Nursing Pads >>> an honest review

When I was pregnant I was dead set on using Johnson's Nursing Pads, my mother insisted I try other brands. Two months into the nursing game (as I type this attached to a pump) I have to say I'm glad she made me try other brands.

Turns out all nursing pads aren't all equal.

Here's a run down of my favorites, the brands I tried, and why I ended up landing on the brand I wanted to stick with.

Let me start off by saying that all of the brands mentioned were great at absorbing.

That was by no means the issue.

Lansinoh

 Of the disposable brands I tried this one has to be my favorite. It was thin enough that it didn' show through my shirts, I never leaked at night wearing them, and Lansinoh tended to not move around my nursing bra/tank without using the adhesive backing.

The problem, like I said I didn't leak though but I did fill them up quite a bit. While nursing one day Harrison dribbled milk down my tank, next thing I knew the pinkish color of the pad has bleed onto my shirt. Luckily it came out in the wash, but still... no bueno.

Of the disposable pads this one was pretty soft, especially considering it was the first brand I tested out when I was only a week into nursing.

Oh and I can't forget to mention this - Lansinoh has pretty good coverage if you're busty, or baby induced busty.

Nuk

This wasn't my favorite nursing pad, however it wasn't my least favorite. They were soft, but not as soft as the Lansinoh. The shape was a little weird and showed through my shirt, and they were weirdly thick.

Nuk has good coverage, they didn't move around, and they are solid white so there was no weird shirt staining.

Medela

I was the most disappointed with the Medela disposable nursing pads, not because they were my least favorite, but because I had such high hopes for the brand.

I didn't have any leaking issues while wearing them, they didn't move around, and coverage was good (I went from a small B to a D with pregnancy/nursing so coverage is important right now).

The issue, they feel like coffee filter paper and show through shirts. Bulky is not my friend, we've long passed the junior high days of stuffing bras. If you get a few samples for free at your breastfeeding class put them in your diaper bag or pump bag as backup, but I don't suggest buying stock in them.

Johnson and Johnson

I was the most disappointed here, mainly because I had friends that speak so highly of the brand. I wasn't sold. In fact I didn't even run out of them before driving 30 minutes away (with a plugged duct and fever) to get another brand.

They are soft, not too too bulky, and do the job fine during the day. But don't make any sudden moves! Every single night for a week I leaked through my shirt becaue I would roll over and the milk makers would abandon ship.

As far as softness and everything else I've mentioned before I prefer them over all the other disposable brands, however they just don't have wide enough coverage. I need coverage these days, almost to the point of sleeping with a burp cloth in my shirt. Johnson's a small and cover just the nipple. 

So they go nixed, even below the Medela. I just can't spend the entire night making sure they are in place or waking up soaked with wet bed sheets.

No bueno.

This might just be my opinion, but they have an odd shape that makes it look like your nipples are showing through anything you wear.

Bamboobies

After figuring up that I'd spend roughly $250 this year on nursing pads alone, and that's being conservative, I had to find another alternative.

My mother used washable pads, and I've had readers comment saying that they use the washable pads. So in my ever loving frugal-ness I just had to get something more cost effective. Which I happened to get an even better deal on and Babies R Us had them BOGO so I only spent $25 on two packs of the overnight Bamboobies.

These are soft, like wearing a baby blanket in your bra soft, and don't show through nearly as bad as many of the disposable brands.

I also didn't leak through during the night which is a big A++ in my book.

So what brought me to this brand, cost effectiveness and comfort.

I would have continued to buy Lansinoh but considering I can spend $25 now and use them all year verses 20 bucks a month to keep myself stocked in them I had to take the cheaper option.

If I were to rank the brands I tried here's how they'd fall -

Bamboobies - best overall and cheaper long term
Lansinoh - best overall disposable
Nuk - good absorption and coverage, but uncomfortable shape
Medela - I'll only use as back up pads, they aren't comfortable against your skin
Johnson's - nope, looks like your nipples are showing and aren't wide enough coverage

So yeah, ultimately I landed on reusable nursing pads. It just made more sense in the long run and they are more comfortable.