Heaviest for the first four-five days (XXL, changed every 2–4 hours), easing through week two (XL), a light tail to week six (L). Stock before delivery: roughly two packs XXL, two XL, one-two L. Change on the clock, not appearance - and soaking a pad in an hour means calling your doctor today.
What does the flow look like, week by week?
Postpartum flow follows a fairly reliable taper, so you can plan for it:
| Phase | What the flow looks like | Size to reach for |
|---|---|---|
| Days one to four or five | The heaviest phase, bright red, heavier than any period | XXL, changed every two to four hours, day and night |
| End of week one through week two | Still real flow but easing, pinker or brownish | XL for most moms, with XXL held for nights |
| Weeks three to six | A lighter, yellowish-white tail that comes and goes | L, and by the end many moms are down to liners |
Total duration of four to six weeks is common; a brief return of redder flow after you've overdone a day is also common, and a message to your doctor settles any doubt.
How much should I stock up?
Plan for roughly six to eight changes a day in the first week, four to six in the second, tapering after. In pack terms:
- About two packs of XXL for the first stretch.
- Two packs of XL for the middle.
- One or two packs of L for the tail.
Buying it all before delivery is the move, because the person doing pharmacy runs in week one should not be you. Our L, XL and XXL packs are built as exactly this stepping-down set - arriving on the site soon.
Small rules that save your skin
- Change on the clock, not on appearance - every few hours, because week-long wear is a skin project as much as an absorbency one.
- Wash and pat dry gently at changes; healing skin prefers patting to wiping.
- Skip anything scented down at the pad line - sensitive, recovering skin plus fragrance is a fight you don't need.
- Loose cotton underwear, one size forgiving, is part of the system.
When should I see a doctor?
The taper is the normal story; these are the exits from it, and they're not for waiting out. Call today for:
- Soaking a pad within an hour.
- Clots larger than a small lemon.
- Foul smell.
- Fever.
- Flow that had faded turning suddenly heavy and bright again.
