Comments | cloth_pads: New here and to cloth pads!!

purplexcherries in cloth_pads

New here and to cloth pads!!

Jul 23, 2006 11:36

Hello all! My name is Mikki. I am currently pregnant and haven't had a chance (obviously!!!) to try out cloth pads. My husband lost his job a little over 2 weeks ago. At that time, I was brain storming on ways to help save us money and I came up with cloth diapering. After selling off 1/2 of my personal items (well not that much and I've still got ( Read more... )

buying supplies, menstrual flow - heavy, cloth pads - layers, diy, cloth pads - waterproofing, leakage, cloth pads - post partum, cloth pads - absorbency, fabric, beginner/new to cloth, cloth pads - budget/price

Comments 14

andijustsmile July 23 2006, 17:21:38 UTC

Some people put PUL or Nylon backing into the pad for added leak protection. Pul is typically $8.00 per yard, but I don't think you would need a full yard to make 20 pads. I'm not sure where one could get nylon. Even fleece would make a good iquid-resistant backing. You can probably get fleece pieces in a remenants bin at your local fabric store for cheap.
You can use recycled materials, so old ratty towels are fine :) I think most people tend to rely on absorbancy than leakproofness, though.

For making your own pads... try diy_pads! it's an excellent community :)

purplexcherries July 23 2006, 17:30:35 UTC

Fleece you say? Before I spent all my money, I bought some fleece with the idea to make some diaper covers. But I was given a bunch of them, so I don't need the fleece right away. I bought a yard of green and yard of black!! So I could use flannel on top, terry in the middle and the fleece on the back? hmm

I guess I could rely on absorbancy also. My biggest fear is leaking in public. It all stems back from the 6th and 7th grade and when I first started my periods. I had to go home many times from school because no one ever told me I needed to change my pad very often and I would stain my clothes...my mom wasn't one to really explain things to me.

andijustsmile July 23 2006, 17:40:28 UTC

A big thing with cloth pads, too is that your flow typically will not roll along the pad and off the back. I had that problem once, the first time I got my period. I wore beige pants, too. Awesome! That rocked. With cloth, the fluid absorbs up really quickly.

purplexcherries July 23 2006, 17:43:57 UTC

wow that's the problem I have with dispoables...the flow had a tendancy to just not go anywhere but off the pad. For a while I was using a disposable cup..can't remember the name...and pads.

Thread 5

bungalow10 July 23 2006, 17:55:12 UTC

I have never had a leak problem with cloth, even at night. My biggest issue with disposables was that the flow would run right off them, especially when sleeping or after sitting for a long period and then standing up. Cloth, for some reason, just works so much better.

One tip for you, which you may know since you cloth diaper, is to not use fabric softener on your pads - it cuts down the absorbancy.

Also, you can use recycled materials for your pads... old sheets, shirts, towels. I know someone who uses old flannel receiving blankets that they get from the thrift store and at garage sales and they make incredibly soft pads that work great.

devilindisgize July 23 2006, 17:58:14 UTC

HI! I seen you in Cloth pads, and I remember you just recently bought a bumkins from me that i havent mailed out. OK here is the deal. I havent used cloth pads yet, but i have quite a few made. some are in my LJ. Id love to friend you as well as give you all the pads I have made. I enjoy making them so much that i would love to even make some more to send you! I could package it all up with the diaper. Let me know!

devilindisgize July 23 2006, 17:59:18 UTC

oh and the first sentance is retarded , i just copied and pasted because i couldnt comment in your journal. You have it set to friends only can comment.

purplexcherries July 23 2006, 18:03:30 UTC

oh awesome! That would be awesome of you! And yes..I will friend you right now and you do the same! Thanks so much!!

so_there July 23 2006, 23:41:01 UTC

one idea I got from someone in diy_pads for a waterproof layer is those baby waterproof mats.. they look like flannel on both sides but have something waterproof in the middle. I happened to have some laying around that I wasn't using so it was a good material for me to use.. I think you can get one for like $5 in a baby store that's big enough for plenty of pads. maybe cheaper if you geet a smaller one. I'm not sure I really need the backup but I put it in there anyway since I had it laying around. plus like you, I'm pregnant and will be looking to make some post-pardum pads. I only recently switched to cloth so I haven't had a chance to see how they work for that post-pardum heavy bleeding, but they work so much better for regular periods than disposable pads do that it's definitely something I want to try and will probably prefer.

gwyndragon July 24 2006, 00:16:24 UTC

I used to worry about leaks, but I have only ever had one leak. That leak occured very soon after my baby was born and it was because I didn't get up and change pads for several hours! The pads soak things up much more quickly than disposables... Also, you can find lots of pads that come with waterproof backings, or get them made with waterproof backing.

If you are considering postpartum use of cloth pads, here is the review I wrote a couple of weeks ago: http://community.livejournal.com/cloth_pads/7545.html

Also, don't worry too much about size. I am well over your weight and have never seen a pad that didn't "fit." Prepregnancy I was about 245, when I was very pregnant I was 265, and now I am in the low 230s (4 weeks postpartum). I wore pads for periods before I got pregnant, for daily use (sneezes, laughing, etc) from 5 months pregnant on, and am still using them daily now. Most of mine are not "large" pads. The exception were postpartum pads.

I hope this all helps...