After 8 1/2 weeks of using disposable pads after my first baby, I vowed never again. I made sure to put getting some postpartum mama cloth (i.e., washable cloth pads) on my checklist for preparing for Baby #2.
With absolutely perfect timing, Alisha from AGsCreations on Etsy offered to send me a set of postpartum pads from her new shop to review.
The postpartum sampler included two postpartum, two over-night, and two heavy pads. Each one is topped with cotton or flannel, has 1-3 layers of cotton terry for the core, and is backed with fleece.
This post includes affiliate links to some of my favorite postpartum cloth pads.
What’s your favorite fabric?
There are many different fabrics that can be used for mama cloth. After comparing these pads from AG’s to some others, I really do prefer the cotton and fleece.
The fabrics are soft and breathable, so they’re much more comfortable to wear. Whereas, the other pads I tried that have a waterproof backing can cause that same humid irritated feeling that disposables do.
On the other hand, since there is no waterproof layer, it is possible to leak through the pads. It just takes a little time to get used to gauging how often you need to change your pad.
Since AG’s shop isn’t making mama cloth anymore, here are a couple of my picks from Amazon.
- Organic Cotton Cloth Pads – Available in a variety of sizes from slim to overnight.
- Bamboo Overnight Pads
- Stay Dry Feminine Pads – Great for when flow slows down, a bit thinner than the cotton ones.
What about washing and stains?
Since we’re already using cloth diapers, I just throw in the pads in the same load. If I don’t have diapers going at the time, I throw them in with a load of towels.
I usually rinse the in cold water immediately after using and stick them in a bag until I do laundry. Then I put them in a hot wash with an extra rinse. I use Charlie Soap liquid for all my laundry. I haven’t had any issues with stains.
The other great thing about not having the waterproof layer is that you don’t have to worry about hanging them up to dry. That really helps make the washing process go faster, so you don’t have to have so many pads in your stash. With the cotton and fleece pads from AG’s, I just throw them in the dryer.
How many postpartum mama cloth pads do I need?
One question that I spent some time researching was exactly how many postpartum cloth pads I needed. Well now that I have tried them out, I can give you my experience.
You need a total of about ten pads if you plan to do laundry once a day, with a little overlap. I had the two postpartum, two over-night, and two heavy from AG’s along with three other mediums.
It might also be nice to have some lighter liners towards the end of your postpartum period. It can be tough to be up doing laundry in the first weeks after you have a baby, so any extras you can get would be great.
Anything else I need to know?
They are also about half the price of most of the bigger mama cloth brands. When you purchase them, you get the chance to support a small handmade business.
