LilyPadz Silicone Nursing Pads

For the first several months that I was breastfeeding, I couldn’t leave the house without nursing pads.

I just never knew when I would spring a leak. I tried a few of the disposable brands available at Target and while I liked some brands better than others, I didn’t love any of them. Even the best ones seemed slightly uncomfortable and crinkly under my clothes, and the worst actually left unsightly bumps under my bra, making them visible underneath my clothing (very annoying!). So when a friend suggested LilyPadz, I decided to give them a try.

LilyPadz are breathable, flexible, comfortable nursing pads that conform to your breasts rather than your bra. They are non-absorbent, so they don’t soak up excess milk but rather prevent leakage from happening at all with constant gentle pressure to your nipple. (You know how if you suddenly find yourself leaking milk and you press on your nipple, it will stop the flow? Same principle applies here.) And since they fit your breasts, not your bra, you can wear them braless at night (yay!), under a swimsuit, or beneath your nursing bra and clothes. And you really will forget they’re even there—they are that comfortable!

I’m not sure how well they would’ve worked in the beginning, just because I remember my milk supply being much greater than my baby’s demand, and I feel like gentle pressure might not have stopped all that leaking. (But who knows, maybe they would’ve been fine—I’ll find out with my next baby!) But now that I’m not experiencing constant drips all day, they’re perfect. I wear them all the time, and I really love them. I know several people who have used LilyPadz (apparently my friend suggested them to many other moms too!), and I’ve yet to hear anyone say anything negative about them.

Up front, they are more expensive than disposables—$20 for one set of pads, where you can buy a whole box of disposables for about half that price. But since you can use LilyPadz multiple times—on average for about two months—they really end up being pretty cost effective in the long run. (The most comfortable disposable nursing pads I found were about $10 for a box of 60, which lasted me about two weeks. So at $20 for 2 months, the LilyPadz actually come out cheaper!) They are easy to care for, since you can simply wash them in the sink with gentle soap and warm water, and they are very easy to use. To read more about LilyPadz, including tips for sterilization and info on what they’re made from, visit their FAQ section.