Nursing Pad Recommendations

I'll be real with you, when I had Julia I was completely oblivious to nursing pads. I never even thought about them or realized I needed them until my mom brought me a box while I was at the hospital. And I kind of feel like Lansinoh & Medela has the market in nursing care, but there are so many other options out there! Here are my recommendations for disposable and re-usable nursing pads.

Lansinoh

I don't love these...It's annoying that they are individually wrapped (who needs the extra trash around??) and they are folded in half so it gives you an awkward shape when you wear them. Plus, the insides remind me of a diaper, so once they get wet they feel like a saggy diaper on your chest. And they are pricey... Upside? I guess being indiviually wrapped makes it good for travel in a diaper bag. That's it.

Avent

So, similar story with these, they are individually wrapped and have a fold/crease, BUT they definitely contour better than the Lansinoh and they way they are sewn helps the milk to not just sink to the bottom of the pad, it distributes much better. I would choose these over Lansinoh any day. They have good nighttime pads as well.

Johnson's
 
These are my favorite. They are at a great price point and they aren't individually wrapped. Plus, they aren't folded in half!! They are shaped to fit and contour, they don't get that "soggy" feeling, they are very absorbent, and, well, I love them.

Nuk

So, these are inexpensive and work okay. I got them to try something new, but since they are "ultra thin" they wrinkle and you have to re-shape them a lot. They also don't have a sticky pad, which I wish they did. Other than that, they worked fine.

Re-usable Avent
I really liked these and it's great that they're reusable. They were soft, flexible and I never had any leaking problems. The downside is that you have to be on top of laundry otherwise you won't have any pads.

Re-usable Nuk
I didn't like these as much because they were super thin and less absorbent, but they did have a waterproof outside so I would pair them with my other reusable ones if I needed to.

Lily Padz

I also love these. A lot. They are a soft silicone pad and they are especially great if you ever chafe  They stick on and don't move until you peel them off (I would even use lanolin with them and they stayed on just great). They are excellent for swimming in and really help you to stay comfortable. The only downside is that they are not absorbent so if you nurse in them, you may leak from your opposite side (usually only if you're wearing them wrong). Other than that they are great!

Greek Yogurt Recommendations

Greek yogurt has been this new-ish product that I have had a lot of interest in, especially now that it has become mainstream. However, it is kind of expensive so before I jumped in and started buying a lot I wanted to see which was the best to like. Here is what I found.

Fage 

Hands down my favorite and here's why. It is super thick and the little side cup of fruit/honey gives it just enough sweetness. It almost reminds me of eating cheesecake...enough said.

Chobani

I think that this brand has probably the largest selection of flavors, however their Greek yogurt is not as thick as others. I really enjoy the thickness, but if it is off-putting to you, try these guys out.

Oikos

No, John Stamos doesn't really appear when you eat this, but this is my second favorite Greek yogurt. I like having the fruit on the bottom, not mixed in, and this has a nice creamy thickness to it. 

Yoplait Greek

It wasn't memorable. Not horrible but not amazing either. It had a medium thickness to it, like Chobani.

Great Value (Walmart)

Equally as good as Dannon's Oikos, but cheaper. This is what I usually buy :)

Liberté

For supposedly being French I was disappointed. If you've ever been to Europe their yogurt is SO much better...not this one. It was about the same thickness as Chobani. I was kind of disappointed.

Kroger

They have a very unique selection, like a berry lemon that I love, but I don't particularly enjoy Splenda/Stevia as my yogurt sweetner. And for whatever reason their yogurt seems to have more protein than other Greek yogurts...weird, but really nice! They have a light and regular version and I definitely recommend the regular kind. The light Greek yogurt was bland.

Baby wipe recommendations

As previously mentioned  I am a picky shopper. Needless to say I've been frustrated when I've bought "name brand" wipes and they were terrible. So, here I share with you my hunt for the best baby wipes, and these are my recommendations:

Huggies wipes

I've bought several versions of Huggies wipes and this "natural care fragrance free" are my favorite of the Huggies. Some of the other versions have funk smells, and it's nice that these are fragrance free. They are nice and thick as promised and do not stretch easily. They do tear, but you have to be intentional in doing so, they won't just tear from wiping. These aren't the kind I regularly buy, because my most favorite are cheaper, but these run a close second.

Pampers wipes

Worst. Wipes. Ever. I got a case of these as a gift so I felt obligated to use them, but they were terrible. They are thin and they stretch super easy. If you're going to fork out the moolah for cheap wipes, then buy cheap wipes. I used so many more of these than any other kind and they were a waste. Plus the packaging was obscure...they were refill sized packs but you had no good way of resealing them after opening them so they dried out really quick.

Simply Right wipes

This is the Sam's Club brand of wipes and I live by these. They are absolutely hands down the best wipe I have ever used. They have a slight texture on one side for the extra pickup, they are thick, don't tear or stretch, and they are unscented. We keep our membership just for these wipes and for the same price as Huggies you get 100 more wipes. The packaging has a nice flip top on every pack which means they travel well and don't dry out.

Target brand wipes

These store brand wipes are what you'd expect from a store brand, but I would still take these over Pampers wipes. The upside is that they are inexpensive but still a decent wipe. They have a slight texture but they do stretch a little more than I'd prefer. I usually buy a single pack if I'm desperate, and I'm okay with that.

Smith's brand wipes

These wipes remind me of the little moist towelettes you get from KFC. Same feel and about the same quality. And I guess that any wipe will work if you're in a bind, but I wouldn't recommend these too much. The upside is that they are pretty strong considering they are a store brand, meaning they tear and stretch less than Target or Pampers wipes.

Diaper Recommendations

I am the most finicky/picky shopper. It annoys Brenan because I can't just make a purchase, I need to know the competitor's product, price points, and reviews whether it is a big purchase like a TV or something small, like yogurt. I decided to share some of the different products I've tried because it's not always easy and I just wish I had a little product reviewer in my ear whispering to me what I should buy. So here is the first line up of products:

Huggies Little Snugglers & Little Movers


Huggies are my favorite, I don't buy them as often since they are expensive. They are what fit my baby the best and are the least troublesome, i.e. less leaks, no chaffing, don't fall off. The only downside is that they are the most expensive. If you go to Huggies.com they have coupons from time-to-time.

Huggies Snug & Dry

This is their less expensive diaper and I don't care for them as much. They are more "papery" feeling and they chaffed Julia a lot. I would not bother buying these over the Little Movers/Little Snugglers which are way better quality than these.

Pampers

For being a "name brand" and as expensive as Huggies, these diapers are my least favorite. They don't have the scrunch in the back that helps contain blowouts and they have a funny smell. Plus they don't absorb as well and their velcro/tape waste band makes them not fit well.

Target Brand

Target brand is what we use in our house and we love them. They fit well, absorb well, and they are just as good as Huggies considering they are a store brand. HOWEVER Target does not have a universal diaper across all stores. In Utah they use a circle design and those are the winners. When I was in Oregon we bought some and they had a star design and it was a completely different diaper and they were the worst. If you buy these check the design first.

Western Family Brand
We bought these and I would say they are so-so. I didn't love the fit/waistband, but we didn't have any issues with absorption. They didn't have the size printed on them and that is the worst when you have two kids in two separate sizes.

Smith's Brand

I'd say these were a little better than Western Family, we had some issues with how they fit.


I put Luvs in the same category as Pampers, but they cost less so it doesn't make me as upset to use them. We have a bunch that were given to us, and are using them, but I would not buy them on my own.

Walmart Brand

The worst, hands down. Didn't fit or absorb well.

Sam's Club Brand

I thought they were pretty decent, I only had a few to try since they were a small sample pack, but I remember liking them and it's a great deal. The downside is that you have to have a Sam's club membership, so the membership fee may not pay off if you don't buy other things.

Fisher Price Brand

I've only ever seen these at Baby's R Us, but I really liked them. I got them on sale so I don't remember the price point, but if you're ever there they are worth a try! I just don't go there that often...