Bamboobies eco-friendly breast pads | Review & Giveaway

Breasts are virtually a rite of passage for women; a physical manifestation of the numerous changes that are occurring mentally, emotionally and physically as we undergo the transformation from girl to woman.  Similarly, tender nipples are simply a reality for breast-feeding momma's, especially during the early days when our bodies and our babies are just learning to communicate.

Despite sore nipples, for those that are able, breastfeeding is a beautiful thing.  Although there is no magic bullet to make breast tenderness subside, it will get better as your breastfeeding journey continues.  There are things you can do however, to help ease the transition.

Quality breast pads are a must.  I admit that I have a box of disposables in my bedroom, but I primarily use them as a backup, I stash them in  the diaper bag, in the car, at my parents house anywhere that I don't want to be caught without.

Reusable, cloth nursing pads are easy to use, easy to wash and if you get the right ones, they can be discreet, comfortable and effective.  If you haven't heard of  Bamboobies, I urge you to check out their website.  Bamboobies sent me a pair of their regular and overnight breast pads for the purposes of this review, keep reading for your chance to win a 2-pack of either variety.

Bamboobies have a number of noteworthy features, including their uber cute name, but their absolute softness is second to none.  Only organic bamboo/cotton velour touches your tender breasts and when I first took them out of the package, I literally rubbed them against my cheek the way the boy rubs his 'blankie' on his face.

In addition to kitten softness, Bamboobies are extremely thin, leakproof and have a unique heart shape.  I admit I was skeptical, but Bamboobies ROCK!  These super thin pads kept my breasts comfortable and my shirt dry; the heart shape allowed the pad to easily conform to my breast without any telltale lines showing through my t-shirt.  And because sometimes leakage just refuses to be contained, Bamboobies also makes large overnight breast pads made of organic bamboo fleece (also ridiculously soft) in the traditional round shape.

All Bamboobies breast pads are eco-friendly and use organic bamboo fabrics and an ultra-absorbent (and thin) hemp core to disperse and lock in milk leakage.  Bamboobies are available online and start at a price of $16.99 for two pairs.  When I think of what I've paid for cheap, leaky, lumpy, cotton breast pads in the past, Bamboobies are well-worth the price.

Bamboobies is offering Momma Stuff Blog readers 20% off their purchases, just use coupon code MSB20 at checkout!

Enter to Win

Two pairs of Bamboobies Nursing Pads ($16.99 value)
Open to Canada/US only

 

First Entry:
Visit Bamboobies online and leave a comment sharing the Bamboobies feature you like the best!

Please make sure you include your email address if its not in your profile otherwise I won't be able to contact you if you win!

 
Additional Entries:

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  I entered to #win 2 pairs of @Bamboobies ultra-soft, ultra-thin, ultra-eco breast pads | @mommastuffblog http://bit.ly/jVk9b8

Giveaway closes Sunday June 5th, 2011 at 8pm (PST). Winner will be determined by a random number generator. Winner will be notified via email and the winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new name will be drawn and contacted.

Contest is now closed, congratulations to our winner, comment #31, Jamie. 

Lily Padz - silicone nursing pads

When I was pregnant, I did a lot of reading and research.  Although being a Mom was inevitably going to increase my impact on the planet, (I was introducing a new human to the mix after all) I felt strongly that with a little bit of effort I could find ways to minimize that impact.

I used small washcloths and warm water to wipe my little man's bottom (that's not so easy now that he goes to daycare etc), I use vinegar in my wash to minimize smells and static and I use cloth diaper service from Happy Nappy, which are washed without the use of phosphates and surfactants.

As a Momma who was planning to (and succeeded at) breastfeeding, I knew that I would need breast pads to minimize those awful milk stains on the front of all my shirts.  When I heard about reusable Lily Padz breast pads, I was sure I had found the perfect solution.  Lily Padz are made from thin silicone, that puts pressure on the nipple to prevent leaking (rather than absorbing leakage like traditional breast pads).

In terms of maintenance, you wash and air dry your Lily Padz once a day and then continue wearing them (for about two months). Washing renews the tacky inner surface of the Lily Padz ensuring that they will stay in place.  When I purchased my Lily Padz, I was instructed to wash them with cream free, oil free and moisturizer free cleansers such as shampoo or dish soap; I notice that they now sell Lily Wash on their website.  Lily Padz don't show through your clothes and are considered safe for sleeping, swimming and pretty much all activities.

Now all of that being said, I was dissapointed in my Lily Padz.  Yes, they were comfortable, yes, they stayed in place until I removed them, yes, they created a smooth surface under my shirts instead of the wrinkly bunch of cotton that traditional breast pads create and yes they prevented the leakage of breast milk all over my clothes.  Unfortunately, after my son fed on one side, when I went to remove the second Lily Pad, I was consistently confronted with a pool of milk, which then spilled all over me or the chair I was sitting in.  I recall the instructions telling me this may be a problem early on, when your milk supply isn't regulated, but I had this problem every single time I tried my Lily Padz.

This leads to my second problem with Lily Padz.  Now that I have removed a milky, wet breast pad, what am I to do with it?  At home, its easy, I just plop it on the couch next to me and then clean it up and reapply once the peanut is done eating.  Out and About however, this is increasingly difficult.  With a cloth breast pad, you can tuck it away inconspicuously, under your leg, into your diaper bag, under the receiving blanket, pretty much anywhere.  But given the tacky surface of the Lily Padz, you don't want to have it next to anything that might "fuzz" onto it, especially if you are hoping to reapply without rewashing (remember according to the website you should only need to wash it once a day).  What of the pool of milk, that is now sitting in your Lily Pad, out and about for everyone to see?  Mopping it up with a kleenex or recieving blanket may add fuzz to your Lily Pad and who's to guarantee that the nearest washroom will have an appropriate soap to get it all cleaned up again?

Finally, despite regular cleaning (I tried both cleansing shampoo and dish soap) I found that my Lily Padz consistently looked dingy and dirty, which is not ideal for something covering your baby's main food source.  And when I left them to air dry, they still seemed to get all sorts of stuff stuck to them, which made me feel the need to wash them again.

Although they are super comfortable, I only wear my Lily Padz if I am going out sans-baby (for which they are perfect) as I just find it too much of a hassle if I'm out in public with the little one.  On the Simply Lily website, Lily Padz sell for $22.95, which seems reasonable for a product that you can reuse for about two months before it requires replacement.  If I was still breastfeeding when I went back to work, these may have been great, but since I was a stay-at-home Momma for a year they just didn't get their money's worth for me.