Nipple pain is common in the early days of breastfeeding. This is because your nipples are not used to breastfeeding. The pain lasts for a short time, usually around 1 week. Soreness that continues throughout the breastfeed, or lasts for more than 1 week of breastfeeding, is not normal.
Soreness normally settles down after a few days as your body gets used to breastfeeding and your baby's sucking becomes more efficient. Consult a healthcare professional, lactation consultant or breastfeeding specialist if the pain while breastfeeding doesn't subside after a few days.
Sore, cracked or bleeding nipples are common. Some mothers have such trouble with them that they stop breastfeeding early. As a new mother, you may find it could take a few days or weeks to adapt to the strong suck of a healthy baby on your breasts.
Self-help tips for sore nipples
wear a cotton bra so air can circulate. keep feeding your baby for as long as they want – keeping breastfeeds short to "rest" your nipples will not ease nipple pain and could affect your milk supply.
Overview. Pain during breastfeeding is a sign of a problem and should not be ignored. Although sore or tender nipples are common during the first few days of breastfeeding, it should improve. Normal soreness or pain usually occurs for about a minute when the baby first latches on to the breast.
In the first three to five days after birth, if you experience nipple soreness beyond a slight tenderness when your baby latches on, it may be a sign that something isn't right with the baby's latch, position, or suck. An adjustment to the latch or positioning can help you and your baby to be more comfortable.
While achieving a good latch is an important step to pain-free breastfeeding, even mothers of babies with a good latch can find breastfeeding painful at first.
Keep baby's body tucked in close to yours. You may use your hand to reach over and move the breast to line up with baby's mouth or press gently on the top side of your breast so that baby's chin can easily get underneath the breast for a deep latch.
Baby's latch and positioning.
If your baby isn't positioned well, you may have soreness and pain over time. Check baby's positioning and latch. If your nipple is pinched, flat, or a different shape than usual after you breastfeed, you may need to adjust baby's latch. Visit your WIC breastfeeding expert for help.
If your baby latches just on the tip of your nipple or it hurts, gently put a clean finger in your baby's mouth to break the latch, then try again.
When you first start breastfeeding, you may have sore or sensitive nipples. This is very common in the first week of breastfeeding, and is usually because your baby is not latching on (positioned or attached) properly.
The latch feels comfortable to you and does not hurt or pinch. Your baby's chest rests against your body. Your baby does not have to turn his or her head while drinking. You see little or no areola (the darker skin around the nipple), depending on the size of your areola and the size of your baby's mouth.
football hold. Allow his head to tilt back a bit, which opens the space between his chin and his chest. This allows him to open his mouth wide to get a big bite of breast and thus a deep latch. Don't push on the back of your baby's head, as this will push the chin down and close his mouth.
Lipstick nipple
If your nipple comes out of your baby's mouth flattened, or slanted like a new tube of lipstick, it's a sign your baby's latch when breastfeeding isn't deep enough.
Nipple Shape and Size
Most babies can breastfeed no matter what mom's nipple is like. Some women have nipples that turn inward instead of pointing outward or that are flat and do not stick out. Generally, a woman who has flat or inverted nipples is able to breastfeed if her nipples can point outward.
If you find your child is fussing on the bottle, taking much longer to finish a feed, falling asleep feeding or the teat is being sucked into the bottle then these would indicate they need to change teat size to allow a faster flow of milk.
Signs your baby's nipple flow is too fast
Stop feeding or pull away: Your baby may push the nipple out of his mouth with his tongue, pull away from the bottle or turn his head. He may even close his mouth and refuse to feed.
Laid back positioning.
This position is often the most comfortable. A study by Milinco, et al (2018) showed that these positions can reduce the numbers of mothers experiencing nipple pain and damage by 58%. In these positions you recline back to an angle of between 15-65 degrees and baby lays on his tummy on your body.
Using Xylocaine 5% Ointment between feeds can help numb and relieve the pain from sore nipples. Before using any medicine while breastfeeding, it is important you get advice from your doctor or pharmacist. They will weigh up the risks and benefits of using the medicine.
Reduce friction: Wearing sports bras or other well fitting bras can reduce friction and provide some relief to sore nipples. Try sleeping with a supportive bra designed for breastfeeding and lactation if you tend to move around in your sleep a lot.
Pushing the Tongue Down and Out
Turn the finger over slowly so that the finger pad is on the baby's tongue and push down on his/her tongue while gradually pulling the finger out of the mouth. Repeat this exercise several times before latching the baby onto the breast.
Summary of Use during Lactation
Lanolin is a yellow fat obtained from sheep's wool. It has traditionally been used topically to treat sore, cracked nipples during breastfeeding.