Gel soothie pads - how do these work?

FarmvilleLover · December 2011

I ordered some for almost $10 and just got them. Hmmm. Directions say not to use them for more than 3 weeks, and for up to 72 hours. What? Do you just keep them on intermittently or what?

Can someone shed some light on what makes these so great?

Thank you

Leinistar · December 2011

When my nipples were ravaged for the first couple weeks of breastfeeding they were a god send. I kept them in the fridge and put them on after each session. Before feeding, I would rinse and put back in the fridge, the cold really felt great. They kept my nipples from getting dry and cracked, kept them from rubbing against anything which was killer. I didn't use them at night so they could get air and heal up a bit.

FarmvilleLover · December 2011

So, about how long did you keep them on? And after you took them off, would you put the soft pads on after? Meaning, the Lansinoh (or whatever brand) disposable nursing pads?

je2161 · December 2011

I was given a few of these at the hospital. The coolness is supposed to soothe sore nipples and the adhesive nature is supposed to prevent leakage (I didn't find this to be true). But if you are dealing with an oversupply or are leaking a lot, you will want the disposable ones, which are absorbent. The gel ones will not really absorb leaking milk.

sarahbeth827 · December 2011

These were a lifesaver for me! I would do the same as PP and put them in the fridge and then use them after nursing. I would just keep them on until they weren't cold anymore and then switch to regular nursing pads.

Leinistar · December 2011

I kept them on for about an hour at a time and then Id have to nurse or pump again. I also kept them off overnight. I would put cloth ones in when I wasnt wearing the gel ones. I liked giving them breathing room and some air to heal. I found that even with an oversupply to start, the pressure of the gel pads on my nipples kept me from leaking.

Feb3 · December 2011

sarahbeth827:
These were a lifesaver for me! I would do the same as PP and put them in the fridge and then use them after nursing. I would just keep them on until they weren't cold anymore and then switch to regular nursing pads.

This is what I did too. A girlfriend gave them to me and they were wonderful.

ellewoodsSC · December 2011

The gel actually helps heals the nipples and keeps them from scabbing and cracking and keeps them from rubbing on fabric. If you apply them cold, it really helps with soreness. You can wear them between nursing sessions and it really helped me for the first few days. The instructions do say that they will last for ~72 hours. How far you can get by with them depends on if you have a lot of leakage as the gel absorbs it. After a few days, they lost their adhesiveness and got linty, so that's when I discarded them. One pair is probably all you will need and after using them, I wouldn't even blink at the $10 price tag.