Benefits of Using Breast Pads

Are you a lactating or breastfeeding mother? In that case, you should know about breast pads. Breast pads, also referred to as nursing pads, are the number one accessory needed by all new mothers at some point. 

Whether it starts on day one or whether it's day four, it will eventually happen, and you're going to leak milk. It just happens naturally and is called the “let down”. Though your breasts are constantly producing milk, the milk isn't always flowing or leaking. However, as you start breastfeeding, eventually, there will come a stage when your breasts may produce more milk than needed, the milk overflows. That's when you start to leak milk. Keep in mind that both your breasts leak at the same time; even when the baby is only nursing off of one side, the other side may also leak. 

However, “let down” isn’t a bad thing at all. This allows your body to express milk, and more milk for your baby is always a good thing. The baby will have more to consume, and it will speed up their growth. Moreover, it's going to allow the milk to come out faster, and it's going to allow the baby to eat faster and to get more milk. This is a natural process and has merits for the baby as well as the mother. More production helps the mother lose her weight and regulates her blood flow too.

Then, why is it a problem? 

So, the problem with that is that you don't want the milk to come through your shirt and ruin it. While the quantity may not be enough to ruin your shirt, it can lead to an uncomfortable sensation. So, this is where a breast pad comes into play. Maternity nursing pads will soak in that extra milk for you and not stain. 

Breast pads are bra shields used to prevent milk stains on clothes. One side of a normal breast pad is cotton flannel while the flip side has a fully waterproof layer, and this is how you are supposed to wear your breast pads. Your cotton flannel side is supposed to face the bra, while the fully waterproof layer side is supposed to touch your breasts. Your breast pod is designed to be worn on the outside of your bra so again the waterproof layer is on against the bra and the cute, cuddly fabric against your nipples. You should never put the breast pads into a slit or opening that your bra has. The whole point of a breast pad is to keep your bra dry when your breast is leaking. When your milk is overflowing, that's when you need nursing pads the most. They save you from washing your bras too frequently and also prevents mastitis and other infections you can get on your nipples if they are constantly wet. 

Here are some uses of breast pads:

• They prevent your skin from infections.
• They prevent your clothes and bras from getting stained.
• Milk stains can lead to public embarrassment. 
• You can go about your day even with milk leaking without having to worry about stains. 

On Purplle, you can find a variety of maternity breast pads, which includes reusable breast pads and washable breast pads. There are largely two kinds of breast pads: Reusable, washable breast pads and disposable breast pads. As the name suggests, you can make multiple use of the same breast pad if it is the washable kind; however, for disposable ones, you can’t. 

Depending on the type of breast pads, you will then either wash them clean or dispose of them and use new ones for the next outfit. We always recommend new moms try the disposable for the first couple of weeks, mostly because your body will regulate your milk production slowly and patiently with time. For the first months, it just makes a ton of milk, and after a couple of weeks, it will learn what the baby is actually eating versus what your body no longer needs to make. However, for the gap, there can be unprecedented spurts in quantity. You may have to use multiple breast pads within hours too, and in that, if there’s washing involved...well, that just doubles up your work, doesn’t it! 

It’s much easier than doing a ton of laundry all the time, and so consider using these disposable breast pads instead. At Purplle, we are about everything skincare, and so, naturally, this is also a safe portal for women to have their pregnancy needs met. 

Here’s our full collection of breast pads for you to pick from. If you are troubled by excess secretion of milk, then you can also consider getting a breast pump, which can help you pump out fluids and store them in a clean, sanitized bottle that comes with the apparatus. Later, the milk can be heated and pasteurized and fed to the baby as well. If, you are breastfeeding mother, then it is very important to follow a good post pregnancy diet. Which helps to stay healthy for mom and baby both.

 

Read More:
- 9 Foods which help to increase breastmilk