I've been meaning to write a review about these pads for a couple of months now. Be prepared, because I'm going to rave.Although embarrassing to write about this, I feel it's important for other women that might have the same problem. In around 2008, I had a corrective bladder surgery for urine leakage. They put in some sort of a mesh sling that ended up in the courts. Not only did they put in something that is harmful to me, it didn't fix my bladder at all. Ruined my sex life on top of that. Anyway, back at the ranch, I've been dealing with leakage for over 20 years.Now here's the important part you need to listen to. Most of the products that are sold to women that are supposed to aid us are actually harming us. Because I have been wearing Poise incontinence pads for over 20 years, I ended up with awful fishy odor but had no idea that was part of the problem. I was extremely self-conscious and was constantly cleaning myself with antibiotic wipes. Another mistake. The wipes and Poise pads together were destroying my vaginal pH, and they caused a biofilm which created more odor. If you don't know what a biofilm is, please look it up. I never knew what it was until we discovered a smell that was going up the vent traps from our dishwasher into our master bedroom, and we were told by the plumber that the strong odor was caused by a biofilm. It's the same thing in this case, believe it or not.So once I learned that I had a decades old biofilm in my body, I kind of freaked out, and had to figure out how to get rid of it. That's when I did research and found that the Poise pads are not made of cotton, and that we need cotton to breathe. Detrimental to vaginal pH, I purchased these 100% cotton Honey Pot pads and noticed an immediate difference, even though I hadn't addressed the biofilm yet. The next thing I purchased by the same company were vaginal suppositories to correct the pH. I also started taking Garden of Life - Once Daily Women's oral probiotics for our vaginal, digestive and immune system. Apparently this is really important. The suppositories only had to be taken for about seven days I think, but I will continue to use the probiotics and the Honey Pot pads indefinitely. Oh, and I stopped using those antibacterial wipes and only use the regular wipes. The results? No more fishy odor! Had I only known years ago, my sex life might not have been destroyed. At 71 years old, I'm not really interested anymore, but who knows with this change... :)Also, I have been wearing leggings for the last 20 years. Since I was obese at almost 290 pounds, I'm sure that greatly added to the problem. Being fat (sorry, I cloud a spade, a spade) and wearing a tight pants along with the Poise pads and the antibacterial wipes, was a recipe for disaster. l've since lost 75 pounds on my own, but still have about 60 lbs to go. In the meantime, I'm trying to let the area "breathe" more. I suggest not wearing underwear to bed or wearing tight leggings or pants every day (if you can wear a dress), especially if you are overweight.Trying to be as transparent here as possible. I'm sure there must be other women in the same boat that don't know what to do about it. Start by doing the three things that I suggested, and you will be amazed at how quickly the problem is resolved. I mean next day! Even if you are younger, and don't have the serious odor problems, please think about using this product as a preventative measure for the future.Thank you Honey Pot Company restoring my piece of mind and femininity! Forever grateful!PS: I was using the Poise #4 moderate pads. These Honey Pot pads do not hold as much fluid, but they do a dang good job and they do get me through the day. By the time I am going to bed, it's time to remove them or leakage may, not always, occur in the night. You will have to see for yourself how often you need to change them. Note that the other huge benefit of the Honey Pot pads is how THIN they are! Looking back, in comparison, I feel like I was wearing a diaper! These feel SO COMFORTABLE! Yes, I'm finally free!Also note that I'm just a normal retired grandma, and I was not part of any type of promotion by the Honey Pot company. I'm just the type of person that will write glowing reviews, whether it's for Amazon products, a restaurant, or a car wash! If the product or service moves me, I need to let others know.
