Cheaper nursing pads that actually stay put: cut a pantiliner in half
Nursing moms: this hack is a thing of beauty. From Ashley:
I'm breastfeeding my three month-old and quickly got sick of buying nursing pads. Not only are they expensive and wasteful but they are large (I don't leak THAT much) and bulky. I tried the reusable ones but they were completely obvious though my shirt.
A couple weeks ago I decided to cut a Kotex Lightday liner in half and it worked SO much better. I have the peace of mind that I won't leak through my shirt, there is much more adhesive so the thing stays firmly in place, and it's much thinner. Monetary bonus? Less than two bucks for thirty (that I cut and double) instead of about $7 for the same number of nursing pads.
Anyone else have any tips for managing pads (or leaks)?
Related: Mesh tops hide nursing leaks
I loved LilyPadz once I got through the initial engorgement/constant leakage first month or so.
Reusable, and hides the hard nipples! Perfect under smooth shirts.
Posted by: Amanda | 14 March 2011 at 07:39 AM
Gah! Why didn't I think of that!
Posted by: Cat Hasley | 14 March 2011 at 07:54 AM
I tried using something like that or a flat round shape, but they looked so obvious and needed to be replaced more frequently, so I switched to the Johnston and Johnston pads (as they were concave and stayed in place much better). I like saving money, but it's not worth it if it doesn't work as well...
Posted by: Anisa | 14 March 2011 at 09:11 AM
Be careful if using this hack, as the plastic lining on the back of pantiliners is not as breathable as the nursing pads, and you have more of a risk of moisture-related irritation. If you're a "light leaker", I could see this working, but be careful.
Posted by: Becky C. | 14 March 2011 at 01:14 PM
Agree that the silicone pads from the One Step Ahead catalog are genious. Because of their subtle pressure, they often kept me from starting to leak in the first place! They are aslo hand washable, so much less expensive (and better for the environment) than disposables.
Posted by: Shawna | 14 March 2011 at 02:43 PM
read somewhere that if your out of nursing pads your suppose to use a diapercut in half (probably visable through your shirt , havnt tried yet) but not menstral pads becuase they hold in moisture really well, so well that you can get diffrent moisture related problems
Posted by: sandra | 14 March 2011 at 04:07 PM
It all depends on how much you leak. With my daughter, a ton--lilypadz did not hold back the leaking and Im not sure if the pantiliner would've been enough--but barely at all with my son & this would be great for the peace of mind for "just in case"!
I use the reusable ones, but HAVE to wear them with a lightly padded ("t-shirt"-type) bra or they are so obvious. The padding totally hides that--& I like that they're not adhesive--I always ended up with the sticky ones stuck to themselves in a big ball when I moved the bra around to actually nurse!
Posted by: Paige | 15 March 2011 at 09:19 AM
I made the mistake of trying the "cut in half" sanitary napkin.. and the gel inside got all over my bra/boob. I only noticed this when the baby turned away when I was about to nurse and noticed white flecks on her chin. I immediately wiped her mouth out and luckily she didn't get any in her mouth. I wouldn't recommend this at all. I only did this as I ran out of nursing pads in the middle of the night and needed a temporary fix until the morning. Also, the brand I used was carefree but i know that just about every liner uses the gel absorbers.
don't risk your baby's health because you want to be cheap.
Posted by: Celeste | 07 June 2011 at 02:18 PM