breastpads?

Hi,

I'm looking for some advise from people who have used breastpads before. (Which, as I imagine is most of you)
How long do you use them? As long as you're breastfeeding, or only in the beginning?
Would it be worth investing in some washable ones, and if so, how many would you need? How many do you use a day?
Or would you stick with disposables?

As you can tell it's all a mystery to me, so any help would be appreciated.

I used them most of the time I was BFing.  I started off with disposable ones (Pigeon brand was my fav) and then switched to the Tommy tippee washable ones (cheap and not too bulky).  I am going to use them again this time and just bought some disposable ones for the first few days in hospital. 

 

At the begining I probably went through 2-3 a day but in the end one a day was all I needed (great supply but not much leakage)

I used the disposable ones with cream and didnt have a prob.

I used disposable ones at the beginning of BF while I was using Lansinoh so my washable ones didn't get ruined.

I had to used pads though from about 16 weeks pg as my nipples are really sensitive so I used washable ones then.

Now I am only using washable ones and I bought mine from a lady on trademe who makes them $10 for 4 pairs I think it was, and they are good and nice and comfy. I don't leak unless Joel has slet through though so not sure how they would go if you were a heavy leaker.

I have never had any luck with washable ones, have used Avent ones and polar fleece type ones and they are okay for light days but I do not find them very absorbent, okay for the day when there is regular feeding but crap for overnight.

So I use disposable ones 95% of the time, a bit pricey but better than smelling like sour milk when I leak all over the show.

Hayden is 5mths now and would be so so happy if the leaking stopped, I thought my body was supposed to get used to it all.

I used disposable ones for the entire time while I was breastfeeding and for weeks afterwards until my milk had dried up. I am one of those women whose breasts leaked non-stop. I tried many different brands and found the Johnson & Johnson Ultras best (purple box). They had a nice shape without it being seen through your bra - a tiny little bit of adhesive on the back to stop them moving around and didnt stick to my nipples. Avent brand stuck to me, travelled and werent absorbant enough. Pigeon were okay but I still preferred J & J (also I couldnt find anybody who stocked Pigeon in my town). I could go through anything up to 10 a day in the first few weeks and then a couple a day after that. I must have gone through so many boxes of them all.

I did get some washable ones (Tommee Tippee) brand and found them okay - they did wear out a bit though and bobble a little but they only suited during the day and didnt last the night. I still found the disposable ones more absorbant and user-friendly.

I suggest getting a box to start with of one brand until your milk comes through and you can get more later. In your bounty pack you get given some samples of the other brands which you can try too. Its so hard to know until your baby is born and hopefully you may be one of the lucky ones not to need them as much as I did.

I'm still using them, and still having to sleep in a bra and breast pads or else I wake up in a puddle .

I used disposables with Maya and the gremlins but decided to try cloth ones this time. They work brilliantly and I thought they were great till I started having trouble with my left nipple and realised that I was getting dermatitis from them coz the ones I have are a synthetic fibre and don't breathe too well (minky with PUL backing). So have started using sposies again and my nipples are heaps better.

I suspect it's just my freakish sensitive skin tho and like I said, performance-wise they were great.

Iused the signature range ones to begine with and then changed to cloth and loved them.

How long do you use them? As long as you're breastfeeding, or only in the beginning? I used them as long as I was b'feeding
Would it be worth investing in some washable ones, and if so, how many would you need? I tried those and hated them
How many do you use a day? I was not a heavy 'leaker' and only needed to change them once a day
Or would you stick with disposables? I stuck with disposables as I found them really comfy & soft

I've mostly used reusable wool pads and I highly recommend them.

I had a few boxes of disposable pads but I found both types pretty useless.

I had two types of wool ones - expensive merino ones from BF which were totally useless, they shrunk to nothing in the wash (I refused to handwash them, cos you need to wash them all the time), and they'd leak like crazy.

But the Baby First ones (also from BF) are great and I'm still using them 5 months later, they must have been through the washing machine and drier millions of times. They are double sided so they don't leak like the merino ones did, plus apparently it's important to keep your breasts warm (not a problem this time of year, but an issue in July when my one was born!)
Link to pads