nursing pad review - young blood!

Last week I received new nursing pads from a shop on etsy called Young Blood for the purpose of this review!
I received the two patterns pictured below.

Let me tell you a little bit about Young Blood nursing pads:
- They're constructed of 4 layers of super soft 100% cotton flannel, 1 layer of polyurethane laminate so you don't leak, and a pretty 100% cotton outer layer.
- They're about 4.25" in diameter.
- They're pretty! There are many different patterns offered.
- They're machine washable.
- They're only $3.50 a pair!!!

And let me tell you a little bit about Jenny, from Young Blood:
Jenny has a BFA in fibers/textile design from the Savannah College of Art & Design (I wish I had one of those!) and she's at work at home momma to a little baby girl (yay!). Like me, she knew right away that she wanted to cloth diaper and started making her own so her little babe could have a cute bum! She's been working on her diaper design ever since and now sells them, along with these nursing pads, bibs, and more, at her etsy shop, Young Blood, at craft shows, and in boutiques. Make sure you check out her shop - she's also trade friendly! :)

I began my trial of these nursing pads after trying the Bamboobies nursing pads for one week.  I immediately noticed the difference in size.  Young Blood nursing pads are much thicker then the regular Bamboobies but still thinner than the common store bought types I have tried previously (both reusable and disposable).

I used them immediately after opening the package because I was really excited!  The nursing pads were very rigid and looked really silly through my shirt so I proceeded to wash them in hopes of softening them a bit.  It worked!  I wear pretty thin nursing bras and it was pretty easy to see the shape of the pads as well as wrinkles in the pads through my shirt if it were a form fitting shirt.  The pads seem to become softer each time I wash them and the shape seen through my shirt decreases each time.

Over the past week of wearing these nursing pads I have not leaked through or around them.  They stay in place really well and are a great size.  The flannel layers are super soft and the stitching along the edges seems to be of good quality, but I have only had them for about a week.  And I can't forget.. they're such a great deal!

Overall, I would suggest these nursing pads be used in thicker bras than I wear so as to avoid the weird shape and the bumps.  Personally I will be using these nursing pads at night due to their thickness and absorbency.  I suggest you pick up a pair - you can't go wrong for $3.50!

In conclusion...

Do I recommend Young Blood nursing pads for leaky boobies?

Yes!

If you wear a regular (not sleep) bra these would be great! They are perfect for overnight use!  And they're very affordable!

I was provided a free sample from Young Blood in exchange for this review.
I was under no obligation to write a positive review of this product!!  I promise!

Look for review #3 in the nursing pad series coming next Wednesday! I hope you find this information as useful as I do! :)

ups & downs.

Maybe this will be a new Tuesday thing.  My ups & downs.  I'll start with downs so we can end on a good note.

Downs:
* Our car is leaking transmission fluid.
* Tomorrow morning I need to call around, pick out a place to have the car taken, call a tow truck, and cross my fingers that it gets fixed.
* We potentially need to rent a car to get to Olive's baby shower that's in Iowa on Saturday.
* I don't like to talk about money. It makes me feel weird.
* Talking about money leads to other down thoughts such as: why did we buy this house? I wish I didn't have this house. Why is this house in Minneapolis? And so on.
* I found a barely used lens on craiglist that I really really want. But it's too expensive. Oh, there's that money thing again.
* Our pup sheds too much this time of year - it makes me want to cry, scream, and send her to a distant relative's home for approximately one month.
* I keep trying to make cookies but it keeps not happening.
* I've been really bad at reading blogs so far this week. And I'm behind on posting on my own.

Ups:
* We're not crazy about our car so maybe we could get a new one?
* Olive is having a baby shower on Saturday - or maybe a welcome Olive shower? What's it called after the baby has arrived?
* We might get to rent a car for the weekend.
* The weather is nice.
* I won a store credit to Along for the Ride @ etsy on Much Love Illy's blog today. At least my day started off lovely! I've decided to get some of these:


I'm really excited.

* Olive is cute.

sucking on an apple.

Olive tried some apple today.  I bit of a piece and put the part that stuck out the most up to her mouth.  She immediately started licking it, sucking on it, and smiling.  I'm really excited to start baby led weaning with her but she's not yet ready.  She's already really attentive when I'm eating - she watches the food and watches me eat it.  That's one of the things you look for for baby led weaning readiness but the biggest is sitting up independently which she, of course, does not yet do as she's only 12 weeks old.  Her eyes were locked on to the apple as I ate the rest of it.  I think she was more interested in the flavor of the apple than the chocolate chip and the cookie that I let her lick a few weeks ago - good!

friday fancies!

I almost forgot!  It's Friday! :)

I made a mobile for Olive this week. But I think I like it more than she does. I'll post the details and some photos soon! Keeping with my mobile thoughts of late, here are some wonderful mobile's found on etsy.

Big Dipper Baby Mobile, Medium, in Lime Breeze from The Wonderland Studio in Massachusetts. $46

Made to order Owl Mobile from the EvelynX Gift Shop in California. $60

Tennessee Autumn Stylized Leaf Mobile from Moon Lily Mobiles in Colorado. $198

vela multi from The Starcraft. $78

Felted Wool Mobile - Pea Shoot from Sqrl & Bee Studio. $70

Um.  My mobile is not as cute as these.  Oh dear.

Happy Friday!  :)

may sponsors!

In case you haven't noticed (and in case you're reading this in Reader!) take peek over at the right sidebar. I have sponsors!

Today I would like to introduce you to Chrissy from Whimsical Poppysmic!

I am Chrissy from Whimsical Poppysmic! I love being creative - that's why I opened my Etsy shop last December! I am a knitter, crocheter, I love embroidery and cross-stitch and I have a passion for felt! I am in love with dandelions especially when their seeds get carried away in the wind, I am addicted to feathers and I think owls are the most whimsical creatures!

I live in the suburbs of Chicago with my husband and our daughter as well as our pup, Kyra and our kitty Miley (guess who named her...haha)! We moved here 2,5 years ago from Germany for 3 years, which means we will be moving back in about 3 months (we just made the decision to go back)!

Come on over for a visit, I would love to have you! And, if you like tweeting as much as I do, come tweet with me here!!!

Yay Chrissy!  :)

Look for info on my other sponsors coming soon!  :)

nursing pad review - bamboobies!

Last week I received a very tiny but very powerful package.  Inside the package were two pairs of Bamboobies.



What's a "Bamboobie" you ask?

Well let me tell you! Bamboobies are nursing pads made of organic bamboo and hemp! I was extra excited to try these because Olive's gDiaper inserts are bamboo so I thought we could maybe.. match.. kind of. I was also extra excited because I know how absorbent bamboo can be. And I was maybe also a little excited that they're called Bamboobies. Say it with me - Bamboobies!!! ha! Oh, and they're in the shape of hearts!

But let's be serious. Bamboobies claim the following:
1. Simply the Softest Nursing Pads on the market!
2. Heart-shaped pads cup without wrinkling... Fewer Wrinkles = Less Visibility
3. Ultra-thin, High performance Eco-fabrics

1. I agree. In my experience with four other brands of nursing pads I have never felt pads this soft! They're actually softer than Olive's bamboo gDiaper inserts and those are so soft that I considered wearing them myself, just for comfort.
2. The regular Bamboobies are heart shaped which does reduce wrinkling though I still had a few visible wrinkles. I bet this is a little different for everyone though, depending on the size of your girlie parts and the bra you're wearing. While a little wrinkle was present it was by far less of a wrinkle than with most reusable nursing pads I have used. The overnights are round and therefore get wrinkly but if you and your significant other don't mind then it shouldn't be a problem!
3. The regular Bamboobies are extremely thin - I'm really surprised! The overnights are quite thick but not any thicker than other brand's regular pads. And they're for overnight... so that's kind of the point.

“Bamboobies were born out of my frustration with wrinkly, plastic disposables and thick, rough cotton
washable pads that showed through my shirt and still leaked!” says Kerry Gilmartin, mother of three in
Boulder, CO and creator of Bamboobies.

I've had a leaky start to breastfeeding Olive. The leaking varies day to day so I'm never sure what to expect. I worry when out in public or when having visitors because I never know if a big dark dot is going to show up and how long it's going to take me to realize it. After a few days using Bamboobies I have not experienced a single wet spot despite finding the pads wet. Honestly I was a little skeptical at first because I have leaked through everything else - how could these work? I thought the leaking had possibly slowed.. but wouldn't that be ironic timing? After a little investigation I decided that I was in fact leaking just the same but the regular Bamboobies held in all of the moisture and my shirt stayed dry! I even went out of the house this evening for a meeting and didn't feel nervous or stressed out about my shirt. What a relief! I did notice that the regular pads move around a little bit but not enough to cause a problem. I think they slide a bit because they're so soft. But with how many times I need to be messing with my bra when feeding Olive there is ample opportunity to adjust them. My only complaint is that I don't have enough!

The reason for the superb protection is in the construction. Below is a diagram of the regular pads.

And the overnight pads..

There is a lot of interesting information on the Bamboobies website about pad comparisons. For example did you know that a nine month supply of disposable pads costs approximately $360 while a pack of four Bamboobies costs less than $30? I don't use disposable pads and this reminds me why! (In addition to the environmental impact.) This is also one of the many reasons we cloth diaper.

In addition to being extremely effective at preventing leaks and reducing wrinkles, as well as being cost effective, Bamboobies are eco-friendly. Bamboobies fabric producers meet the Global Organic Textile Standards or are certified annually by OEKO Tex 100, OCIA or USDA and the fibers are not treated with toxic chemicals and only water-based dyes are used.

I encourage you to stop by Bamboobies and place an order for yourself or for a friend.  I am certainly going to order more regular Bamboobies and will most likely give these as a gift to expectant moms in the future.

In conclusion...

Do I recommend Bamboobies for leaky boobies?

Yes!

Use coupon code OWL20 for 20% off your purchase!!!

I was provided a free sample of Bamboobies in exchange for this review. I was under no obligation to write a positive review of this product. But I did! Because I like 'em! So go get some!

Look for review #2 in the nursing pad series coming next Wednesday! I hope you find this information as useful as I do! :)

interview with my mama!

Hey you!  

Head on over to a little blue to check out an interview of my very own mommy, Cheryl Anne, in honor of Mother's Day!  

:)