Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Do's and don'ts for cracked or sore nipples

Ulcerated nipples can hurt a lot causing a throbbing pain making it almost impossible to feed. Here are a few tips that helped me and will probably help you as well:

Dont's:


  1. Do not wash them repeatedly through the day. Wetness increases the pain. Washing them once a day during bath is sufficient. You can just wipe them clean after very feed.

  2. Leave them open to fresh air if you can for a while. It hurts while the ulcerated area rubs against clothing.

  3. Do not drown the area in ointments.

  4. Do not apply hot water bag. Dry heat is better than wet heat so do not pour hot water.

  5. If your baby adjusts or moves while feeding causing you pain, break the suction gently by slipping a finger and reposition him/her to latch on right. I have found improper latching-on positions leads to soreness.

  6. Do not let him/her suck when there is no/less milk. Sucking on the muscles leads to soreness.

  7. If the pain is unbearable, pump out the milk and spoon feed the baby. Let the area heal for 2-3 days. This way your baby is not deprived of your milk at the same time you heal as well.


Do's:

  1. Get medical attention first before anything else. Start using Nipcare before the delivery itself. Placentrex was another ointment prescribed for me that helped.

  2. Use hair dryer to dry the area after every feed. Dry heat helps.

  3. The choice of clothing plays a big role. So wear comfortable clothing.