How to Prevent Period Leaks?

There is nothing more embarrassing and obnoxious than when a random period strikes. You can only prepare so much when you expect one, but those leaks are going to stain your pants and underwear. While you think that the protection of the pad or the tampon is enough, you might be wrong. Period leaks can cost you extra laundry, or worse, your new pair of undies and favorite dress. How to prevent period leaks? Take the preparatory steps to have yourself protected and avoid future mess ups.

How to Prevent Period Leaks

8 Effective Methods with 4 Essential Tips

Put On Your Pads in the Right Way

The right placement of your pads should always be in the middle of the underwear, not too far down and not too far up. You might experiment if you aren’t sure about it. Know that the wings exist for a reason, they are there to secure the pad to where it should be and doing its job, catching all the mess. Put on your undies and smooth it down to make sure that it is in place as it should.

Wash your hands before and after you put on the pad. You might use cloth pads over the usual store brand although it does not mean it is more absorbent, rather it’s better for the environment.

Use the Right Pads for Your Body

If you are prone to heavy flow or leakage, then you might need to get pads that are longer or extra absorbent. For night time, overnight pads are available to buy, which are usually even longer and thicker. You might give them a try for your day use if your flow is especially bad or if the leak continues, pads technology these days offers something thinner but still as absorbent.

Wings on pads are a must, so the pads never get out of place as you move around from activity to activity, sitting tightly as on your undies and doing their job.

Try Thicker Underwear

If you can’t trust your pads enough, you can always rely on thicker underwear to have it catch the pesky additional leaks. While it can’t entirely protect you, it should minimize the damage and add an extra layer of protection from potential embarrassment. Moreover, you should feel more comfortable knowing that you are in an absorbent, thicker underwear.

Make sure, however, that your panties is not loose. Loose panties mean more pad movements, and therefore more accidents waiting to happen. Remember that your pads are still the main defense line.

Wear Period Panties

There is something unbelievable that is available in the market that can really help those who have trouble with leaks and heavy flow. Period panties are special, crafted specifically to absorb the flow with three layers of protection: An absorbent in the first layer, a leak proof in the second layer and the third layer cotton for additional defense. The best part is the layers still keep you comfy and unrestrictive while you are ensured to face no problem with your period. Wear them with your pads as well.

Or you can try wearing two or three panties at the same time, it might help, although I don’t recommend it.

Wear Looser, Darker Clothes

Decrease your worry about leaking when you are wearing something less likely to show off the stains! Potential stains on darker clothes won’t look as obvious and cleaning them would not be as much a hassle as cleaning lighter colored ones. Looser clothes, on the other hand, are to help distract your mind from the fact that you are on a pad, also for a freer, more comfortable movement.

Well, you don’t have to wear anything fancy and frumpy, but sticking with darker clothes will keep you worry free and more confident about doing your daily activities.

Find Old Towel or Darker Blanket

Night period leaks can be worrisome, particularly if you move around a lot during sleep. Pads might not stay and if you are in your friend’s house having a sleepover, it’s the last thing you want. So when you face the question of how to prevent period leaks at night, simply lie on an old towel so you won’t worry about the leaks as much. Sure you might stain your undies or pajamas, but it’s probably better than staining your mattress. This should reduce your self-consciousness about staining your sheets.

Use Menstrual Cups

Like tampons, menstrual cups are for internal use. But unlike tampons, you can keep them up for up to twelve hours since you won’t get any toxic shock syndrome. It holds more that pads and tampons and prevent licking as well. It could also be used at night for a sound sleep too.

Move Less

While you should do whatever you normally would do from day to day even with a pad, expect more leaks if you are running up and down, jumping around or just dashing from a place to another. Keep in mind that the more you move around, the more likely your pads get displaced and thus creating more room for accidents to happen. So, on heavy days, you might want to take it down a notch to keep the pads from bunching up the wrong way and ruining the panties and your day.

But don’t feel discouraged from skipping gym classes and end up squatting down in a corner because you are on your period and you should feel miserable. Exercises do help to deal with cramps!

Tips

• You can lengthen your pads of overnight use by overlapping two of them. One should be at the front, the other for the back. Use a third one if necessary for the middle.
• Using two pads to make a T-shape, with the perpendicular bar placed on the rear.
• Grab a few toilet paper sheets and place it lengthwise up between your butt cheeks. Get rid of them in the morning.
• If nothing else seems to work, invest in a pair of adult diapers. It’s not embarrassing as long as you can have a good sleep at night and protect your bed sheets.

Source: enkiverywell.com