Favorite nursing pads - disposable and/or washable?

[etwahl]

Anyone have favorites?

Tammy,
Mom-to-be Mar 8, 2003!

[Zansu]

Gerber Ultra-thins

Available at BRU and Target

[gravymommy3]

Tammy,

I like the Gerber ultra-thins also (if I have the name right). They are acutally like little diapers, meaning they are filled with the same absorbant silicone stuff that diapers are and they hold a lot of leakage, come in different absorbancies and have sticky spots on them to keep them in place. Good luck.

Amy

[brubeck]

I use the Gerber ones in the daytime but they are very expensive. Register with Gerber ASAP and they will send you some coupons for them.

For nighttime though, I like the Curity nursing pads (peach box). They are much cheaper and hold TONS, so as my son sleeps for longer and longer periods at night I don't get too much leakage. Also, they wick the moisture away well so the pads don't feel wet and clammy when full like the Gerber ones do.

[Karenn]

I liked Gerber Ultra Thins too. I had a hard time finding them though. You can get larger (more economical) boxes at BRU or Baby Depot. I had a couple of Medela washable and they are fine to, but they got worn fairly quickly.

[mcmorfit]

Are the Gerber Ultra Thins made out of cotton?

[Karenn]

I don't think so. The box doesn't advertise them as such, and I think that'd be a selling point. I don't know for sure though.

[Rachels]

I liked the washable pads. Everything else either chafed my sore nipples or bunched up in my bra. If you use disposable pads, just make sure there's not a plastic liner. Most do have one, and it can hold moisture next to your nipples and really cause problems.


-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[etwahl]

Rachel, which washable ones did you prefer? Did they work under your Elita bra? By the way, do you only have to use them for a short period of time (e.g. do the breasts get used to it and stop leaking?) or is this all the time during nursing?

Tammy,
Mom-to-be Mar 8, 2003!

[COElizabeth]

I like Johnson's best, but try several and see which you like. After a while you may not need them. I don't usually need them too much anymore, but if I don't use them at night I risk leaks if James happens to sleep through the night (but in that case I am usually so happy I don't care!).

Elizabeth
Mom to James
9-20-02

[August Mom]

I like the Curity pads the best. They are super absorbent. I've never had a leak with them. Plus, they are about half the price of other brands. They do not have adhesive backing, but I actually like this because when nursing, the pad gets moved around anyway. I wore them during the day and night. I found that they conformed to my shape better than most. If you want a contoured pad, the Medela ones are nice, but quite expensive.

HTH

[Momof3Labs]

I preferred washable pads, but I wasn't a bit leaker. I only had to wear them for a couple of months (although I still occasionally leak - I guess that I just don't care as much anymore!). Some people have to wear them all the time.

I don't know the brand, but I preferred contoured pads over flat ones - they didn't bunch up as much. The cotton ones were nice but didn't lay as smoothly after being washed. Instead, the poly/cotton blend ones worked better for me. But again, I wasn't a big leaker...

[parkersmama]

I preferred the washable pads, too. I'm not sure what brand but I'm guessing they were Medela. They are very soft (cotton flannel, I believe) and wash nicely. I wasn't a huge leaker and was able to quit wearing them after about the first 6 or 8 weeks (which is nice cause nursing pads are a pain!). I tried disposable pads the first time around and they stuck to me and were painful to peel away. Yikes! I didn't even give them a go the 2nd time around so I don't now what improvements have been made in the meantime.

Denise
mom to:
Parker, 9/1/1997
Wesley, 3/9/2000
and #3 (a girl!) due 4/29/2003

[Rachels]

I used the Medela washables, too. They worked fine with the Elita bras, Tammy. You look completely like Madonna when your milk comes in, anyway, so a breast pad isn't going to really alter you that much. I only needed them in the first six or seven weeks, and then I stopped leaking. I had one more bout of leaking around three months (why?!), but not since. And now our Madonna days are over, too, although nursing is still going strong.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[etwahl]

Madonna? I had not heard that. I'm assuming we're talking about her in her pointy bra days?

By the way, how many do you recommend having?

Tammy,
Mom-to-be Mar 8, 2003!

[Momof3Labs]

I'd recommend having enough so that you don't have to do laundry just to get clean nursing pads! I used one set on most days and ended up buying some more after a couple of weeks. If you used two sets most days, then you would definitely need more, and so on.

Maybe 3 or 4 sets for starters?? You may not even like the washables, who knows, but they aren't that expensive in the grand scheme of things!

[chucksmom]

I wouldn't buy too many- I bought a few washables and a big box of disposables and ended up never using them. I put them in the first few days just in case, but so far (knock on wood) I have never leaked. My nursing bras are pretty thick so if I did a little it wouldn't be a catastrophe. I guess I might need them when I wean, but I wish I hadn't bought so many.

[sweetbasil]

I'm with Justin's mommy here...I tried all the other brands mentioned (including washable ones) because I got tips from lots of mommy-friends before-hand, but none of them were *major* leakers, and since I *was*, Curity were the only ones I didn't leak through. They have a nice plastic lining to keep the leakage in the pad, instead of just being a thick piece of cotton. And I went through roughly one box every week. I got them in Motherhood Maternity, and also found them in Albertson's- lots of times, on sale, too...but Albertson's has since disappeared around here. Oh, well!

Good luck!

[parkersmama]

And really, from my experience, whether you need them when you wean will have a lot to do with how old your baby is at the time. I didn't wean either of mine until they were toddlers and down to eating so few times in a day that I just dried up easily with no pain and no leaking. I think the leaking would mainly be a problem if you wean when nursing is still in full swing.

Denise
mom to:
Parker, 9/1/1997
Wesley, 3/9/2000
and #3 (a girl!) due 4/29/2003

[egoldber]

I had 4 sets of washable ones and went through about 2 boxes of disposables. (I still have half a box somewhere.) I leaked a LOT at first, but not so much after about 3 months. As far as disposables, I really liked the Lansinoh ones. I didn't need the pads at all when I weaned.

HTH,

[milesmom]

I find the disposables to be itchy so I prefer the washable (a little extra work but very comfortable) ... Medela is the brand I use. good luck.
Michelle (mom to Miles 6.2.02)

[etwahl]

I have some of each. Bought some medelas from Target. I assume they should be hand washed?

Tammy,
Mom-to-be Mar 8, 2003!

[LucyG]

I've only been doing this nursing thing for a week, but I'm using Johnson and Johnson disposable contoured pads, and they work very well. I started out with 10 washable pads (Medela and Lansinoh), but when my milk came in, there was no way to keep the 10 pads dry long enough to use them. There was milk everywhere! I sent my husband to Target for pads, so I haven't compared prices. However, the J & J seem good to me. I would have some type of disposable pads on hand from the beginning. I plan to use the washable ones when the milk production settles down some. Hope that helps you!

[MinnieMouse]

I used the J & J ones at first and they worked fine, but switched to the Lanisoh ones fairly quickly. At first I switched because WalMart was out of the J&Js :-). I found the Lanisoh pads much thinner, no leaking at all and they are contoured which was really nice. I think one of the biggest bonuses with the Lanisoh nursing pads though was the fact that they are individually wrapped. This was a huge bonus for keeping some on hand in the diaper bag and breast pump bag without them getting gross.

I highly recommend them.

Christine

[parkersmama]

I've always washed them in the washer with my bras & dried them, too. My are 100% cotton though. If you got wool, you'd probably want to handwash.

Denise
mom to:
Parker, 9/1/1997
Wesley, 3/9/2000
and #3 (a girl!) due 4/29/2003

[suzette]

Tammy,

It's going to depend on your body but I found the ONLY ones that worked for me were the Lansinoh disposables. I tried them all and these are in a class by themselves...I think they hold a gallon ;-)

Suzette

[katzenkowz]

I just copied my reply to another thread on this topic.

I spent a lot of my first month with a cloth diaper stuffed under a tank top. At that point I'm not sure even the Gerber heavies could have handled it--I had enough for twins (still do at times).

As for the pads, if you are a heavy leaker at all, don't waste your time or money on washables or any disposable pad other than Gerber--I tried Lansinoh even & they couldn't hold it even from one feeding to the next at 6wks. I tried (& continue to retry periodically) a washable plus a doubler with no success--they don't stay put & all it takes is one let-down & the pad is soaked & clammy. I needed Gerber heavy or medium flow for the first 3-4mo, light flow another 3mo, just trying the ultrathins now at 7mo & they seem to do well, but don't stay in place well--need some 2-sided tape. I used 2 pr a day & night at first (phenomenal holding power & still dry to touch), 1 a day (went bare at night with a towel under me) til 3-4mo, then could often get away with 2-3days on one pair if I pumped on schedule & didn't wear them at night.

[katzenkowz]

I think it depends on your lactation personality--I am an overexhuberant superproducer (think Holstein cow) with a hyperactive letdown reflex. Whereas most women feel several letdowns during a feeding, I rarely had more than one, even in the beginning, and now I often don't have any letdown that I can feel, yet Becca gets plenty, or I can pump 8-9 ounces. I have fianlly (7mo)graduated to the ultrathin disposables--still leak at night a lot & when munchkin desides to sleep in as she is doing this morning. I also started leaking at 6mo gestation. Tell me again why we do this to ourselves?