About the Invention

Marsha Skrypuch was dissatisfied with washable breast pads. She felt that they were over-packaged, heavily-seamed, too expensive and not absorbent enough. She was equally dissatisfied with the environmentally unfriendly and costly throwaway pads that felt like they were made by "gluing pieces of coarse toilet paper together." As a nursing mom, she decided to design her own.

Though the product looks deceptively simple, lots of 'design engineering' went into making these washable breast pads which are made from 100-percent unbleached cotton knit. The pads have pinked edges instead of bulky stitched seams adding to their comfort and making them more discreet to wear. Cleverly, they can be layered like petals up to six at a time, providing for maximum coverage and absorbency. The cotton fiber provides the ultimate in breathability. There is no need for a plastic liner, which can trap moisture and increase the risk of painful breast mastitis.

Even though Marsha's own baby is now a teen, she is delighted that her product has sustained the test of time. There is still no comparable breast pad on the market, although there have been numerous attempts. Her innovation of marketing a laundry bag with nursing pads is now used by two of her direct competitors. "They can't get their pads as absorbent, discreet, and layerable as mine, though." The pads were sold in drug stores across Canada and are now sold via mail order and direct marketing.

About the Inventor

Marsha Skrypuch was born in Brantford, Ontario in 1954. She was mislabeled as "slow" in school and didn't learn how to read until she was in grade 4 for the second time. When she finally did learn to read, she chose the thickest book in the children's section of the Brantford Public Library – Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens. Reading that novel was a turning point in her life: not only did she become a voracious reader, but she set herself the goal of becoming a writer one day. She received an Honours BA in English from the University of Western Ontario in 1978. After a three month backpacking trip across Europe, she arrived home broke and accepted the first decent job she was offered – selling industrial supplies. "Understanding the Cleveland Tool Guide was a cinch after Chaucer," she explains.

From 1978 until 1982, Marsha was the only female industrial sales rep in Canada. She sold hand tools, cutting tools, abrasives, steel, and materials, handling equipment to factories and machine shops throughout southwestern Ontario. While the money was good, after four years, Marsha got tired of being asked "What's a nice girl like you doing in a job like this?" She also realized that what she enjoyed most about the job was solving the information needs of her clients.

In 1982, Marsha went back to university to take a Master of Library Science degree and it was while at library school that Marsha developed her passion for children's literature. She worked for Agriculture Canada as a librarian, while she was taking her degree and upon graduation took the position of Librarian, Delhi Research Station. Upon the birth of her son Neil, she resigned and became a full-time Mom for a year. Then she started writing book reviews and freelance articles. She also developed a washable breast pad for nursing mothers. "There was nothing like it available so I had to make my own." Marsha turned her hand to fiction in 1992, receiving well over 100 rejection slips in the process. In 1994, her book Silver Threads was accepted for publication, and she hasn't looked back since.

Marsha tells us that, on behalf of the University Women's Club of Brantford, she volunteered a year of her time to oversee the compilation and publication of the Mentorship Directory: A Career Guide for Young Women, in 1989. One thousand copies were distributed free of charge throughout the Brant County school system. On the heels of this project, Marsha spearheaded the 'Women's Access to Apprenticeship Training Program' in her county, an initiative to encourage women to train for non-traditional skilled trades. From 1990 to 1996, as the only female 'inventor' in her county, Marsha worked with the local school board and their 'Daughters of Invention' project, mentoring female students in developing their own inventions. Marsha lives in Brantford with her husband Orest, her son Neil, and her Miniature Schnauzer, Pepper.