A must have for every breastfeeding mom
February 20, 2007
By Jennifer Suarez
This is a product that every breastfeeding mother needs to know about. Finally a solution to leaking and a way to sleep without wearing a bra! I've been using lilypadz for about a month now and I must say that I LOVE them. When I started breastfeeding my daughter I was using the traditional round cotton pads that you have to put inside your bra to soak up leaks. I hated them because they look terrible under a snug fitting shirt, they don't always absorb all the liquid, and they can shift out of position leaving you with no protection at all. I assumed it was just a necessary evil to breastfeeding because I didn't know something as wonderful as lilypadz existed!
I have to admit, when I first saw them advertised I was skeptical. I didn't think they would stick, I didn't think they would stay in place, and I thought for sure if they did stick that it would hurt to take them off or they'd leave a tacky residue on my breast. I hestitated for a couple of weeks, wanting to try them, but afraid that I'd spend all that money and end up disappointed. It was one morning after waking up soaked because one of my cotton pads slipped during the night I decided I would risk it and order them.
When they arrived I read all the instructions and was ready to try them out. Now this is the embarrassing part... in the instructions it specifically says to take them off the plastic dome before using. For some reason I thought they meant take them out of the plastic container. I didn't realize that EACH lilypad was also stuck on a piece of plastic! When I first tried to put them on I actually tried flipping the entire pad and the plastic dome inside out. (yes it was tough to do too!!) I was frustrated because they obviously didn't stick. I began to think that my fear of them not working was true. Once I realized my stupid mistake, I peeled them off the plastic and tried again. They stuck perfectly!! Try and avoid having the problem I did.. make sure you peel each of them off their little plastic domes.
I was immediately surprised at how secure they felt. I knew right away that I would be able to wear them to bed and not have to worry about one falling off. My next fear was removing them. I carefully lifted up an edge and peeled one off. I was surprised that even though they stuck securely, they peeled off with ease and without causing pain to my tender breasts. I was estatic! What a great product!!
I have found after using them for about a month that there are pros and cons. However the pros greatly outweigh the cons. This is what I have found...
PROS
------
1) Attaches securely
2) Removes with VERY little or no pain
3) No residue left behind on the breast. Baby can eat as soon as a pad is removed.
4) Protects tender breasts from rubbing against clothing or sticking to cotton pads. (If you are feeling sore these are a HUGE help.)
5) Secure enough to stay on all night long without wearing a bra.
6) Washable and reusable
7) Invisible under snug fitting shirts.
8) When properly applied you will not leak
9) Peace of mind
10) Quick drying. After cleaning them give them a good shake and you are ready to reapply them (even if they are a bit damp still). No need to buy more than one pair unless you need the peace of mind of a back up. One pair will work and will always be ready to use.
CONS
-------
1) If not properly applied you might leak. You must be careful to avoid air bubbles and make sure you apply strong pressure to the nipple when putting them on. However, even if you leak - it won't get on your clothes. Instead it pools up around the nipple. It usually stays sealed. You just have to be sure to remove the pad, drain the liquid, rinse them and then reapply properly. One warning, if you have an air bubble and you leak A LOT it is possible for the pad to loosen and pop off spilling milk on you. This has only happened to me maybe twice after a long night of leaking while sleeping. I leaked during the night, woke up and was feeding the baby from one side without checking to see if I had leaked on the other. My milk let down filling the air bubble more and the pad popped off drenching me.
2) If you own cats/dogs... keep them AWAY from the pads when you aren't wearing them. They attract fur like crazy. If they do get furry its OK because it does wash off. Its just a pain in the butt and takes a little extra effort
3) Takes a little more effort to reapply the pad in public (vs shoving a cotton pad back in your bra) but once you get the hang of it, it woudn't even make the con list anymore.
4) I personally don't wear them every day. I'm one of those types that thinks skin should have a chance to breathe a little. I DO wear them every night, but during the day I'll occasionally wear my cotton pads so my skin can breathe. I'm afraid that I'll end up with thrush or just pruney nipples if I wore them 24/7. I have no evidence to back up the claim - they may work just fine 24/7. I'd say I wear them 3-4 times a week during the day. I will NOT go a night without wearing them though because I hate wearing a bra to bed.
As you can see the pros outweigh the cons by quite a bit. The cons shouldn't be enough to keep you from trying them yourself. Even if you plan on wearing them only at night they are well worth the cost. If you are like me and you are skeptical - don't be. These really do work and you will be glad that you gave them a try. Every breastfeeding mother should own a pair and I think they would make a WONDERFUL and unique baby shower gift!
Source