DIY Nursing Pads With Darts

Nursing pads that won't show under clothing are a necessity for many moms.

Washable, reusable, highly absorbent nursing pads are hard to find at local retail stores. Nursing moms can skip the trip to the store and recycle an old flannel baby blanket into an inexpensive, customized nursing pad from home. Nursing pads are worn at night to keep pajamas free from moisture when the baby isn’t near mom all night, as well as during the day under regular clothing. A supply of effective nursing pads is a necessity for many nursing moms. It’s easy to make a nursing pad with a dart for yourself or as a gift for a new mom.

Things You'll Need

• Circular object (such as a bowl)
• Flannel fabric (a receiving blanket will work)
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Cardboard
• Needle and thread

Instructions

1. Locate a circular object, such as a bowl, that is 3 1/2 to 5 inches in diameter to use as a template for the nursing pads. For smaller breasts, use a circular object that is closer to 3 inches wide.

2. Spread out a piece of flannel on the work surface. Place the chosen circular object on top of the flannel. Trace the outline of the circle onto the flannel using a pencil. Repeat this process three more times so that there are four circles drawn on the fabric.

3. Cut the four circles from the flannel.

4. Fold one of the flannel circles in half. Fold the half circle in half again to make a 1/4 circle. Fold the flannel three more times so that the triangular wedge is now 1/16 the size of the original circle. Use a pencil to draw on the outline of this wedge. Unfold the circle and cut the triangular wedge out of the flannel. Use a pencil to trace this circle with the wedge cut out onto a piece of cardboard. Cut out the cardboard to serve as a template for the nursing pads.

5. Cut out three more nursing pads using the template. Stack the nursing pads in two piles with two layers each, with the printed side of the flannel facing down. Insert straight pins into one of the stacks of two layers to attach them to one another. Repeat this process to attach the remaining two nursing pads.

6. Sew the wedges of each nursing pad closed. Sew with a drawing stitch if sewing by hand. Sew with a short zigzag stitch if sewing by machine. Sewing the wedge closed will create a dart in the nursing pad and allow it to contour to the body and be less visible through clothing.

7. Sew the outer edge of the two layers of each pad together. Sew with a whipstitch if sewing by hand. Sew a short zigzag stitch if using a sewing machine.

Tips & Warnings

• If you don’t mind the bulkiness and want more protection, add additional layers of flannel to the nursing pad.

References

• Exploring Womanhood: Cloth Nursing Pads
• Passionate Homemaking; Homemade Nursing Pads; Lindsay Edmonds; April 2009

Resources

• Sewing by the Book; A Dart Tutorial Worth Trying; June 2011
• Perestroika Designs: Hand Stitching