Mama cloth, anyone? « Back to Group Discussions

[casjie]

Hi all,

I am planning to do postpartum mama cloth after my little one arrives - I am 30 weeks, so I have a little while to work on this.  I love my Domino Pads (I have 4 or 5), but just can't rationalize the cost of buying a whole set of postpartum pads, so I'm thinking about making some.  Any great tutorials you've seen out there?  I do have a snap press, but haven't yet been able to use it successfully... :)  doesn't mean I can't outsource for the snaps if need be.  I have a very basic sewing machine at my house and access to a serger at my neighbor's house.  Simple, cheap, and with scrap cloth (I have fleece and flannel already!) would be ideal.

Anyone else planning to do mama cloth afterwards?

[Anilia]

Just trace the ones you have and size them up if you think you want and add the layers you think.  At least three inside.  Do a regular stitch around the edges right sides out and then go back and overstitch with wither a zigzag or dedicated overstitch if you have it.  Super easy.  

I have mama cloth from last time.  I found that the the postpartum ones I bought were overkill except when I miscarried and I don't think anything could have handled that.  I figured as long as I was washing diapers, why would I waste money buying pads I threw away.

:)

[tiqa]

You might think this is terribly weird, but what I do for really heavy flow days is just kind of roll/fold up regular washcloths for down there - just stick it in the underwear.  (I found a pack of 10 for $1 at Walmart once and used that, with each cut in half - you might not like Walmart but 20 pads for $1 that has lasted me several years - can't beat that.  You could even cut up a towel into approx 3X6 inches and fold it over once or twice.) 

They sound really bulky in theory, but it's very easy to get used to them if you position them right.   They are more absorbent than any "mama cloths" that I have found, and you don't even really have to make them.  And if they get too squicky you could, in theory, throw them out without any money wasted - but I haven't had to do that yet, and I've been doing that for years.  I would of course prefer the prettier mama cloths for normal flow days, but postpartum flow can be very heavy and you might like the extra absorbancy.

[casjie]

Thanks, Anilia.  I made a bunch of pantiliners/mama cloth for my regular cycle using a similar technique and I never use them... I just can't figure out how to make them comfortable. I think the trick might be to go bigger (longer) and to use a serger instead of a sewing machine.  I still have a handful of 'sposies that I guess I should use first (from my first birth), so maybe I'll just use up the plastic ones and then go straight into regular/pantiliner mama cloth from there.  I know I'd use the Domino Pads if I bought them... I just have to get ones that I would actually use, not the super duper heavy ones. :)

Thanks for the suggestion, Tiqa!  I was thinking about maybe just buying an extra set of prefolds for this purpose, too, which is similar to what you're suggesting! :)

[aruss]

I have a bunch if old flat diapers that I use. I Iike them because I can double and fold them longer for nights, or shorter for days. I don't use snaps, just stick them in my underwear and they don't move around too much as long as I'm wearing pants.

[sapientia]

I make my own-just flannel, wal mart type cheapo wash cloth inside (folded or single layer depending on how thick I want it). I sew it to the size I want. I just sort of eye it up half the time, I don't bother with a pattern. I've also just used the folded wash cloths. I don't worry about snaps or velcro or anything, they stay put just fine. Funny this got mentioned as I just made a few more for my postpartum 'stash' yesterday!