Medela Hydrogel Pads | Pain Relief for Sore or Cracked Nipples | Breastfeeding Essentials

So much to say about these lifesavers.For context, it took a while for my milk to come in so my baby was trying to nurse with very little milk expression for the two weeks. Poor little guy was sucking so hard and getting so little. These gel pads helped me stay the course with breastfeeding when I almost gave up. I used Prolanan ointment at first which is great. However, it got to a certain point where I was blistering, sore, and peeling. Once I discovered these pads from my lactation consultant, I bought them in bulk and didn't look back. I basically wore them as pasties for the first 4 weeks with my newborn.A few things to note:-They are extremely sticky, once you get them to adhere correctly. I would wet them quickly, and then put them on with a tighter bra, shirt, or sports bra to hold them in place while they adhere. It takes your body heat for them to gel to your shape and stick well.-They also are super absorbent and helped limit breastmilk leaks. However, they are not able to hold your milk "let down" once the dam breaks with feeding on one side.-They are reusable! I would be able to get 24-36 hours of use out of mine if cared for properly.- They help heal your nipples quickly so you can continue to breastfeed regularly.I'm so grateful that I found these so early on in my postpartum journey, as they helped me have a more positive experience with breastfeeding by saving me a lot of pain and struggle to get in my groove!

I was given some of these in the hospital and really appreciated them to ease nipple pain and blisters from breast-feeding and pumping. I tried a bunch of other brands looking for something cheaper, including Momcozy, Lansinoh, and Ameda. I found out the hard way from those that apparently I have a lanolin allergy. These are lanolin free and since they don’t have the fabric backing that got stuck on my bra like other brands, they didn’t pull on my sensitive skin. Absolutely worth the extra money for something that works the best! They are great just on their own at room temperature, but can also be refrigerated for extra cooling effect and were also less maintenance than other brands.

Wow! This literally saved me. My nipple hurt SO BAD for like 4 days before getting this. Like bleeding, cracking, extreme pain. After 6 months I was about to give up BF. As soon as I used the patch I felt the pain went away. I still waited almost 48 hours to BF (I pumped in between) but when I did BF I felt almost no pain. Literally amazing. Highly recommend

I recently tried these out when having my third child. Breastfeeding pain for me is excruciating. I’d almost rather just give birth again than go through the agony of breastfeeding. Bleeding, cracking, dreading every feeding. Lanolin gives minimal relief. I only succeeded with my first because I used a breast shield the first 5 months. This caused my child to have to do extremely long feedings (45-60 min each feeding) and I felt like I was as nursing 24-7. My supply was barely adequate. I tried exclusively pumping with my second, but sadly my supply dried up by 5 months with him. I felt like such a failure, so I was determined to make it work with this third child- even if I had to use a breast shield again. In the hospital, the familiar excruciating pain came again soon after having the baby. It got so bad, I tried the breastshield, but for whatever reason this time around, that made the pain even worse. My doctor and the nurses encouraged me to try this new product I had never heard of called hydrogels. They gave me samples. I was super skeptical. If lanolin doesn’t even give me the relief I need, how are these gel pads supposed to help?? But I tried them because they insisted. I was shocked at the difference. Although still very painful, my pain level dropped to more tolerable levels. I realized that these gel pads protect my nipples from rubbing against clothing and they keep the nipple moist and allow the nipple to heal more quickly. Between these and using an occasional ibuprofen, I was able to get through that first week. By week 2, I had only slight pain during the initial latch and I no longer needed ibuprofen. I was blown away. I was doing “real” breastfeeding with no breast shield or anything! My supply is better than it ever has been before. I’ve already been able to pump over 60 oz. of excess milk to store in the freezer by week 3! My baby is thriving. I said so many prayers before having this baby that I could succeed with breastfeeding and I truly think that my prayers were answered through being introduced to hydrogels.Another reviewer complained of them being too sticky and causing more harm than good. Initially, they can be kind of sticky. Rinsing then with water before applying helps. I haven’t had too much trouble with stickiness though. I’ve never had problems with them being hard to pull off. They come right off easily for me.The reason I put 4 stars instead of 5 though is because they are expensive!! They are supposed to be replaced every 24 hours and a pack of 2 costs almost $8! I feel taken advantage of in my needy situation. Another reviewer mentioned that any price is worth nipple pain relief and I agree- that’s why I’ve kept buying them, but I still feel ripped off. I’ve actually been able to stretch each pair to 2 to 3 days with no problems, which helps.

They are super sticky but running under water helps. They work really well for chapped skin

These are amazing. I thought they were pricey at first, but then I realized that it’s not like a one use thing. I thought I had to dispose it after a couple hours but you can actually reuse it and it keeps the cooling affect for a day or two (don’t worry, you rinse it). They are also very effective in healing damaged n*pples. I’ll purchase again if I ever need to.

These were OK. They did stick well for the first time used. However, I was under the impression that these could be reused, and after one use it falls off, which makes them quite expensive as it only comes with a few. It did help prevent nipple irritation, however, leaves the nipple and breast quite moist, which I think with repeated use could lead to infection. I found other barrier methods more effective.

This has been my saving grace from teething! I was given one during my consult with my lactation consultant but mistakenly trashed it after a few session with it. It came with a case so I won’t lose them again!