Mama Bite : Just for Mom :

Are your girls spilling the goods?

03.26.2009

Submitted by alara on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 11:00pm.
The Bite:
Cover up. If you're breastfeeding, opt for reusable nursing pads to safeguard your shirt (and your budget). No scandalous chems or paper waste either. Damage, controlled.
The Benefits: 
  • Indiscreet savings. A year's supply of disposables costs about $195 vs. about $70-$100 for reusables.
  • Letting less waste slip. Much like diapers, disposable pads are made from paper (think thin maxi) and usually have a plastic lining - requiring tree pulp, petroleum, and ultimately landfill space.
  • Not revealing chems. Pads made from organic cotton or hemp keep chems and pesticides out of nature.
  • Keeping infection under wraps. Disposable pads made of synthetic materials can trap moisture, promote bacterial growth, and cause irritation. Hemp and bamboo are naturally antimicrobial.
Personally Speaking: 
Providence, RI, mom Greer Goodman thought she might want disposables when all her reusables were in the wash but found there was no need. "I guess because they're durable and don't have to stick to anything to stay put, I could re-wear them a few times if I didn't soil them, so to speak."


Save money (and baby seals, according to Hanah) by going staple-free. Check out Ideal Bite's latest video (we're just kidding about the seals).
Wanna Try: 

Timeout

Greer's son, Ozzy, who turned 1 this month.

Bang For The Bite

If 10,000 Mama Biters buy two sets of reusable pads instead of disposable ones, we'll save a collective $220,000 over 2 months and keep the weight of 717 newscasters in pads outta landfills.

2 comments
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Felicitas Kemmsies  on August 14, 2009 at 08:02 AM 1
Hi there, why I also used non-disposable nursing pads and prefer them a 100 times over the disposable ones, since I started working as a doula my experience (and evidences) showed that the best approach is to keep the nipple dry and away from any cloth or other material so it can heal faster. This can be accomplished using shells (http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/products/breast-care/102/softshells...). What you can do if the nipple is sore is first of all use your own milk instead of a cream, let the nipple dry thoroughly, if possible expose it to sunlight (a 60 Watt bulb does the trick almost as well) and avoid letting the nipple be in contact with any material that might adhere to it. The very best prevention for sore nipples is always positioning the baby correctly and paying attention to how the lips are (outward, like a fish). If it hurts and the nipple looks like a duck bill, you're doing something wrong! Start over until you've both learned it! Regards from Curitiba, Brazil.
Samantha Fox  on November 12, 2009 at 04:53 AM 2
Indiscreet savings. A year's supply of disposables costs about $195 vs. about $70-$100 for reusables. free games

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