There's no single right continence product for every child. The best one is the one that fits your child's body, your changing routine and the hours it needs to last.
For most families of bigger kids, the choice comes down to two styles: tab-style (open) products or pull-up pants. Here's how to work out which suits your child, or whether you need a bit of both.
Tab-style products
Tab-style products open flat and fasten at the sides with refastenable tabs.
They tend to suit kids who:
- Change lying down, on a bed, change table or mat
- Use a wheelchair or don't stand for changes
- Wear AFOs, splints or shoes that are hard to take on and off
- Need high absorbency for overnight or long school days
- Need a product that can be adjusted at the waist and legs as their body shape changes
Why parents like them: you can check and change without taking off pants, shoes or AFOs. Undo the tabs, roll the old product out, slide the new one in. For a child who is lying down or being transferred, that's a much smaller job.
Pull-up pants
Pull-ups go on and off like underwear.
They tend to suit kids who:
- Stand for changes, with or without support
- Are building independence with dressing or toileting
- Have lighter or more predictable wetting
- Want something that feels most like regular undies
Why parents like them: they're easy for kids to manage themselves, which can be a real confidence boost.
Questions to ask yourself
- How does my child change? Standing, sitting, lying down or during a transfer?
- How long does it need to last? A morning at school is different to a 12-hour night.
- What's on their feet and legs? If AFOs or splints have to come off for every pull-up change, tabs will save you time.
- Who else does changes? Aides, respite workers and grandparents may find one style easier.
- Where are the leaks happening? Leaks at the legs often mean the fit is wrong, not the style.
Using both is normal
Plenty of families use pull-ups during the day and tabs overnight, or tabs at school and pull-ups on weekends. Mixing styles isn't a failure. It's matching the product to the moment.
Where Middlemates fits
Middlemates size 8 products are tab-style and made for bigger kids who need high absorbency [insert absorbency in mL]. If your child has outgrown supermarket sizes and pull-ups aren't working for your routine, they're designed for exactly that gap.
Want to compare for yourself? Try a sample pack before you commit to a carton. [Link]
This information is general in nature and isn't a substitute for advice from your GP, continence nurse or occupational therapist. For free, confidential advice, call the National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66.
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