For some people incontinence is a minor everyday problem and for others it's a daily nuisance. Approximately 180,000 adults in New Zealand are affected by this lifestyle limiting condition and thousands of children wake in the morning in a wet bed.
There is help available.
Many people monitor and manage their own incontinence needs and the Nurse Maude On-line store offers a comprehensive range of products including both washable and disposable products for both men and women.
Disposable products include: Pads, Pull-ons or briefs, and Diaper style or nappies.
When choosing the incontinence product that is going to best serve your requirements, there are several factors that need to be considered. The first is absorbency and whether you need a light (sneezing, laughing), medium (larger amount or gushes), or heavy (little control) level of protection. The second is your size – if you are considering either the pull-on or diaper style the fitting is important. You will need to know your waist measurement so that the product can be matched to your size.
The Nurse Maude On-Line Store has both unisex and male specific products. Assess your needs and preferences and look through the options available.
You might not get it right first time so do not be put off if your first choice does not work well. Be prepared to try others as there will be a larger or smaller one; a more absorbent or a less absorbent one ... your needs can be met.
All pads are unisex and work equally well for men and women. All have different absorbency levels ranging from 200 ml to 2500 ml.
Most pads have a sticky strip on the reverse to hold the pad in place. These can be used either in your own briefs or in a light mesh brief (available in 2 styles and 4 sizes). See “stretch pants”.
You may not get it right first time, don’t be put off. Be prepared to try others - there are a lot to choose from and there is a product to suit you.
Insert pads have been specifically designed to support faecal continence and must be worn with a base pad (either with an incontinence pad or in a pull-on). These pads are NOT designed to be worn on their own.
The insert pads do not have a waterproof backing. This allows urine to flow through into the base pad or pull-on, protecting the base pad from faecal contamination.
As the pads are NOT worn on their own, once soiled they must be changed. If the base pad comes into contact with faecal matter it too must be changed immediately.
Pull-ons are highly absorbent pants that can be pulled up and down and that manage both urinary and faecal incontinence. They have the feel of normal underwear, with a wide elastic panel in the waistband and soft leg elastic for excellent fit and optimum comfort. Often they are the product of choice to wear overnight.
Fit is important with the pull-ons. In order to get the correct size and absorbency you need your waist measurement and some idea of what level of absorbency you require.
All pull-ons/briefs are unisex and work equally well for men and women. All are based on a waist measurement and have different absorbency levels ranging from 800ml to 2900ml. There are many sizes and absorbencies to choose from.
Wrap-arounds, nappies, or all-in-one protection are different names for the same type of incontinence product.
The wrap-around is designed to manage severe urinary and faecal incontinence. It is often used for bedridden people as it is easily slipped under the person and secured at the sides.
Made with either 2 or 4 tapes at the sides, the pad fits snuggly between the legs and the tapes securely fasten at the sides ensuring a breathable, comfortable fit.
Wrap-arounds are available in various brands, come in 4 sizes (extra small, small, medium and large), and are available with absorbencies from 1100 ml to over 3 litres.
Most incontinence pads have a peel strip on the back of the pad to fix the pad to underwear, thus ensuring that the pads stay in place and giving you the utmost protection.
As an alternative to using your own briefs there are 2 unisex styles of washable mesh pants available. These briefs are soft, high quality, highly elastic, and are extremely efficient at keeping pads in place.
Both styles can be put through a normal laundry cycle up to 40 times without losing elasticity or softness.
Many men experience bladder leakage which is often related to medical conditions or prostate issues - but it is rarely talked about.
We have 3 male-specific products which have differing absorbency levels ranging from approximately 300 ml to 2.5 litres. All the pads fit the male anatomy ensuring comfort and safety.
Male bladder leakage doesn’t have to prevent you from having a full and active life.
(We are currently reviewing our range of absorbent underwear and at present do not have these for sale on-line. They are however available through our Christchurch store.)
We have a range of incontinence briefs available for customers who wish to discreetly manage mild incontinence or light bladder weakness.
These briefs have a built-in absorbent pad which (depending on the style you choose) is capable of absorbing from 60 ml to 350 ml over a 4 hour period. Made from soft cotton with a waterproof layer, the thin but highly absorbent core is soft so that you can feel comfortable and secure without the need for disposable pads.
Correct fit is important so before purchasing make sure that you know your waist measurement and then choose the style that is most applicable to your needs and lifestyle.
The briefs are machine washable in warm water with a quality laundry detergent. Do not use harsh bleaches or fabric softener. All briefs can be line dried or tumble dried on a low heat.
We are currently reviewing our range of absorbent underwear and at present we do not have these for sale on-line.
