Super strength Breast pads

[GracieGirl]

Can anyone recommend a brand of breast pads to me. I have a 3 week old baby who i'm breast feeding and I'm changing my breast pads at least at every feed (2-3 hourly) but they are always soaked through and keeping my breasts soaking wet. I'm worried that I'm going to get sore skin as its wet all the time.

Are washable breast pads any better?

Thank you!

Congratulations on your new baby!

I've found Johnsons baby breast pads to work much better than any other type I've tried.

I think at the beginning I had to change them at least every feed or so, but within a few weeks my supply settled down and now (at 6 months) I barely need them.

Get the avent plastic collecting shields - then you can fill up a bottle in the fridge all day and use it for a feed during the evening or freeze it if you're leaking that much...

Though the expensive lansinoh ones are very good...

I second the shells / shields from Avent - they are fab; esp to collect enough for night feed!
still use them on occasion even now (DD 6 months old - back to work in jan)

Thank you, I've just added the johnsons breast pads onto my tesco internet shop thats coming tomorrow morning. I will try an expedition to Boots during the week to look for Avent nipple shells (will I ever leave the house without 6 hours preparation?!)

Actually I'm sure I could get some online if I tried........

Thank you!

mothercare stocks them and deliver, so do boots?

I would not recommend Avent; mine have gone scratchy and itch me badly. You might get on with them better, but I'm currently in the market for something much softer.

The Tommee Tippee ones are the best I think.

johnsons ime

Make sure you get the shells without ventilation holes or else you'll end up with milk everywhere when you put them on upside down / forget you're wearing them & bend over etc.

I think you're only supposed to wear them for up to 40 mins at oncr or the pressure on your breast can tend to increase your supply.

I didn't like the Avent washable pads either - they went too hard & are quite bulky. Boots own brand washables worked for me, but I don't know how much liquid they hold.

what about lilypadz?

I leaked a lot (through breastpad and T-shirt and jumper within an hour) and found lansinoh the only ones that could deal with it. They used to give me about 21/2 hrs before I needed to change.

I found the lillypadz only worked after my supply settled down. They just made my boobs hurt otherwise. Very good if you want to go swimming though!

Washables and lilypadz were both rubbish for my leaky boobs - washables not absorbent enough and lilypadz would fill up and flop off

Boots do a (ginormous) extra-absorbent pad, but it might be worth just bulk-buying and changing them all the time. Breastfeedingheaven.co.uk used to be great for bulkbuying high quality (Tommee Tippee style) pads, though haven't used them for a while. It does get better!

Another vote for lansinoh here, although I was never too leaky except occasionally at night. You can find them online or usually at mothercare (they tend to have feeding rooms which are okay).

I have an unopened set of lilypadz and suspect that, after almost a year, I'm not going to be trying them. If you want to give them a go once your supply has settled, I'll happily post them to you if you email me at isitmeor49 @ googlemail . com

Congratulations by the way!

Lansinoh pads are BRILLIANT! They contain the same kind of absorbent stuff inside as disposable nappies - they're very thin (and plastic-backed so they don't leak through your clothes - but not sweaty) and expand (subtly!) when they get wet... so there isn't ever loose liquid to escape. Also because they're thin (and smooth to the edge) they are much less visible under clothes than other brands.

IME all the washables will leak through to your clothes and don't actually hold very much.

I would second using the shells to collect if you are leaking a lot during feeds (from the unused side) - and if you sterilise these I believe you can keep & use the milk.

Your supply will settle down, I'm sure.

My sis who had quite an oversupply in the beginning linked up with her local neonatal unit who supplied shells and little sterilised bottles for her to fill and freeze.
They collected the milk weekly and gave it to the prem babes.

Think she used woolly washables when out and about and found those the most absorbent.

Ruby, I've tried the Johnsons ones for the day, much better, thank you!

Also ordered some washable ones from boots.com.

Planning a trip to mothercare this weekend to look for breast shells as Boots were out of stock.

Thank you all for your help, soory it took a few days to get back to you but you know how it is with a newborn!

Got to run, baby squeaking loudly and DH asleep (works nights).