Nipple shields/pads

Can someone enlighten me about what nipple shields are? Are they an essential to buy pre-baby (am currently working through the lists) or a wait and see? Also, with breast pads, how long do you tend to need them for? I'm leaning toward washables for the pads - is this sensible??? Thanks!

Washable pads are the best way to go as becks said. You may need them for a month or the whole time you BF so well worth the investment especially if you end up needing them for a long time you can spend a fortune in disposables. Plus I found washable felt nicer. I needed them for 3 months. And it's great this time around I won't need to buy anything.

I never used nipple shields. I do however recommend getting nipple cream like purelan for sore nipples and I'd just get shields if you need them, no sense wasting your money on them.

I haven't needed to use shields either.

I use washable pads mostly but when we go out I put on disposable ones just to make sure I don't leak through. Sometimes if I'm quite engorged, they will leak through the washable pads - although I don't have really good quality ones.

Nipple shields got me through some weeks of feeding that I literally couldn't have done without them, so I'm a fan!  You do only need them if baby does some good damage to you, so I'd say just wait and see if you end up needing them, and hopefully you won't.  Unless you live in the wop-wops or anything and getting to a chemist in a newborn fog is going to be a problem.  Also - you can get a $5 sets at The Baby Factory - they don't have to be the pricey ones! 

I had cloth and disposable breast pads.  For the time that I was needing to use Purelan (or any nipple cream) I used 'sposies, as it would have killed the cloth ones.  They ad up to a lot of $$$ though. 

I had some of the $5 shields from the baby factory, and while I only tried them once, it was handy to have them on hand in the first week.

I'm also a fan of washable pads - but they are not all created equal. I got the set of 6 for $10 from the baby factory, and they are only ok. I'm loving the ones sold by mums and bubs made of the same material as MCNs. They come in different absorbancies. Disposables are still way more absorbant, so a box of those for the first week or so would come in handy.

I use washable breast pads during the day and disposable pads at night. I found that the washable ones wouldn't stay put in my bra, causing leakage. I recommend getting sposie ones with the sticky back, so they stick to your bra.

In the early days when it's common to get cracked nips, washable pads are much gentler. I found that sposies stuck to them, causing more damage

Dammit! I remembered the Z and all! Mind you, I was thinking something didn't look right!

I used washable for awhile, but was a huge leaker for months and at nightime the darn things would shift around in my bra. I needed purelan for months and it would stain the cotton pads and i found it tedious to wash the woollen ones when i didn't really have the inclination.

I swopped to disposable ones (sticky back ones really good for going out and night time feeds/sleep) and while they were $$$ at least i didn't leak through them everyday.

Just don't forget to take them out before you put your bra in the washing machine, eh?

i got nipple shields but didnt have to use them...as far as pads...i have some of bee ones as well..they are great..but went to buy more and all sold out:( anyway...i find the washable ones better as they have the sticky bit as everyone says and also they hold more...i put two sets in when i go out.. but leakage is finally calming down..:) they are expensive though but i find being able to throw them out is great and just get a fresh set....i am very lucky my mum brings a box round every week.. i nearly had heart failure when i realised how much they cost!