Detailed Info About LANACare Nursing Pads

More About LANACare Nursing Pads

I discovered LANACare products as a new mom and midwife living and working in Sweden in the early 90's. At that time, the nursing pads were the only available item (and only sizes Medium and Large). They were "delightful"! Superior in every way to any other nursing pad I'd seen. When I moved back to the U.S. with my family, I decided they were something I must bring with me!

The nursing pads, as all LANACare products, are made of untreated merino wool, which still contains its natural lanolin. They can absorb up to 40% of their own weight without feeling wet. When the pads do start to feel wet, the feeling is that of warmth, not cold and clammy, as with other pads. As the wool absorbs moisture, lanolin is converted to lanolin-soap, which has an antibacterial effect. It keeps the wool clean, fresh and hygienic.
For most women, two pairs are all you'll ever need. When one pair feels wet, let it dry while wearing the other pair. The lanolin is activated and cleans the wool as it dries. The moisture evaporates away and only the milk solids are left. Eventually, depending upon how much leakage you have, you'll feel the center of the pad get "stiff" or you'll notice white powdery milk spots. First then, will you need to wash them. Wash by hand in lukewarm water with mild hair shampoo or LANACare Lanolin Soap. See Care Instructions.

The larger size of the pads stems from advice Scandinavian midwives and nurses have long given to mothers - "keep your breasts warm to prevent plugged ducts". My feeling is that the mild warmth keeps blood vessels dilated and "everything flowing". Although there is no documentation that I'm aware of, I know of cases where this seems to hold true. I knew of one woman who claimed that she couldn't go out to her mailbox without wearing her (medium sized) pads or she developed plugged ducts! As a lactation consultant, I'm aware of the many "concrete" causes for this problem, but I feel that if a woman is doing everything right, and still has a tendency to develop plugged ducts, that these pads may help. In either case, they feel extremely soothing and comfortable against tender breasts. In addition, the natural wool fibers pull moisture away from skin, keeping it dry and able to breathe, allowing sore nipples to heal. Many women in Denmark, where LANACare products are well-known, begin wearing the pads during pregnancy, claiming that breastfeeding, as a consequence, has gone more smoothly.

Even people who believe that they are allergic to wool can often wear LANACare wool directly against their skin - what they actually react to are the chemicals used to extract the lanolin from the wool - chemicals which are not used on LANACare wool.

With the growing use of antibiotics during labor, yeast infections are becoming more rampant. Yeast infections of the breast can be painful and difficult to treat. Oftentimes, boiling anything that is worn close to your breast is necessary. LANACare woolen nursing pads can be boiled, by a special method. See Care Instructions.

Another, less well-known, situation in which LANACare nursing pads are a comfort is with Raynaud's Syndrome. The nipples and perhaps areola turn white, as tiny blood vessels react to cold with spasms. It can be extremely painful and frustrating. LANACare nursing pads keep breasts comfortably warm, dilating blood vessels.

From my own personal experience of breastfeeding two children, and from the growing number of women who've used LANACare woolen nursing pads, I hear countless quotes of praise for the pads. As a lactation consultant, I agree with Scandinavian healthcare professionals, who claim that LANACare Natural Woolen Nursing Pads are the only pad that fulfill all the requirements a breastfeeding pad should!

Janice Emanuelsson, RN, BSN, IBCLC
Swedish Certified Nurse-Midwife
Owner of Danish Woolen Delight