During my 8ish weeks of pregnancy I realized that, at some point, I would most likely have to transition out of my daily thong to something a little more practical. I fantasized about stocking up on full coverage Hanky Panky's - a lacy and comfortable alternative. Those dreams were quickly put on hold when I found out about my missed miscarriage. Underpants would still be a theme. Just not the kind I'd been dreaming about.
The day of my d&e I packed a bag to bring along to the surgery. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but had a feeling I might not be prancing around in my thong afterwards. I have two separate underwear drawers. One for my thongs and the other for my backup "granny panties". Most of them are stretched to capacity - the elastic barely flexing. Why I kept them all these years is a mystery, but that day I was thankful for the stash. I picked out a pair without holes that had somehow remained in tact for the last 10 years and threw it into my bag.
After the surgery I slipped on my oversized panties with a maxi-pad I had brought with me just in case. I should've known this was not a "just in case" situation. This was a "welcome back maxi-pads" moment. Which was confirmed when I received very clear instructions on my discharge sheet:
Nothing in vagina for two weeks
Besides the obvious, this also meant that I needed to do the unthinkable and actually stock up on sanitary napkins. I hadn't worn a pad since middle school. And the memories were not good ones. As I scanned the "feminine hygiene" section at Super K-Mart I realized I remembered nothing about wearing pads except for the discomfort. Did I need long, regular, heavy, winged, thin, super long, super fragrant, super compact...? I stood in the aisle for 10 minutes without a clue. Not only did I not know what to expect out of these pads, but I didn't know what might be coming out of my body. I had some light bleeding right after the surgery, but wasn't sure if it would increase or decrease. Would it be like a full-blown period? Light spotting? Would I need to change the pad every couple of hours? I finally realized I had no choice but to buy a medley of sizes, shapes, and brands. When I got home and looked at my pile of pads my visions of sexy maternity underwear slipped away and two weeks of humiliation, sticky pads, and wedgies came into view.
One full day of wearing long, winged pads and I was over it. There was no way I could wear pads every day for two weeks. No way what-so-ever. Luckily, in my buying spree, I had picked up a package of "thong panty liners" - probably the greatest invention in pad history. My bleeding was very light to practically nothing at all. I needed something, but I didn't need a diaper.
I opened my preferred underwear drawer and reacquainted myself with my good pals, the Hanky Panky original rise thongs. It's amazing how something so small can make such a big difference. I felt a little more human and a little closer to normal. And suddenly, the next two weeks didn't look quite so bleak after all.
No comments:
Post a Comment