While nursing my daughter, over 3 years ago, I burned through disposable nursing pads.  I felt like I was constantly running to the store for another box and at $7-9 per box, I was burning through money, too.

Since then I’ve become more eco conscious and realized that reusable nursing pads would not only be more eco-friendly but more cost conscious, as well.  There are several types of reusable nursing pads – find one that works for you!

Reusable Cloth Nursing Pads – You can find cloth nursing pads made out of cotton, organic cotton, bambooand several other fabrics.  They come in plain jane white or fun and funky colors.  You can even make  your own.  I’m using cotton ones that absorb well and are easy to throw in any load of laundry.  One of things I hated about disposable pads was that they would stick to my damp nipple – making it painful to peel off, particularly in the first couple weeks of nursing.  The cotton pads absorb moisture well so I haven’t experienced this problem. 

Lilypadz– When you’re nursing, you can’t always wear swim suits, sports bras or workout shirts without showing a little bit more than you want to (you know what I’m talking about).   You can also sometimes see cloth nursing pads as they can add a lot of bulk to your bra.  Lilypadz have totally changed all that. They are made of silicone and have a “stickiness” to them so you stick them to your breast creating a tight fit protecting you from leaking.  They are super thin and you can’t see them under your clothing, allowing you to wear tightly fitted clothing, go swimming or go braless. My only recommendation is not to use them the first couple weeks and/or months while your milk supply is stabilizing because if  you are leaking a lot, they won’t keep it in. Every nursing mom needs these and they would make a great gift.

Milkies– I cringe when I leak because breastmilk is like liquid gold. Milkies was created exactly to fix this issue – they save your milk when you letdown.  You put it in your bra on the side you are not nursing on and it collects the milk when you letdown.  I haven’t used them yet but from what I read it can be several ounces.  I can’t even believe that I’m losing ounces every time I nurse.   That means if I’m nursing 6-8 times a day, I could be losing 2 or 3 bottles worth of milk, per day.  These would be particularly helpful during the first several weeks and months of nursing when your milk supply isn’t stabilized.  I wish I had these 3 months ago!  If you’ve used Milkies I’d love to hear about your experience!