevent leaking. It worked for my previous two deliveries.

Brooke81

The mesh panties are used instead of underwear for the first day or maybe 2 from what I can remember. You put those really thick pad in them (2 or so at a time) i'm not sure the ones I have for the first day even had adhesive on them. The slightly thinner but still thick pads did though but I think i might have gone to my own underwear by then. i can't imagine that if this is what you are supposed to use at the hospital that they wouldn't give you more to use while there if you really need them. I mean some women might only need 4 pads and others might need 8 surely they aren't going to let you bleed all over everything if you need 2 extra's while you are there right?

MJHershey

wow... the undies and pads were unlimited at my hospital in 2010.  Yikes. 

You put the mesh panties on like normal underwear and attach the stuff to them. honestly? If you have granny panties that you are okay throwing out later, you can use those too.  

sfshorter

I hated the mesh with DD.  They didn't feel snug and secure enough to hold the pad up, which I also hated.  I just brought the heavy duty smaller sized store brand pads and black stretchy panties of my own.  I was up and around really fast though and we walked the hospital halls, so if you are wearing something that fits you better, you won't a) appear to be wearing a huge diaper, and b) lose that huge diaper when it falls out of your huge mesh panties.  Yay for birth! 

sfshorter

I'm visiting your wall, by the way, because ours seems to be in a constant state of maintenance.   I'm not due until the middle of October, but for some reason I think my boy is going to be a big baby and may come early.  It's just a gut feeling I've had since the beginning, but who knows, he could wait until Halloween if he is stubborn. 

 

Nukke

Thanks for all the responses, ladies!  So I think what I'll do is aim on bringing some of my own granny panties that I don't mind tossing out afterwards, and if I need more than the 2 mesh panties they provide, I can always send my DH out to buy some at the pharmacy.

For the super absorbent heavy flow murder-scene pads, I bought some Always Extra Heavy Overnight with Wings:

 

And some Kotex Natural Balance Overnight with Wings:

 

I hope these are good ones, as it's been close to 15 years since I bought disposable pads!

HeatherMc78

From my personal experience, you might want to get some overnight pads without wings also. For the first few days you'll have to most likely double up the pads. Might be easier to do without the wings.

SweetPeaK26

I didn't even know the general public could buy the disposable undies!

Vaseline could also be for dry skin on you or baby.

HeatherMc78

I don't double on top of each other. You line one towards the front of the undies and one towards the back. If you bleed a lot, it prevents blood from going over the pad onto underwear or clothes.

SweetPeaK26

HeatherMc78:

I don't double on top of each other. You line one towards the front of the undies and one towards the back. If you bleed a lot, it prevents blood from going over the pad onto underwear or clothes.

Lol. My hospital just sent me home with ten or so of the diaper sized pads. Nothin is getting past those things!!!

DaisyZH

I definitely don't think that 2 pairs of mesh underwear is enough.  If they get bloody you'll want to change.  I'm so sorry your hospital is so limited with supplies.

When I gave birth to DS the mesh panties seemed to be not only for the huge pads but also for "ice packs" the nurses put in them - they were actually latex gloves filled with ice which sounds weird but felt amazing. 

As far as vaseline it can be for circumcision and we were also told to use it when changing the first few diapers when it's very sticky and tarry - we used the wipes just fine though for that so personally we didn't need the vaseline for that part.

EMLYNNLERETTE

My two cents is to just get depends. Try a pair on before you go and make sure they fit. I personally had a vaginal birth and had an incontinence issue for several days. I never tore, but that happened. So no worries on leakage in any way, and you know they will fit. Mesh panties don't stay up on me either. Add to them a pad and I basically would not have any protection because they would be at my knees.

I agree, I think vaseline may be for circumcision.

Juicy71

I don't know about the mesh panties but I know my hospital said to make sure to bring chapstick because your lips will get really dry.  So, as PP said, it could be for that.  My hospital also said to bring lollipops to help keep your mouth from getting too dry (but they have to be lollipops on a stick with nothing in the middle of them so you don't choke on anything).

MJHershey

HeatherMc78:

I don't double on top of each other. You line one towards the front of the undies and one towards the back. If you bleed a lot, it prevents blood from going over the pad onto underwear or clothes.

 

Ooooh good idea!!

Habs2Hart

Nukke - You can buy them at by nature:  https://www.bynature.ca/pregnancy/postpartum-pregnancy/mesh-postpartum-underwear.html

 These are washable, reusable and you put the pads in them.  

 

Naydals423

DaisyZH:

I definitely don't think that 2 pairs of mesh underwear is enough.  If they get bloody you'll want to change.  I'm so sorry your hospital is so limited with supplies.

When I gave birth to DS the mesh panties seemed to be not only for the huge pads but also for "ice packs" the nurses put in them - they were actually latex gloves filled with ice which sounds weird but felt amazing. 

As far as vaseline it can be for circumcision and we were also told to use it when changing the first few diapers when it's very sticky and tarry - we used the wipes just fine though for that so personally we didn't need the vaseline for that part.

I have heard of the vaseline for diaper changes too- in fact, its on my hospital bag list. Also have heard great things about depends for the first few days pp. 

NNGnome

I'm in Canada too, the Vaseline was recommended to me for the meconium poop, I never used it though, as DS was in the NICU and I was not able to change him on those first few nappies anyway, I now use it for my lips, will probably last for years LOL.

I actually think for Canada you got quite a bit of stuff there, before I had to go to the high risk hospital, my local hospital said they provide nothing, I was searching everywhere for a perineum bottle, in the end though I was at the high risk hospital, and they provided one.

I also only got a couple mesh pads but I never even used those, I just bought some granny panties, and used them with the Always Infinity heavy flow pads, they work great, they were definitely enough for me.

All this talk of hospital bags, I might have to start mine soon

CDMay2006

I'm glad you posted this; I've been a bit *baked by mesh underwear, myself.

*Eta: I'm not baked by underwear.  I am, however, baffled by it. 

atcwag

Agreeing with pp about using vasoline to coat baby's bum to help clean up meconium poop....one of my friends JUST messaged me about this after she had her baby last week.

himymlover

HeatherMc78:

The mesh panties sound like the disposable undies. I only used them immediately after birth. The next day I used my own. This might sound completely nuts but for the heavy bleeding after birth, I bring black men's briefs in a size small. It has plenty of room for those monster size pads and are snug enough to prevent leaking. It worked for my previous two deliveries.

I was so confused by this at first. I kept reading it as you meaning you bought briefs that black men wear. After a minute I realized that you meant that you bought black colored briefs, which makes a lot more sense lol.

HeatherMc78

I just noticed what you are talking about. Lol... I meant the color black instead of tighty whitey ones.