Nursing pads: useful helpers during lactation
Nursing pads can be helpful during breastfeeding, for example, when your body produces a relatively large amount of milk. Then it can happen that excess milk leaks and soaks your bra and maybe the clothes over it. Nursing pads can then help, because they absorb additional fluid.
Why use nursing pads?
Especially at the beginning of lactation, the amount of milk is still relatively high. Between breastfeeding meals, milk may flow out of your breast and moisten your bra. Often embarrassing stains form on blouses and shirts. The warm and humid environment is also the perfect breeding ground for germs. To prevent this, you can resort to nursing pads between breastfeeding meals. With insoles, you prevent excess milk from flowing into the bra and showing up on the clothing.
How to use nursing pads?
Nursing pads have a soft and absorbent surface on one side that absorbs liquid like a panty liner. On the back there are adhesive strips that prevent the insert from slipping in the nursing bra. You can either stick the insole directly into the bra or you can detach the bra cup slightly from your breast and put it on your breast to find the ideal position. There are numerous deposits from different providers, which differ in material, price and usability, among other things.
Disposable nursing pads
On the one hand, there are the disposable nursing pads, which are disposed of after each use. Depending on the quantity and manufacturer, you will be priced between 3 and 10 euros per pack. Disposable nursing pads are especially handy when you’re on the go. They are a bit thinner and hardly noticeable under clothing. When they have soaked up, you can easily throw them away and have a new, dry insert ready to hand in your pocket.
Washable nursing pads made of wool and silk
But there are also nursing pads that can be used several times. After use, they are thoroughly cleaned either by hand or in the washing machine and can then be used again. You can get washable insoles for about 5 euros.
Cotton inserts are very absorbent and can usually be easily washed in the washing machine and then dried. Nursing pads made of wool or silk are particularly gentle on the skin.
- Woolis characterized by its particularly high absorbency and is therefore particularly suitable for mothers who produce a lot of milk. When it gets cold, the wool nursing pads protect the sensitive breasts from the low temperatures. Since wool is very sensitive, you usually have to clean it by hand washing.
- Especially if you suffer from sore nipples, many midwives recommend nursingpads made of silk. The soft, natural material has a soothing effect on irritated skin. Silk also has the advantage that germs spread less often here. However, the delicate material, such as wool inserts, usually has to be washed out by hand.
How often should you change nursing pads?
Make sure that the nursing pads are permeable to air and fit well. The moist, warm material is the ideal breeding ground for bacteria, so you should replace and clean them frequently.
Want to know more? In the video “Lansinoh® Blue Lock™ nursing pads in everyday checks”, Nathalie vonMommytalks.detalks about her practical check.