Lilypadz Review and competition - a different kind of breastpad!

My daughter is nearly 10 months old and in all the time I've been breastfeeding her I have struggled to find breast pads that I really get on with! Even now when Elizabeth is on 3 meals a day and feeding a lot less I seem to have quite 'leaky' boobs!



Being an eco conscious Mummy I didn't like the idea of disposables (well if I use washable nappies on my daughter I really should use washable pads for myself!) I tried a few brands of cotton washables but found they were saturated within a couple of hours and often leaked onto my clothes, It's mortifying be chatting away and suddenly realise that you have a wet patch on your chest! This meant having to take three or four pairs with me if I was going out for the day and was so inconvenient. In the end I reverted to trying different brands of disposable pads but to be honest I struggled to find any of these that I was comfortable with. Some were more absorbent than others but most of them were quite bulky and having that tell tale circle showing through your top just isn't nice (nearly as bad as the wet patch!)



So for most of the time I have been breastfeeding Elizabeth I have switched between washable pads at home and some of the more expensive thinner disposables while out and about but I have never really be 'happy' with them. I really needed a different kind of breast pad!



And that is what I found with Lilypadz! I first came across them when a friend at Baby Swimming class was wearing them (there really are no secrets when you share a changing room!) and recommended them! I was intrigued by the concept and started looking further into them.



This is what the Simplylily website had to say,

LilyPadz are the revolutionary new alternative to traditional breast pads combining such unique features as flexibility, breathability, invisibility and "sticks to you ability" to provide the kind of protection every expectant and nursing mother needs.

LilyPadz reusable non-absorbent breast pads are the only breast pads that adhere to you and not your bra. LilyPadz unique design maintains pressure on the nipple and forms a non-absorbent barrier to prevent breast milk leakage.
No more inconvenient pad exchanges, and you and your clothes stay dry!

I really liked what I read and was delighted when the lovely folks at SimplyLily sent me a pair of Lilypadz and a bottle of Lilywash to review.

When they arrived and I took the lilypadz out of the packaging I was surprised at how thin they were! The pads are made from thin, soft, flexible and breathable silicone which is tacky on one side and smooth on the other, they have a scalloped edge which gives them a natural shape and prevents lines being visible through clothes.

The pads are really easy to apply you simply flip the pad inside out and place the 'tacky' side towards your nipple, with a finger in the centre of the pad, firmly depress the nipple, and while nipple is flattened smooth the pad against your breast. They are quick and easy to peel off to feed and apply again with no trouble.



The Lilypadz did feel strange at first but after wearing for a while I barely noticed they were there and you could not see them at all through my top, which made me feel more comfortable wearing tighter, more fitted clothing rather than the baggy shapeless tops that I had been using to hide the shape of pads in my bra. This was great!



I had thought the stickiness might feel uncomfortable against my skin or leave a residue but it didn't at all. The way these pads work is very different to other breast pads, instead of absorbing the milk that leaks from your breasts in between feeds, they maintain pressure on the nipple and actually form a barrier that prevents milk leaking at all. This means they are great when out and about as they don't need changing! They are also great at night times if you are like me and hate having to sleep in a bra so that you don’t wake up in a puddle of milk! Because of the way they work it is recommended to wait until your milk has settled down (around 6 weeks) for them to be most effective. After nine months of feeding my milk has certainly settled down and these worked really well for me! So far I haven't had any leaking while wearing them!



I have also used them at our weekly baby swimming lessons and they are fantastic in the water where you can't wear other types of pads. I've always been concerned about leaking during swimming lessons as my breasts are usually quite full at the time we go (Elizabeth has a feed straight afterwards). As long as they are applied to clean dry skin they stay on fine while in the pool and can't be noticed under my swimsuit!

The Lilypads come stuck to two plastic shields, which are ideal to store them on in between wearing. After using, the Lilypadz require cleaning. This can be done by rinsing with warm water and liquid soap and then air drying or you can buy Lilywash which comes in an easy to use container with a pump action. Again you just use this with warm water, rinse away and then air dry.


Although Lilypadz are reusable they do not last forever and will need replacing. The length of use will depend on how often you use them and how you care for them but can be anything up to 6 weeks.


Lilypadz RRP is £14.99 for a pair of pads or £24.99 for a 'starter pack' which contains a pair of pads, a bottle of Lilywash and a pack of lilywipes (for dry and convenient cleaning while out and about). You can also purchase the Lilywash separately at an RRP of £4.99.



Although this may seem a bit pricey at first, when you think about how much a box of disposable breast pads costs it actually works out better! (I found the cheap ones were useless so went for the more expensive brands) I was buying a box a week at £5.50 for 40, which adds up to over £20 a month! The Lilypadz will last most Mummies at least a month and the Lilywash should last a good few months! And you are throwing a lot less away so it's more environmentally friendly too!

These really were a 'Mummy saving buy' for me and I would recommend any breastfeeding Mummies try them!

The starter Pack is available from Trendykid for £24.98 and they are also available in many highstreet and online retailers including Boots, Mothercare and Amazon.

The lovely folks at Trendykid / Simplylily have been very generous and offered one lucky Mymummyspennies reader the chance to win a pair of Lilypadz!


Competition now closed! Thank you to everyone who entered! The very lucky winner of a pair of Lilypadz is....................


                    Karolina Sychta!!!!

Congratulations Karolina! Please email mymummyspennies@gmail.com with your postal address and I'll pass it on to the lovely folks at Simplylily to have your prize sent out to you!




To enter you must like SimplyLily and Mymummyspennies on facebook and comment below with a way of contacting you!

For up to four extra entries

- like the Trendykid facebook page

- write 'mymummyspennies loves Lilypadz' on Simplylilys facebook wall

- follow the mymummyspennies blog on Google friend connect or networked blogs

- share the competition on facebook or twitter with 'I want to win Lilypadz with @mymummyspennies  http://bit.ly/rgtHWH'

(please leave an extra comment below per extra entry)

t's and c's

• winner will be selected by random draw
• open to residents of UK only.
• Facebook is no way affiliated with this competition.
• If the winner does not contact me within 3 days of their name being chosen another winner will be drawn.
• Competition will close 9pm 7th October 2011.
• only entries that have complied with the rules of entry will be valid.