Welcome to Kira's Blog

Welcome to My Blog

Life with young children can be challenging, but with the support and advice of friends, we can feel empowered and thankful for the blessing of being a Mom.

My musings are those of a self-proclaimed attachment-parenting Tiger mom, who juggles full-time mommying with a small (but growing!) baby-related business. I hope some of my thoughts help you
Enjoy your day, Enjoy your night, and Enjoy your kids!!!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Nursing Pads

I didn't think I'd get back to blogging, and I'm still not sure it will be a regularly-scheduled event until the baby starts moving in the direction of a schedule (for those experienced moms: yes I know that may be after high-school graduation, but a simple sense of night-and-day would be a start), but I have a bit of practical advice I felt couldn't wait:

Avoid disposable nursing pads - the kind with a plastic shield. An example, is in the link to the left.

That's it. Simple.

Here's the deal: disposable nursing pads, in addition to being a waste and bad for the environment, breed bacteria more easily than cloth pads. For those of us who are big-leakers (congrats, this means plenty of milk for your fledgling baby!) the milk in the plastic-backed-pad remains warm, next to the breast, and sours quickly. When I used these pads, the sour smell was so strong that my infant daughter wouldn't latch on after a few uses, because my nipples smelled sour!!! Gross! (and kudos to my infant for her strong survival instincts & refusal to drink sour milk, eh?!) Let's face it - unless you have a magical baby who nods off to sleep and lets you rinse off your nipples after each feeding, you'll be harboring this sour smell until your next shower... which, in some cases, could be next week or next month :)

Meanwhile, quality cotton nursing pads are quite absorbent but don't lock in the moisture. The Bravado brand ones that I use (link to the left) are fantastic, since they also have a shield that protects the (sore?) nipples from the wet milk pad. They are comfortable and have the added benefit of a nice terry exterior that you can also use to wipe up any spills down the baby's cheek, as you unlatch him or if he had a particularly full mouth.

My lactation consultant in the hospital also was recommending to stay away from disposable pads, and I wouldn't be surprised if they increase risk of mastitis?

Another product on the market, which I own but rarely use, is the Lily Pad. It DOES work and is definitely the best in total prevention of leaks, but I seriously worry about risk of mastitis whenever I use it... basically, use with caution, only when you really can't afford the mark on your best silk gown or in front of the firm's partners at your next presentation :)


In brief - investing in quality reusable cloth nursing pads is definitely worthwhile. If you're concerned about the expense, contact your local La Leche League - maybe somebody is finished nursing and getting rid of hers, so you can barter.

Happy nursing!

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