I have been wearing period panties for a couple of months now and really like them. The first couple of pairs I purchased were similar to yours, cotton panties in a variety of colors with an absorbent section in the middle. They worked quite well, but were not sexy enough for me. I did some investigation on Amazon for lacy period panties and discovered some by a company called Intiflower which have the absorbent centers and very sexy side panels. I like them a lot and wear them almost every day. They feel very feminine and also eliminate the need for pads.

One of the problems I ran into with pads was that after a while they would chafe the rear of my butt where the pad ended. I was constantly getting areas of raw skin. Switching over to period panties solved this problem. I have never had a problem with the absorbent panel not coming high enough. They cover my clitoral area well and the full length of my labia. Unlike you I use water-based lubricant for dilating. They are very absorbent for leftover KY as well as the occasional leak I get due to some bladder weakness. I never have a problem with wetting my pants anymore. In my opinion, these are a wonderful product, and I wish I had discovered them sooner.