Nursing pads sit inside your bra to absorb breast milk that leaks between feedings. They’re simple to use: place one pad over each nipple, center it, and let your bra hold it in place. The key to using them well is choosing the right type, positioning them correctly, and changing them often enough to keep your skin healthy.
Choosing the Right Type
Nursing pads come in three main varieties, and each works differently.
Disposable pads are the most convenient option. They come individually wrapped, often with an adhesive strip that sticks to the inside of your bra. Many use a super-absorbent polymer core (similar to what’s in diapers) that locks moisture away from your skin. They’re compact enough to toss in a diaper bag, and you throw them away after each use. The downside is cost: if you’re leaking heavily and changing pads several times a day, expenses add up fast. They also generate a fair amount of waste.
Reusable cloth pads are made from fabrics like bamboo, cotton, or hemp. They cost more upfront but pay for themselves within a few weeks of use. Bamboo pads tend to have good wicking properties, pulling moisture away from your skin so you don’t feel soggy. Cotton pads are soft but can be bulkier and stiffer, which sometimes makes them feel awkward inside a bra. Most reusable pads don’t have an adhesive strip, so they rely on a snug bra to stay in place.
Silicone pads work on a completely different principle. Instead of absorbing leaks, they apply gentle pressure against the nipple to prevent milk from releasing in the first place. The Australian Breastfeeding Association notes that this light pressure mimics what you can do with your hand to stop a letdown. Silicone pads are smooth, thin, and invisible under clothing, making them a good choice for special occasions. They won’t help if you’re dealing with heavy leakage, though, since they don’t absorb anything.
How to Position Them
Place the pad directly over your nipple with the absorbent side facing your skin. If you’re using a disposable pad with an adhesive backing, peel off the paper strip and press the sticky side against the inside of your bra cup. This keeps the pad from bunching or sliding to one side.
For cloth pads without adhesive, center the pad over your nipple, then put your bra on or adjust the cup so it holds the pad snugly. A well-fitted nursing bra makes a big difference here. If your bra is too loose, cloth pads will shift around throughout the day. Some people find that contoured or cone-shaped pads stay in place better than flat ones because they follow the natural curve of the breast.
With silicone pads, press the pad gently against dry skin so it forms a light seal. These pads rely on skin contact rather than your bra to stay put, so they work best when your skin isn’t already wet from a recent leak.
How Often to Change Them
Change your nursing pad after every feeding, or sooner if it feels damp. Lansinoh’s guidelines recommend this frequency to maintain skin health, and there’s a real medical reason behind it. Sitting in a wet pad creates a warm, moist environment against your nipple, which is exactly what yeast and bacteria thrive in.
Research published in PubMed Central identifies prolonged wearing of breast pads as a predisposing factor for nipple candidiasis, a yeast infection that causes burning, stinging pain during breastfeeding. The same damp conditions can encourage bacterial growth, including Staphylococcus aureus, which is linked to painful breastfeeding and can contribute to mastitis. None of this means nursing pads are dangerous. It means a wet pad left on for hours is a problem, while a dry, freshly changed pad is not.
In the early weeks of breastfeeding, when leaking tends to be heaviest, you might go through six to eight pads a day. Many people keep a few extras in their diaper bag or purse so they’re not caught without a dry replacement.
Caring for Reusable Pads
Reusable pads are low-maintenance if you follow a few rules. Machine wash them on a delicate cycle at or below 40°C (105°F), using your regular laundry detergent. You can also hand wash them in a bucket of warm water at the same temperature.
Three things to avoid: bleach, fabric conditioner, and dry cleaning. Fabric conditioner is the most common mistake. It coats the fibers and interferes with absorbency, meaning your pads won’t soak up as much milk the next time you wear them. If you notice your pads feeling less absorbent over time, a buildup of fabric softener from shared laundry loads could be the cause. Running them through a wash cycle with just detergent and no softener usually restores their performance.
Between washes, rinse used pads in cold water and let them air dry, or store them in a small wet bag until laundry day. Most people keep a rotation of eight to twelve cloth pads so they always have clean ones available.
Getting the Most Comfort
If you have sensitive or cracked nipples, the pad material matters more than you might expect. Disposable pads can contain synthetic materials and adhesives that irritate already-tender skin. Cloth pads made from bamboo or organic cotton are typically gentler and more breathable. Look for pads with a smooth inner surface rather than a textured one, since any friction against a sore nipple gets painful quickly.
Thickness is a tradeoff. Thicker pads absorb more and work better for heavy leakers, but they’re more visible under fitted clothing. Thinner pads are more discreet but may need to be changed more frequently. Some people use thicker pads at home and overnight, then switch to thinner or silicone pads when they want a smoother look under clothes.
If your pads feel like they’re sticking to your nipples when you remove them, dampen the pad with a little water before peeling it off. This is especially common with disposable pads when milk has dried and essentially glued the pad to your skin. Pulling a stuck pad off can reopen cracks or cause new irritation.
When You’ll Need Them Most
Leaking is heaviest in the first few weeks after birth, while your milk supply is still regulating. During this period, you might leak from one breast while feeding on the other, or wake up with wet spots on your shirt. By around six to twelve weeks postpartum, most people find that leaking decreases significantly as supply adjusts to match their baby’s demand.
Even after the early weeks, certain triggers can cause unexpected letdowns: hearing your baby cry, warm showers, or simply thinking about your baby. Keeping a pad in your bra during this phase prevents the occasional surprise leak from showing through your clothes. Some people continue using pads for the entire time they breastfeed, while others phase them out after the first few months.