Breast pads

[Jayneysews]

Hello,I am thinking of trying to make breast pads,from the yummy little,too little for anything else scraps I leave after cutting out nappies??
I was wonderingif anyone else has done this and how many layers and what fabrics worked best.
I don't really want them to be waterproof,just absorbant!

Love jayne

[discojoy]

Use wool from scraps of felted sweaters!
Okay, I've never tried it myself, because I've never had a leaking problem, lucky me! But they sell them here:
http://www.danishwool.com/products/l..._nurs_pads.htm
And if I needed nursing pads, I think wool is what I would use.

[Jayneysews]

Hmm,wool is tricky to source for me,I am not sure the recycled stuff i have available will be very great as it is fairly heavy and dark colours.
I cut some hemp scraps up this morning.
i would be into wool totally though if I had the right stuff.

[BirthFree]

Well I don't know about you but I love hemp french terry - but it can be kind of bulky-ish so I'd use the almost-equally-absorbant hemp jersey probably with maybe a layer of velour on top? I'd do 2 layers of jersey and one velour? That'd be my best un-tried guess.

I want to do the same thing (the bought ones I have are too small and show through my clothes anyways) with my scraps.

I'll be watching to see if you get any better ideas.

[dace101]

Off to bed, but wanted to quickly post a link:
http://www.angelfire.com/biz/mothers...ds/mypatt.html
Explains the 'how-to' (easy-peasy).
I used flannel, made them largeish (am a big leaker with letdown, never had a problem with milk supply hehe), and added 2 extra layers (6 in total). Perfect for what I needed!
LOVE the LanaCare Woolen Breastpads, just never got any and didn't make mine out of wool *mope* Mine worked fine, can't complain, but they were a tad bulky (no doubt due to my over-zealousness and adding those extra 2 layers).
Anyway, sleeeeepy!
Someone else might be able to chime in with the perfect solution for all of us!

[onediaperinmama]

I love the breast pad pattern included in the Personal Things pattern by New Conceptions. I know, it's easy to sew a circle, but they're nice! I top mine with microfleece so the dried milk doesn't stick my nips to the fabric. Feels nice and dry too.

[Jayneysews]

I was thinking 2 layers hemp fleece with on layer flannel then,like you said moonbucket,microfleece,as it is so soft!

Thanks for advice!

[p.s]

I prefer my homemade breast pads over the commercial ones I received as gifts.
My mom gave DH a huge stack of cotton t-shirst that didn't fit well on him, so I used those for fabric. Washed/dried several times to preshrink.
Then cut out as many circles as I could from each t-shirt. Pattern: CD that you don't care too much about because the pen will "jump" off track.
Then sew as as a sandwich as many as you want to make pad.
I used zig zag stitch around the edges since I don't have a serger.
This actually sounds very boring, and it is, which is what made it the perfect weekend activity when I was 8 mo pregnant in hot, humid weather.
Also made several sets backed with a circle of soft, cashmere from an old sweater. These were nice to use in cold weather.

[MOM2ANSLEY]

Good idea...I've been looking for an EASY sewing project....now I wish I had not given away my girly print receiving blankets....I still probably don't need all I have.....OOOOOHHHH, I have a lot of flats I was gonna use for burp cloths, I'm sure I could share a few with myself.

[rebeccalizzie]

So no one contours these? I was debating if I want to make them flat, or try to do a little curve. I guess it doesn't matter if they are super soft...

[Jayneysews]

I have done a wee dart from one edge to the middle in mine.
I will let you know how they are!
I actually don't,or at least haven't neede them for all that long in the past breastfeeding times,but they were all real greedy gerties!!

[BirthFree]

Originally Posted by rebeccalizzie

So no one contours these? I was debating if I want to make them flat, or try to do a little curve. I guess it doesn't matter if they are super soft...

I'm with you - I need some curve (the flat-ness is part of why they show through my clothes) - like the Lana ones, those are curved a tad.

I'm going to try some wool too (I could see that that would be SUPER nice on owie nipples and the fact you don't have to wash them each time is nice (just air dry and replace with a dry set) - and antibacterial naturally... it sounds glorious!). Any idea what kind of wool that is? It doesn't look like boiled or jersey to me...

~Julie

[allnaturalmama]

I've made them from just about everything. My faves I've made with one layer of any kinda wool I have on hand and another layer of OV. If the wool's too scratchy to be against the breast, then I just plan on it being bra-side and serving as my barrier layer. After mega-felting, though, I don't think I've ever worked with any wool that would be too scratchy, even on my tender nips.

I've also made them from 2 layers of OV, or 2 layers OV sandwiched over 1 layer jersey or cotton fleece - really, for me, anything goes, but I do prefer the wool ones.

And about the contour, I've found that setting my serger differential to gather ever-so-slightly gives them a nice cup shape.

[onediaperinmama]

Originally Posted by rebeccalizzie

So no one contours these? I was debating if I want to make them flat, or try to do a little curve. I guess it doesn't matter if they are super soft...

I do! The pattern I use has you cut a slice out so when you sew them, they're contoured.