Are you a nursing mom? Why put up with those expensive and uncomfortable plastic disposable nursing pads? Cloth pads are nicer to use and more comfortable. They are also more expensive than the disposable pads. No fears! This is the frugal blog after all, and I can share a way to make your own comfy pads practically for free.
Nursing pads are definitely a necessity, especially for the first six to nine months, before your body gets used to knowing how much milk to produce and when. The pads absorb any leaks that might occur between and during feedings.
Making your own nursing pads is especially frugal because you can use something you probably already have more than enough of: those little flannel baby blankets. I don’t know about you, but I got tons and tons of these with each of my children. The hospital often sends you home with them, they are the first things people buy for you at baby showers, and you’ll have plenty of these blankets from friends and family who hardly used them. So, they are a free resource. If for some reason, you don’t have an excess of these blankets, find them at a thrift store for pennies. But first ask anyone you know with children, and I’m sure you’ll get plenty.
First wash the blankets, especially if they are new. This way they will be clean and ready to go, and they won’t shrink after you sew them.
Simply cut some circles out of the flannel. You can use a bowl or wide cup, to make it easy. You can also customize the size to suit you, but as a guideline, 5” in diameter is probably a safe bet. Just promise me that if you go around with various cups and bowls against your chest as you measure, just make sure the curtains or blinds are closed!
Cut four circles for each pad, or eight circles for a pair of pads. Lay four circles stacked together, and using a straight stitch, sew them together about 1/4” from the edge. Trim the edges so they are smooth. Then use a zigzag stitch on the edge itself to ensure durability and prevent fraying.
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