Hi Peggy,
I am so sorry that you have had leakage with your pads and I am sorry I was unable to help you to troubleshoot them. I am going to post the information I gave you when we communicated by email in hopes that it may help someone else who has the same issue.
When someone is experiencing leakage like you did, the very first suggestion I always give is to be sure you are wearing good snug-fitting underwear. Reusable pads work best when there is not a gap between the body and the pad. For periods, this is not as big a deal because flow is slower, but with bladder leaks, it is much more essential. I am not sure if this might be an issue for you, but it is something to consider.
Another thing to be sure of is that the absorbency you require matches the absorbency of the pad. Some people may require a heavier absorbency pad than they might normally wear in a disposable.
Besides that, as you pointed out, the topper fabric can also make a difference. I do have a pad line called Amie Active, that is made with athletic wicking jersey on the top and it is a quicker absorbing fabric. If you believe the absorbency is adequate and you’d like to try an Amie Active pad, you can find Amie Active here: https://amiepads.ca/collections/amie-active
One other thing that might be helpful is an Interlabial pad (ILP). This is a small, petal-shaped thin pad that is folded lengthwise and placed between the labia, but not worn internally. Its job is to boost pad performance by slowing down flow and directing it to the middle of the pad. While I do sell them, you can try them yourself if you simply have a small piece of flannel or something similar at home and can do the same thing. An ILP should be really not even noticeable when worn and can be super-helpful. The main drawback is that people forget they are wearing them and they are apt to fall in toilet! (If you’d like to try them and don’t have anything you can try at home or you’d like to just look at what I am talking about, you can visit this link: https://amiepads.ca/collections/interlabial-pads/products/interlabial-pad-boosters) If you are trying something on your own, the shape is not overly important. Any small piece of thin, absorbent cotton fabric should do the trick.
Lastly, I don’t expect this is an issue, but I have had people for whom it is, so I just wanted to double-check that you are using the pretty side, or floral print toward your body and the fuzzy side facing your undies. I have had people using the fuzzy side facing their body and this would mean zero absorbency.
Again, Peggy, I am sorry I was not able to help you. <3
