Breast pads, nursing bras, maternity pads, muslin squares...

[marilla]

What are your recommendations for breast pads, nursing bras and maternity pads? Shops and /or makes? I'm particularly interested to know if the supermarket own breast pads and maternity pads are ok. Anyone tried the blooming marvellous nursing bras? Does anyone sell muslin squares for a reasonable price?

shop own brands of pads are ok, tbh yu chnage pads so often in the 1st few days i wouldnt bother with expensive brands at all.

i liked tommee tippee breastpads the best
but sainsburys own brand were ok.

nursing bras... definitely elle mcpherson, quite expensive but well worth it

maternity pads... didn't bother, just used always nighttime ones

lansinoh or tommy tippee breast pads = best, i think. cheap = like putting tissue paper in bra. depends how much you leak, of course.

I would recommend washable breastpads, simply because I found them more absorbent and less likely to stick to your nipple (ow!). But they can look a bit like flying saucers under thin clothing!

If you do get disposable breastpads, steer well clear of Mothercare ones - they have a rough edge that I found really irritated my skin. I also never bothered with ones with a sticky strip in them - I found they stayed put well enough without, but other people might have found different.

I either wore M&S nursing bras or Bravado ones because I have large boobs and they don't fit happily into most of the prettier styles

Mothercare had money off muslins the other week. Or you can use terry nappies - they're pretty good at mopping up spills!

As for maternity pads - go for ones that say "absorbent" and "long" on them. And use two at a time to start with! I used Mothercare ones and they were fine (well, like a surfboard - it's amazing how your definition of "fine" changes that soon postbirth!).

ooh yes, actually i did get some washable breast pads too! had forgotten about them! lol

Whats so good about muslin ? I never understood ! We used cheapo Ikea Tea towels !

Maternity pads i just picked the cheapest brands since you have to change them so frequently initially.

Breast pads - i had such a nightmare with leakage and the first few weeks had thrush so needed ones that were very absorbant but not damp on my skin (which encourages the thrush). Especially for nighttime. I found chiccomama (can only get them from boots) to be the best. They are THE most absorbant i have found and very slim too. And pretty reasonable on price £5 for box of 60.

Own brand breast pads irritated me like hunker says. ALL supermarket and mothercare ones in fact and now toysrus ones have changed theirs and they irritated this time round too.

Breastpads - Johnson and Johnson ones I thought were best for those first weeks when you are very leaky. After that I used washable ones.
Maternity pads - I swear the best were Always nighttime pads with wings and the extra long variety.
Bras I got from mothercare and M&S. Not a lot to choose between them.

oh qv i hated those chicco ones! they had manky plastic backing which crinkled when i moved!

Definitely lansinoh breast pads - I found the sticky strip useful for preventing pad leaping out when I was b/f & keeping it in right position so it looked ok afte b/f.

Nursing bras I had fitted at M & S and (mainly) John Lewis - didn't mind what brand as long as well fitted by someone who knew what they were doing!

I think Asda have 12 muslins for £7.97.

muslins - asda is selling zorbit muslins (lovely quality - had their terries years ago) much cheaper than mothercare's own (thin & vesty)
breast pads - Boots luxury ones are nice & soft (but then I think most Boots stuff is good vfm)& the boxes make excellent storage for Xmas baubles !
bras - I'm with hunker on this - M&S every time for bigger boobs.

I thought Johnson's breast pads were the best - some had a plastic backing which got all hot and i had a lot of milk. I'm going to try washable this time as i got through a lot of pads! Towels - it doesn't matter as it all depends on the individual how much bleeding and for how long so you can adjust as time goes by.Bras had M&S and Bravde big size one which i didn't find as good as M&S and mothercare nighttime ones which were good.

catj - those are the Zorbit ones!! fab fab fab - have even bought extra to cut some up to make washable wet wipes ! bargain!

I havent found that SL but i suppose each to their own

Lansinoh and Tommee Tippee Breast pads are very similar and by far the best shape, Tesco have the TT ones half price quite often- stock up!
We bought Ikea face cloths, I think a pack of 10 was less than £2. They are invaluable!

marilla - don't mean to be rude but are you, perchance, doing market research for someone?....

No I am not doing market research for anyone except myself!!!! Just can't stand the thought of wasting precious money on products which turn out to be c**p!! Thanks for all your responses everyone, it's really helpful.

breast pads - i find own brand ones too crinkly around the edges and scatchy on my skin, plus if they are cheap and don't have proper absorbent filling, you have to change them all the time. so i've found posh expensive ones (johnson, chicco, avent, tommee tippee are all good) are actually cheaper because i only have to change them morning & eveniing. but this is probably true only if you leak loads like me.

maternity pads - i bought some, then thought - these are just big fat low-quality jamrags. agree with posey, you are better with a quality large/long/nighttime sanitary pad with wings that won't squish or fold up - i like always too.

and finally bras - depends on your size - i've got smallish boobs and i've found simple sloggi stretchy cropped tops have been much better than the proper (and expensive!) nursing bras i bought. you can just hoik them up or down whatever you're wearing, they adapt well as your boobs change size and they are v comfy at night. i got mine for £6 each at matalan.

breastpads - I liked Boots "luxury" ones seemed to hold a lot of milk, never really got on with the washable ones.

sanitary towels - Boots maternity pads for first day then quickly switched to Always night time then normal Always, buy loads and loads

Pants - Asda 3 for £1 throw them afterwards disposable pants are well pants!

Muslins - Asda again!

Brilliant, thanks everyone, espec for the asda muslin tip! Ready to go forth and buy hospital bag supplies now...

Second the Johnson's recommendation on breast pads - definitely the best in my opinion. can't remember on maternity pads - think I used Boots ones!

Do buy some Lansinoh nipple cream. Excellent stuff and vital to avoid sore nipples for the first few weeks - it's one of the ones you don;t have to wipe off before feeding!!

Went to John Lewis for nursing bra's about 3 weeks before due date. Excellent service - can't remember the make of bra I ended up with with but it fitted really well and was quite pretty too!

Muslins - well they;re the same where ever you go so just for the best deal you can get!

Pads (boobs and bits)- Asda
Bras - Boots and Mothercare
Muslin - Mothercare

Praise the Lord, I will never have to use them again.

Amen.

Johnsons for breastpads... nursing bras - I had mothercare last time I think... tesco own maternity pads.... got my muslins from superdrug on special offer.