Everyday with the Stricklands: Making Nursing Pads

Sorry Men out there...just disregard this post :)

I found this great site about making homemade nursing pads. I thought I'd try it out because they looked so easy to make and I have a lot of scrap fabric that I could use to make them.

Supplies
-fleece (1 circle per pad)
-flannel (2-3 circles per pad)
-bowl 4.5" to 5.5" in diameter

Instructions
1. Select your bowl size.
The site suggested a bowl at 4.5" in diameter. Most nursing pads are 5" in diameter that you buy. I think if you are an A-C, a 4.5" bowl would be sufficient. If you are larger, I suggest a 5.5" bowl. I started with a 4.5" and found that I think I will be more comfortable with my larger sized pads.

2. Trace the bowl onto your flannel piece.
You can use an old flannel sheet or a receiving blanket. I used 2 receiving blankets so the outside looked nice. Then, I used some scrap material I had with Looney Tunes on it for the insides. You'll notice that I did make some Looney Tune ones because I ran out of blankets :)

The site suggested that you fold your material in half so you have only half of them to cut out. I tried that at first and some of them did get off kilter. For me it was a little more work, but made them look nicer if I just traced each individual one out. The fleece was probably came out the worst. I wasted several pieces.

On the site it suggests making some day pads with only 2 flannel pieces and night pads with 3 flannel pieces per pad. With my smaller pads I made day and night, but afterwards I figured I would just make all of them 3 thickness with the larger pads.

3. Trace the bowl onto your fleece.
You will only need 1 piece of fleece per pad. I used some scrap material leftover from some fleece blankets.

4. Cut out your fleece and flannel pieces.

5. Layer the pad with 3 flannel pieces and 1 piece of fleece.
The flannel piece will go towards your skin and the fleece will face out away from your body.

6. Sew or surge the pads together.
Position the pad at the edge of your foot to decrease the amount you will cut off later. Use a zig-zag stitch. Make sure to overlap the ends of the stitches to secure them.
I started trying to surge them...and boy is that the way to go...only I broke my needle :( so I ended up sewing them. I suggest sewing them with the fleece facing up. The fleece tended to slip more facing the sewing machine.