A pad, sanitary napkin, sanitary towel, sanitary pad, menstrual pad, maxi pad or ultra pad is an absorbent item worn by a woman while she is menstruating, for lochia (post birth bleeding), or any other situation where it is necessary to absorb a flow of blood.
The contest between the two major varieties of pad (reusable and disposable pads) comes later, but first, we have to acknowledge the revolutionary existence of a sanitary napkin in a female's life. In older times, not only was the cloth used to prevent the menstrual flow but also issues like menstruation were hidden under covers. Apart from the cloth, there were rags, cotton or sheep's wool used by women to stem their blood flow.