Breastfeeding with sore nipple pain is a condition you probably neither appreciate nor want to keep for very long.
The longer you have been struggling with sore nipples, the less perseverance slogans and motivational slogans will help you. But sometimes they are part of it too!
Because without motivation and perseverance it won’t work in the next few days or maybe weeks.
“Breastfeeding is like dancing. When you both learn the basic steps, you become partners in your own particular style and the rules lose their meaning.”
That’s why I’m quite sure that you too will find your own rhythm – even if it may require a few dance rules at the beginning.
Especially if you not only have a sore feeling on your nipples, but they are also visibly injured, you urgently need treatment for your wound.
Sore nipples heal faster with these 10 tips
Ideally, you already have a lactation consultant by your side and you are looking for the causes of the injuries that have occurred. These can vary widely and often need to be addressed before an injury can fully heal.
The healing process for sore nipples is divided into different “stages” depending on what is affecting you the most at the time.
Care for skin irritations in the first days of your baby’s life
The new sensation and practice of latching can leave a sore nipple even if no visible injury has occurred.
In the first few days in particular, skin irritation can easily occur when practicing breastfeeding.
Nipple care can help to soothe the sore feeling in your nipples
- hand-emptied breast milk, which may move in after breastfeeding
- highly purified lanolin, which is applied thinly
The creams can not contain alcohol, preservatives or essential oils. Alcohol also dries out the skin and makes it more susceptible to further injury, and essential oils aren’t supposed to be inhaled by babies – which is difficult to control when you want your baby to be able to drink as needed.
Some creams need to be washed off before breastfeeding. I don’t recommend them.
With breast milk & highly purified lanolin you are on the safe side. I even tried the taste of some of them. They’re not all the same and I recommend to test a few.
Wound management for sore nipples with injuries or cracks
Wound management is necessary when wounds have occurred during breastfeeding.
- The wound cleansing for sore nipples
If injuries have occurred in addition to sore nipples, it is important to clean the wound after breastfeeding.
Because our skin carries many germs. This is natural. In wounds, these can cause irritation & inflammation.
It is suitable for cleaning your breasts after breastfeeding
* pH neutral soapy water in a jug
* sterile 0.9% saline solution
You can use both soaps over the sink or with a clean cloth
- Moist wound healing for sore nipples
The method of moist wound healing comes from wound management and also allows sore nipples to heal excellently.
To use moist wound healing, take a sterile compress and apply a thumbnail-sized amount of highly purified lanolin.
After cleaning, keep the compress on until the next breastfeed.
In the meantime, it numbs the painful nerve endings on the one hand and supports your body in healing on the other.
- The wound relief for sore nipples
Tissues must be well supplied with blood so that they can heal.
By going without a bra and tight tops, you’ll improve blood flow to your sore nipples.
In this way, your body’s own self-healing powers can unfold!
Let’s go topless!!
Prevent sore nipples from the start
Preventing sore nipples should always be a priority.
- The application time to prevent sore nipples
If your baby wants to breastfeed soon, it will show this by making searching movements with her head.
Or your baby smacks and licks her lips.
These early breastfeeding signs are the signal for you to start breastfeeding. This usually happens between 8-12 times in 24 hours – some babies also want to breastfeed more often.
If you wait until your baby cries to latch her, your baby will be more hasty in latching.
- The docking preparation
Before you put her on, get the milk flowing with a gentle massage of your breasts. The intensity is like a soothing back massage.
After 30-60 seconds the first drops of milk will appear.
The perfect moment!
- The suction technique
In order for your baby to get enough of your nipple into her mouth when she latches on, she needs the right starting position.
To do this, slide your baby so far towards the bottom that he has to stretch her head towards the nipple.
When your baby’s head is relaxed, the tip of your nipple is opposite the small tip of your baby’s nose.
To latch on, your baby now stretches her head towards the tip of the nipple and so it can grasp much more breast tissue. This is how you prevent injuries.
- Avoid the sucking irritations
Some babies have trouble with changing materials and shapes such as
- Breast & Nipple
- Fingers
- Pacifier
- Bottle teat
- Nipple Shield
Therefore, if possible, avoid them for the first 6 weeks or until breastfeeding is problem-free.
- Finding the cause of the sore nipples
Injured, sore and non-healing nipples still have “another” cause.
This can lie in the management of breastfeeding, or when latching onto the breast, or in medically relevant factors such as a lack of nutrients, an infection or changes in the oral cavity that are hardly noticeable.
Conclusion for the right way to deal with sore nipples
When I remember back to the time when I was first starting to nurse my baby Breastfeeding was torture! The entire breastfeeding experience was characterized by pain.
Everyone starts somewhere in their journey, it will get better. Your nipples will get used to it! Do not quit!
Remember Baby and you are a team!
