Morgan,
Thanks so much for your reply and complementary views of the product. As with all mothers and babies, and all different nursing styles and relationships, do what works for you and your family.
I am still hesitant to support or recommend a product that puts constant pressure on the nipple and surrounding tissue, and is additionally recommended for regular nighttime and daily use.
Some mothers find that wearing a tight sports bra never causes plugged ducts or mastitis, but it causes problems in many other lactating women. Saying "many women find that wearing a tight sports bra may cause discomfort and lead to plugged ducts and possibly mastitis" is a regular and recommended statement of many LCs. I believe that Lilly Padz fall into the same category. Of course, if someone has a personal story to share about wearing a sports bra and never having any trouble, then two thumbs up, but probably not a recommendation for all lactating women.
Do I have any research to back up my statements on Lilly Padz and an increase in mastitis risks? Certainly not, but if someone has some serious cash to put forward then let's do a study!
Of course I'm not saying that only women who wear Lilly Padz get plugged ducts! I've never worn them and I've certainly had my share of plugged ducts...usually brought on by delaying a feeding, wearing a tight shirt or bra, or mismanaging my body's supply and demand system. I think it's a little bit fiesty to imply such a statement from me, and certainly asking for a spicy rebuttal. ;-)
My breasts constantly dripped, leaked and soaked many a nursing pad, both disposable and reusable. That is a fact of breastfeeding life, seeing it as a "problem/drawback" is an entirely different topic, more in the "is my cup half full or half empty". I never chose to see the dripping, leaking, soaking the bed (and my partner), over-abundant supply issues as a problem.
Morgan said:
<<<I guess the reason I'm responding at all, really, is the thought that
the message in your post is that... women don't need nursing pads if
they do the 'right' things... this simply isn't true for a lot of
women. Leaking breasts are an issue for women with breast shapes that
dangle and droop. It's a pain in the butt. It is a challenge of
breastfeeding for some of us. We do have to deal with it.>>>
Definitely not! Women need nursing pads because they are nursing! Women's breasts leak because they are nursing, not because they are mismanaging their bodies. Women of all shapes and sizes leak and drip and spray, some more than others because of overactive let-downs or over-abundant supplies. Wearing a breast pad is a fact of breastfeeding life, one which I am in complete agreement with. But wearing a product that puts pressure directly onto the nipple and surrounding area is what causes a red-flag for me. Not a good idea for *many* lactating women. Marketing these products to stop women's breasts from doing *exactly what they are supposed to be doing* may cause many women to experience... "Certain complications are inherent to breastfeeding. Should you experience redness, burning, irritation or fever, seek the advice of a medical professional."
Perhaps it should be rewritten as such: "Certain complications are inherent when applying constant pressure to a lactating breast, which is how our product works. Should you experience redness, burning, irritation or fever, stop using our product immediately and seek the advice of a medical professional."
That statement would make me feel better about how this product is marketed, so that women considering purchasing these for regular use understand that they may be increasing their chances of developing plugged ducts or mastitis.
I still wouldn't use them or recommend them.
Cheers,
Michelle Swanson, LLLL
mother of three, tandem nursing two
Wyoming, USA
--- [log in to unmask] wrote:
From: Morgan Gallagher <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Lilly Padz
Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2008 02:14:15 +0000
Well, if we're going to be soap boxy about it....... ;-)
Michelle Swanson wrote:
> I just visited the website and am disturbed that the company advertises them as a replacement for breast pads, and says that they are especially great for nighttime use!
>
I found them fantastic for night time use. It freed me from having to
wear a bra in bed, with 'normal' breast pads, which were wet, soggy
crunched up wads of uncomfort by the time I woke up. Wearing a bra 24/7,
even a soft crop, was far more uncomfortable on my breasts, and much
more likely to cause plugged ducts. It also meant I had to wake up more
fully in order to strip the material back so my son could latch on.
And I used them as a replacement for breast pads, so I have no problem
with them being sold as such! That's why I bought them.
> A small disclaimer on one of the pages says: "Certain complications are inherent to breastfeeding. Should you experience redness, burning, irritation or fever, seek the advice of a medical professional."
>
> Apparently infected breasts are a result of breastfeeding itself, and has nothing to do with the regular use of their product.
>
Are you saying women who don't use Lily Padz don't develop clogged ducts
and mastitis? Because that does read as if the only possible reason for
developing them, is using the product! Please note, I'm being tongue in
cheek, but knocking the company for telling women to seek advice if they
have a problem, isn't evidence that the product causes the problem.
If there is research out there that there that states the product causes
problems, I'd like to see it. :-)
> On a personal note, these products are sold as a fix to one of the "problems/drawbacks" of nursing. The process of letting-down and leaking breasts are one way Mother Nature works to insure that infants don't starve! Listening to your body, understanding the let-down reflex, and working to balance the body's supply and demand system are important and often overlooked aspects of breastfeeding. Products like these, that are marketed for everyday use, seem to cause more trouble for US mothers, who are already confused and struggling with breastfeeding as a cultural norm.
>
Well, having non stop leaking breasts is a problem/drawback of
breastfeeding for some of us! Soaking my mattress so badly overnight
that I needed a towel under me to sleep, and them sometimes change it is
a drawback of breastfeeding! And it's got nothing to do with ignoring
let down and everything to do with breast shape! I _hated_ that
breastfeeding locked me into a bra 24/7. And I'd really hate that other
mothers stuck with them 24/7 also, might not get the chance to assess
this product for themselves.
Getting into bed with them the first night, without having to wear a
dammed bra was just _bliss_. :-)
This product was designed by a nursing mother, who was responding to the
challenges she found in breastfeeding, and the products already on the
market. So she devised this product to overcome those challenges. That
I happen to have shared those challenges, and admire the fact that as a
mother, she did the work to come to her own solution, colours my view of
the product. :-)
I guess the reason I'm responding at all, really, is the thought that
the message in your post is that... women don't need nursing pads if
they do the 'right' things... this simply isn't true for a lot of
women. Leaking breasts are an issue for women with breast shapes that
dangle and droop. It's a pain in the butt. It is a challenge of
breastfeeding for some of us. We do have to deal with it.
Being more realistic over the challenges of breastfeeding, will surely
only empower mothers? Again, my only real point here is the message
that dripping constantly isn't a problem for some mothers.... when it so
is. And that's not down to lax management on their behalf, just
gravity. :-)
Morgan Gallagher
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