It's been over two months of using these nursing pads and I am not impressed.
What the website says:
Udder Covers™ Reusable Nursing Pads will protect your skin from irritation by absorbing all moisture.
You will LOVE them!
Product Benefits:
Leaking milk and moisture is drawn away from skin by 5 layers of absorbent cotton fabric Machine-washable and reusable Soft layers conform to breast shape for a natural look under clothing Product Features:
100% Cotton 5 PlyWhat I say:
I was leaking through these left and right. I went through all ten sets of pads sometimes in one day. I didn't feel protected from leaking through to my shirt. All they did was delay the milk spot on the front of my shirt by a few seconds. It is all cotton but has no wicking material against the nipple so during the first few weeks when the nips are sore and very tender they stick to the pad. I didn't want to rip them off so I actually showered with the nursing pads attached to remove them. I do like that they are 100% cotton but without a waterproofing on the exterior the milk leaks right through. In my opinion 5 layers is a little thick and the outline can easily be seen through a bra and t-shirt.
What I did to fix them:
Every time I would complain about these pads or leak through when we were in public my husband would say it was time to through them all out. I do, after all, make my own nursing pads that are amazing. But I didn't want to trash something someone paid good money for so I fixed them.
I used some scrap PUL to line the exterior and secured it with a simple zigzag stitch around the edge with my sewing machine. You can use any waterproof fabric to line it so nothing leaks through but PUL (1 mil) is the most flexible and forms better to the breast.
I used a poly-suede fabric for the interior (the side against the breast) as a wicking fabric. This is fairly cheap fabric and can be found at any fabric store. This is the same material that is used for BumGenius diapers to wick away from the baby's bottom. Anyway, the fabric is sewn on in the same fashion as the PUL.
I didn't want to take the time to seam rip the nursing pads to remove a layer of cotton in order to compensate for the added fabric. So, the problem of thickness still occurs. I just make sure to wear an undershirt. This helps make the outline less visible.
How are GreenCheeks Nursing Pads made:
My nursing pads are 5 layers as well. The first layer is the poly-suede for wicking, the next 3 layers are flannel for absorbency. I use flannel because it is very flexible and soft. Udder Covers pads are made with a more coarse and stiff cotton. The last layer is PUL for waterproofing. They are all sewn with a zigzag stitch and your done. I usually use a circle with a 3.5 to 4in diameter. I love these nursing pads.
Look for a post soon on how to make GreenCheeks Nursing Pads with pictures and step by step instructions.
