What do Cloth Diaper Moms use Postpartum?

[Lineymom]

I am due in Nov and planning to cloth diaper from birth (Homebirth!!!!) Anyway, on most of the cloth diaper stores online I see the moma pads or whatever they call them. I was really just planning on reg dispo pads... but now I am starting to feel guilty. If I am "green" about my baby not wearing sposies then what about me?

Before getting pregnant I used a diva cup. I can't imagine having to care for the cloth pads. Plus they seems really expensive for something I will use for a few weeks. Although they do look a lot more comfy...

It you used them tell me how it worked postpartum. Convince me...

[Mamato3wild ponnie]

Ohhhhh they are wonderful.....i have a mix of WAHM pads and i think the other brand is lillypads...or moonpads...cant remember the name....i bought the pospartum package...through a co-op here on MDC.....they feel so good right out of dryer on a sore bum....and i also felt good about my little secret. It was a special treat to have on a cloth pad...at least for me it was. I kept them in a stainless steel pot in the bathroom and washed them with my clothes. The pp kit came with this thick fleece material...about 8x8 square and then i folded it and it slipped into the pad....that was the best thing ever...so soft and very absorbant.
I noticed to that i didnt bleed as long nor as heavy.
Now for the first 12 hours i used a blue chuck pad...but after that it was all cloth.

[kawa kamuri]

I have barely had a period in years but prefer to use a sea sponge when I do. When my babe is born I'll use disposable pads for the few weeks I need them. I see no point and don't have the financial means to invest in cloth pads that I won't use regularly.

[MommaShark]

Glad Rags overnight or postpartum ones are the ONLY ones that didn't leak on me!!!! I also sprinkled them with water and froze for some pain relief......
There are a ton of great Etsy sellers for regular pads and pantiliners - great for when you leak a little pee after baby!
If you get postpartum pads from Etsy - get the ones that flare out!

[dosergirl]

i also used the keeper before pregnancy so i plan on getting glad rags or something similar for postpartum. seems they would be way more comfy then bulky plastic paper combos if anything. not to mention the enviormental impact.

[Michigan Mama]

I had just switched to cloth mama pads before i got pregnant, and plan to use them (Fresh Moon brand) after baby comes - under 4 weeks til dday now!

I appreciate the lower environmental impact, having less chemicals and plastic next to my most vulnerable areas. I just keep a closed tub/container in my bathroom cupboard (where my 2 yo can't reach) with cold water to soak. Then wash with my dipes. I will have 2 in dipes and will need to wash daily anyway. My routine is to do a cold rinse first with my dipes only to get any poo residue rinsed out. Then I'll add my pads and do a hot wash with my dipes with detergent (I use Country Save, 1/2 scoop), then another hot rinse.

I got some regular pads and some post-partum to use. Some people actually just use nb or infant prefolds - so that's an option, too!

Mama pads are a bit pricey, but if you look at how much you spend over a year or two on regular menstrual products, you'll find that the price is worth it, since you can use them for years and years.

[Ifluffedthree]

While pp pads are really needed for the first flow I would not get too many. Most of my customers have been able to shift to right into the 10" size just a couple days into the pp flow.

For those that are not opposed to a blend of pads I suggest for budget to use some of the disposable pads for a few days and make the switch right into the pads that you will get several years out of.

You will be surprised at how much more comfortable they are especially when long wear time comes into play. Personally I don't recommend something with a PUL backing, even though I make them with, IMO opinion you will get similar performance without pul with a well built pad, and the comfort level of a product that breaths more, is just that - more comfortable.

Congrats on making the leap to feminine cloth for your pp time. I don't think you will regret it.

[greenthumb3]

Hope this isn't hijacking too much.

I am lucky enough to have a sister who makes cloth pads, and like you, OP, I am debating on whether to use cloth or disposables after birth (I am due in Nov too!)

My question: Do they absorb as much as disposables? Do they really cut down on postpartum bleeding, amount and duration? How do you make them into "ice packs", and how have some of you done this? Hope these questions are okay to ask....thanks

[Ifluffedthree]

yes I do believe they will perform as well as a commercial pad if not better as they won't bunch as much and get that weird uncomfortable feeling.
For those that may end up like me (twice) I was cut through my rectum due to babies with fetal distress. Having far too many stitches I only wished now that I would have been on board with cloth back then.
That disposable diaper rash feeling is just no fun.

I can't say how they shorten the pp bleeding time. But will be watching the thread to see what others have to say. Good question.

[cking]

Originally Posted by Lineymom

I am due in Nov and planning to cloth diaper from birth (Homebirth!!!!) Anyway, on most of the cloth diaper stores online I see the moma pads or whatever they call them. I was really just planning on reg dispo pads... but now I am starting to feel guilty. If I am "green" about my baby not wearing sposies then what about me?

Before getting pregnant I used a diva cup. I can't imagine having to care for the cloth pads. Plus they seems really expensive for something I will use for a few weeks. Although they do look a lot more comfy...

It you used them tell me how it worked postpartum. Convince me...

Well, they are comfy, and I did use a few postpartum, but I say don't feel guilty for using disposables. If you usually use a diva cup, and are unlikely to continue using the cloth pads after your regular af returns, then I think it's more wasteful to get new cloth pads just for the pp bleeding. I was using cloth pads for a while before getting pg, but I still used disposables for pp. It was just one more thing to think about. Some people use sposies for the first few weeks of their babe's life then switch to cloth - this is the same thing.

[SuzyLee]

If you are going to use a Diva cup for a normal period, then I would only do mama cloth for PP if you can buy them used and sell them when you are done. Otherwise I think it is a waste of money and worse for the environment overall.

That said, I do find cloth pads a lot more comfortable, and use them for my regular period. So I plan to sew a few larger ones to use for PP. But if I have a hospital birth again I fully plan to utilize the amazing awesomeness of ice in a newborn diaper stuck down my pants. OMG that felt sooooooooo good.

[heidirk]

I use lunapads. I used them for AF before DS2 was conceived, and knew I could never go back to disposables. They worked even better than sposie pads and were sooooooo much more comfortable and discreet. (no rustle)

They even impressed my MW's!


I did not need the postpartum size for very long.

[ma2tng]

I love cloth pads, so much softer, work so much better. But for post partum I did not want to spend the money, so I used the old prefolds that I was no longer using on my babies. Folded them up, they worked great for the first couple of days until I could go back to my regular sized cloth pads. Really the more I experiment the more I wonder how anyone ever convinced us disposables were more convenient the rags. Rags work great. Anything cotton or hemp works great. Think outside the box!
Keeping it simple,
Inge

[Galatea]

I loooooooooooove my FuzziBunz pads. So soft and silky against a sore bottom. I used to be all about the diva cup but have found that the more kids I have, the more it leaks (even with the larger size) so I have been preferring pads.

[MamaMem]

Originally Posted by Michigan Mama

I appreciate the lower environmental impact, having less chemicals and plastic next to my most vulnerable areas. I just keep a closed tub/container in my bathroom cupboard (where my 2 yo can't reach) with cold water to soak. Then wash with my dipes. I will have 2 in dipes and will need to wash daily anyway. My routine is to do a cold rinse first with my dipes only to get any poo residue rinsed out. Then I'll add my pads and do a hot wash with my dipes with detergent (I use Country Save, 1/2 scoop), then another hot rinse.

Why not rinse your mama cloth in the first cold rinse??

[Michigan Mama]

Originally Posted by MamaMem

Why not rinse your mama cloth in the first cold rinse??

I probably could - I mean - they are all clean at the end of the process, right? I just know there is "big boy" poop on some of the diapers when I throw them in that first cold rinse, and I feel better putting my pads in after most of the "gook" is rinsed away. It's probably all in my head, as I said, it's all clean at the end anyway... but I just feel better keeping my pads out of the first poopy rinse.

[Chamomile Girl]

I've used Glad Rags pads for years (about 15 years...yikes!). I am still using the same original set of pads and they still work great. I use the regular pads during the day and the huge ones at night. I only have three huge ones but its enough since I too just throw then in with the diapers (after I rinse/dr.bronners them...make sure to get all the soap out since its not good for dipes). I could probably get by with two.

[heidirk]

I wash mine with my towels and washcloths. Less yuck factor for me that way.

Mine are very pretty too. Makes me feel like I'm taking extra care of myself during my period. I do use sea sponges too, for very active times. Love those as well.

[roseselene]

Didn't read all the responses yet, but i just wanted to add that I have heard that some moms use the preemie prefolds as post partum pads. They are a nice inexpensive choice that you can use for baby too. Not sure if someone mentioned them or not. I never tried that personally, but i thought it was an excellent way for people looking to use something less expensive.
I really like mama cloth. There are lots of different brands and varieties to suit just about any taste.
Amy