If you get sore nipples when breastfeeding, it's usually because your baby is not positioned and attached properly at the breast. It's important not to stop breastfeeding. With help, feeding should quickly become more comfortable again.
The duration of the healing will vary. Superficial and recent soreness may clear in a matter of hours or days. However, long-established and profound wounds may require a up to 2 or 3 weeks to be entirely resolved even after the cause of the soreness has been eliminated.
Breastfeeding with a crack can be very painful and the cracked nipple may bleed during breastfeeds. If your nipples are cracked or bleeding, it's quite safe to continue breastfeeding. You may see traces of blood in your baby's poos or vomit but it's not harmful to them.
Apply emollient creams, such as lanolin-based creams or coconut oil, to the nipples after breastfeeding. This can soften the skin and reduce cracking. Some people even apply breast milk to the nipples and allow it to dry, which can prevent cracking and has antibacterial properties.
Contact your healthcare provider if: Your fissures are not healing with home remedies alone. You notice signs of an infection, like a warm nipple, swelling in or around your nipple, oozing, inflammation, tenderness or redness. Nipple pain or nipple fissures are interfering with your ability to nurse or pump.
If your sore nipples are causing you so much discomfort that you feel like you need to take a break from breastfeeding, don't worry! You can still use a breast pump to express your milk. This will give your nipples a rest, while allowing you to continue to give your baby all the benefits breastmilk can provide.
Research shows warm, moist heat is soothing for sore nipples and can help your skin heal faster. To use moist heat, run a clean washcloth or cloth diaper under warm (not hot) water, squeeze out the extra water and place it directly over your nipple.
It doesn't matter how well your baby latches—if your nipples have cracks or cuts or are bleeding or bruised, breastfeeding can hurt. That's why it's important to give them as many opportunities to heal as possible.
First – on their own, sore nipples won't cause your milk supply to decrease. Milk supply is primarily driven by demand. That means that the more milk you remove from your breasts (either via your baby nursing or a breast pump), the more milk your body should make.
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.
Air-dry your nipples or dab them gently with a towel. Women used to be told to rub their nipples to toughen them up, but this isn't advised any more – thank goodness! There's no need to clean the breast or nipples before breastfeeding.
There are usually no obvious signs of thrush on your nipples. However some signs may be present and include: your nipples may appear bright pink; the areola may be reddened, dry or flaky. Rarely a fine white rash may be seen.
Sometimes sore nipples develop when the baby begins to suck harder because he or she is not getting milk quickly. This often is caused by: Improper positioning. Problems with latching on.
Signs of a Poor Breastfeeding Latch
Your child is sucking in their cheeks as they try to breastfeed. Your baby does not have their lips out like a fish. You can see that they have their lips tucked in and under, instead. You can hear a clicking or smacking noises as your little one tries to suck.
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.
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.
With a shallow latch, your baby's chin and mouth are closed tighter than if her mouth and jaw were wide open. To help her develop a deep latch, pull her chin down to encourage her to open her mouth. Slip your finger between her chin and your breast and gently pull her chin down.
Some women find that the friction from pumping frequently can cause cracked nipples, even if their breast shields are properly sized. One thing that can help with this is lubrication.
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.
You may be able to breastfeed with cracked or bleeding nipples – but if this becomes too painful, you may need to stop breastfeeding and pump for a few days (or possibly longer) to let your nipples heal. Exclusive pumping is one way to give yourself a break.
Nipples are prone to dryness, especially during dry, cold climates. The dry weather deprives the skin of essential oils, hamper the outer skin layer, and lead to dehydration and inflammation. If dryness is the cause of itchy nipples, then your nipples may look chafed or raw.