Let’s face it, most of us are much more comfortable buying (and perhaps even using) period pads than we are buying (or using) bladder pads to manage bladder leaks. We get it. But what most of us don’t realize is that period pads and bladder pads are actually not created equal. They differ fundamentally, both in their structural design and in their functionality.
Here’s a quick look at what this all means and why it matters:
1. Period pads are designed to absorb blood, not urine. It makes sense, really, if you think about how different blood and urine actually are from one another and how much more urine we release on an average day (300-400mls per day) when compared to how much blood we lose during a typical period cycle (10-80mls per cycle).
2. Urine requires 5x more absorbency than blood. Period pads are not equipped with enough absorptive material to securely hold this much liquid.
3. You are much more likely to experience an oversaturated, leaky liner or pad if you are using a product that is designed to hold menstrual blood rather than a product designed to hold urine.
4. Period pads can’t effectively wick away the moisture caused by bladder leaks, leaving you uncomfortable and your skin susceptible to increased irritation and possible infection.
5. Period pads are not designed to neutralize the odor often associated with bladder leaks.
Bottom line: To manage your bladder leaks as effectively as possible, and in turn better support your overall wellness and wellbeing, lose the period liners and pads and replace them with liners and pads designed to capture bladder leaks. And if you’re lucky enough to be managing bladder leaks and period flow at the same time, try a hybrid pad that is optimized to absorb both blood and urine.
There is a better way, and we are here to help.