Quick answer

Measure your hips and waist now, not your pre-pregnancy size, and size to the larger of the two for the first six weeks after birth. If you are between sizes or still swollen, size up. Choose a high-rise style if you want gentle coverage over a C-section incision or a tender belly, and pick absorbency based on whether you need postpartum bleeding protection or just light backup.

Measure now, not before pregnancy

Your hip and waist measurements in the first weeks after birth are the only numbers that matter for postpartum underwear sizing. Use a soft tape measure around the fullest part of your hips and around your natural waist, keeping the tape level and snug but not tight. Write both numbers down and compare them to the brand's size chart. If your hips and waist fall into different sizes, choose the larger size. Postpartum swelling, stitches, and pads all take up room that a pre-baby size will not accommodate.

  • Measure hips at the fullest point, usually 7 to 9 inches below the waist.
  • Measure waist at the narrowest point, often above the belly button after birth.
  • Re-measure at week two and week six if you are unsure between sizes.

Match rise to recovery, not just size

Rise is how high the waistband sits, and it changes comfort more than a single size step. A high-rise style clears a C-section incision and avoids pressing on a tender belly. A lower-rise style can feel less bulky under loose clothing but may rub against a healing incision. If you had a vaginal birth with tearing or hemorrhoids, a high waist that stays put without digging is usually the safer first pick. Look for soft-stretch waistbands and bonded seams rather than tight elastic, because they distribute pressure instead of concentrating it.

Choose absorbency before you choose the cut

Postpartum bleeding is heaviest in the first days and tapers over weeks. A heavy- or super-absorbency gusset handles that early flow and can replace disposable pads for many people. A light-absorbency style works later for spotting, discharge, or backup to a pad or cup. Buying one heavy pair and one light pair covers more of the recovery timeline than buying three pairs at the same absorbency. Check the product page for the absorbency options offered, because not every style comes in every level.

Fit checks that tell you to size up

Put the underwear on and move through a few normal motions: sit, stand, bend, and lift one knee. You should not see deep red marks when you take them off, and the gusset should stay in contact with your body without riding up. If the waistband rolls down, the leg openings dig in, or you feel pressure on an incision, go up one size. A slightly looser pair that stays in place protects better than a tight pair that shifts and leaks. If you are still bleeding heavily and the gusset feels saturated within an hour or two, move to a higher absorbency rather than a smaller size.

Decision rules for postpartum underwear sizing

  • If your hips and waist measure different sizes: Choose the larger size and re-measure at week two and week six as swelling changes. Size to the larger measurement for the first six weeks.
  • If you had a C-section or a tender belly: Pick a high-rise style that sits above the incision with a soft-stretch waistband and bonded seams. Rise matters as much as size for incision comfort.
  • If you are still bleeding heavily: Choose a heavy- or super-absorbency gusset and size up if the gusset saturates within an hour or two. Increase absorbency before you tighten the fit.
  • If bleeding has tapered to spotting: Switch to a light-absorbency style for discharge, spotting, or backup to a cup or disc. Match absorbency to your current flow, not your earliest flow.

Product facts

  • Heavy Day Workout 3-Pack: Heavy Day Workout 3-Pack uses a full-coverage cut with a heavy- or super-absorbency gusset, four-way stretch body fabric, and bonded seams for a second-skin fit. The heavy gusset suits the first days of postpartum bleeding, and the stretch and bonded seams reduce digging on a tender belly or incision.
  • Leakproof Lace High Waist: Leakproof Lace High Waist is a high-rise style with silky smooth fabric and soft-stretch European lace, available in absorbency, size, and color options. The high rise clears a C-section incision and the absorbency choices let you match protection to your flow stage instead of guessing.
  • Leakproof Lace Thong: Leakproof Lace Thong is best for light flow days, spotting and discharge, everyday protection to replace a panty liner, or as a worry-free backup to a cup, disc, or tampon. Use it later in recovery when bleeding has tapered, or as backup when you return to a cup or disc, so you are not wearing heavy absorbency you no longer need.

Who this sizing approach fits

Best for

  • Anyone in the first six weeks after birth who needs leakproof coverage that fits a changing body
  • C-section recovery where a high rise clears the incision
  • People who want to replace disposable pads with reusable postpartum underwear

Not for

  • Anyone looking for a pre-pregnancy size that will not change during recovery
  • Heavy bleeding that soaks through within an hour, which needs medical advice before product changes