Cougar Blue

In an unbelievable (and totally shocking) football game, the BYU Cougars beat Oklahoma University 14-13. Go BYU!!!

Product Review: LilyPadz

A few notes: This post talks about breastfeeding, so if you’re not down with that, just come back later. Or scroll down to a different post or something. Also, I already owned two sets of LilyPadz but I did receive a new set from the company to review. I received no other compensation and the opinions here are entirely my own.

I think the story goes something like this…when I was pregnant with the Bwun, my mom ordered a lot of really, really awesome space-themed stuff to go in the Bwun’s space-themed nursery. And in a catalog that shipped with one of the items she saw an ad for LilyPadz, which are a type of nursing pad. She thought they sounded useful, and I agreed, so she bought a pair for me (thanks, Mom!). Since that was several months before having the Bwun, the box of LilyPadz got put in some drawer somewhere and more or less forgotten about.

Then, guess what? I finally had the baby. And a few days later, I also had more milk than I (or the Bwun) knew what to do with. It would have been fine if I had just been staying at home – but I had a situation to deal with at the DMV, which meant getting into real clothes (what! No sweats and oversized t-shirts?). It was the same day my milk had come in, and I did NOT want to wear a bra. I didn’t own any nursing bras yet and none of the ones I had were going to work. So I dug around until I found the LilyPadz. Now would you like to know what they are? Ok. Great. I will tell you.

My description: LilyPadz are thin silicone nursing pads that prevent leakage instead of just absorbing it. That means you don’t have to worry about disposable or cotton pads that are obvious, that move around, or that can only absorb so much liquid. Take a look:

One side is stcky, so it adheres directly to your skin. It doesn’t leave any residue and the stickiness is refreshed each time you wash the pads. A single pair can last up to 2 months. As the box says, LilyPadz allow you to go strapless, go swimming, or go braless (which is exactly what I did when I went to the DMV).

From the website: LilyPadz are the revolutionary alternative to traditional nursing pads combining such unique features as flexibility, breathability, invisibility and “sticks-to-you-ability” to provide the kind of protection every expectant and nursing mother needs.
Whether or not you breastfeed your baby, inconvenient, leaky and let’s admit it, “obvious” nursing pads are the last thing you want to worry about during and after your pregnancy. The special soft, flexible and non-absorbent material in LilyPadz conform to your breast for a secure fit, allowing you to wear whatever you like with confidence.

I was so impressed with LilyPadz in those early days that I ordered a second pair (I mean, my mom ordered a second pair for me. Thanks again, Mom!). Once things settled down, the Bwun and I got used to his feeding schedule and I didn’t need any pads very often.

Yesterday the Romgi and I had a law school dinner to go to, which meant leaving the Bwun with the Romgi’s parents for the evening. It was a perfect opportunity to test out LilyPadz again, now that I’d be away from the Bwun for long enough that I actually might need the pads.

It took all of 2 minutes to get the LilyPadz out of their package and put on. I love that I don’t notice when I’m wearing them, and I don’t have to worry about them sliding around or filling to capacity. We were away from the Bwun for about 4.5 hours, and right now he’s eating every hour and a half to two hours. And guess what? I was absolutely fine. Although I worried that it would be too many feedings to miss, the LilyPadz did their job perfectly.

LilyPadz can be washed with warm soapy water, but you can also use LilyWash, a foaming cleanser specifically designed for LilyPadz. I tried LilyWash once I got home. Compared to plain soap and water, it seemed to be much more effective at restoring the stickiness of the pads.

You can order LilyPadz through the website for $24.95 plus shipping. While I admit that the price seems a little steep, it is a bargain compared to disposable nursing pads (especially considering the convenience). I did try washable cotton pads, and I got a rash every time. I really, really love LilyPadz. I was warned that with breastfeeding I’d have to change clothes in the middle of the night because of leakage, but LilyPadz do an excellent job of preventing that. (And the Bwun sleeps through the night, anyway!)

Seriously – I think LilyPadz are a brilliant idea, and if you don’t need them, consider getting a pair as a baby shower gift. I highly recommend them to nursing mothers.

Product Review: Itzbeen

I first read about the Itzbeen on A Giveaway Addicted Mommy, when Kari did a review and giveaway. I didn’t win but I was absolutely convinced that I needed one.

The Itzbeen is a baby care timer. It’s a small device that keeps track of how long it’s been since your baby was changed, ate, and woke up or went to sleep – all with the push of a button.

I ordered my Itzbeen the day after the giveaway ended and waited anxiously for it to come. (Thanks, UPS, for randomly rescheduling my delivery by a few days.) When it did, I was somewhat disappointed though not really surprised that the Itzbeen requires 3 AAA batteries, which I had to round up from various other electronic gadgets in our house. The back of the Itzbeen has a clip for attaching to a belt, and it was kind of in the way of the battery case. However, it was a minor inconvenience.

Once the batteries were in the display automatically set all timers to 0:00 and the clock to 12:00 AM. The directions made it very easy to set the clock to the correct time. I love that the time is displayed – since I typically have my Itzbeen more accessible than any clocks in our house, I don’t have to guess what time it is.

The Bwun was asleep when the Itzbeen arrived, but once he woke up, he was ready for a diaper change and a feeding. Perfect! I unlocked the Itzbeen by sliding a switch on the left-hand side (it’s there to prevent you from accidentally resetting the timers), and pressed the buttons I needed. Each button lit up red when I pushed it and stayed lit for about 2 seconds so I could clearly see which button I had pressed. And the timers started rolling. The display shows how many hours and minutes it’s been, but also counts seconds by blinking the colon between the numbers so I knew the timers had been activated.

The buttons do make a beep when pushed, and this startled the Bwun a little. I was concerned that if I pressed a button when he fell asleep it might wake him up. Luckily there is a switch on the right-hand side that you can use to turn off the sound.

There is a fourth button on the Itzbeen that I understand works as an alarm, which can be used as a reminder for taking medicine every x hours or the like. I haven’t actually found a use for it yet. Below the fourth button is a small round button that turns on a blue backlight for the display and red lights for each of the timer buttons – very handy for at night. At the top of the Itzbeen is a small nightlight that turns on and off with a small button. If left on, it automatically turns off after 7 minutes.

By far my favorite feature (aside from the timers) is a switch below the clock display that indicates whether the baby was last fed from the left or right side. Despite being advised to feed from both sides whenever I nursed the Bwun, I’ve consistently found it easier to use one at a time. When the Bwun was little, it was easy to remember which side I used last. Now, he eats so frequently that it’s nearly impossible to tell (or remember). I love the convenient switch to help me out.

The only downside I can find – and this may be something that can’t be fixed, only compensated for – is that there’s no undo feature. Some days the Bwun falls asleep for approximately 3.75 minutes and then decides he’s had enough of a nap. I don’t really think that counts as sleeping…and I wish I could make the timer go back to where it was before and keep counting. Since this is a rare circumstance, though, I understand why the Itzbeen is a forward-only device.

The Itzbeen costs $24.95 and is available through the official website, Amazon.com, and Babies R Us. It comes in pink, blue, and green, as well as in a twin pack. I strongly recommend this for new moms (or even moms who have several children already) – I think quite a few people will be receiving this from me at baby showers in the coming year!