Advice on Sore Nipples/breasts?

Lots of great advice already on here! I'll just add one more thing. I'm going on 6 months of breast feeding and if I wear a loose shirt without a bra my nipples will be in pain because of my shirt rubbing against them. I always wear a bra and keep bra pads on to catch any leaking milk. Good luck and keep up the good work breast feeding!

I had heardnightmares from other mothers and so I started asking around before my baby got here. The best piece of advice that I got was to NOT wash off your nipples or apply any creams between feedings. Let the breastmilk dry on your nipples. I only had tenderness my first week and since then NO problems whatsoever. As far as not making enough milk increase your water and GOOD fat intake. You could also try Mother's Milk tea by traditional medicinals.

Hi P.....congradulation you are doing a great job breast feeding your baby....just be patient and it will get better so soon....remember this is you and your beautiful baby's first experience and need more time.sara's suggestions all are great about breast sheild,lanolin cream and proper laching on tecnique....I will add just few more suggestions:
1-wear a good supporting bra at all times to decrease your pain..also you can use warm compress for comfort.
2-air your nipples whenever you can...let breast milk dry on your nipples.
3-break the suction at the end of feedings by pressing down gently on the baby's chin with your thumb.
(don't put your finger in the baby's mouth because it's not hygenic and can cause injury to the soft tissues)
good luck and don't give up breast feeding.

I second the suggestion to rub breast milk into your nipples to help with the soreness. Also, as much as possible, try to go without wearing a bra.

Good luck!

I used a lanolin cream for my nipples, it helped SOO much and healed my nipples quickly. I put it on before and after each feeding. It is ok for the baby to suck it off, no need to wipe it off. I was bleeding and had blisters when i started breastfeeding. I used the brand Lansinoh for "breastfeeding mothers" It works so good i cannot say enough about it! It saved me from pain! lol
Hope that helps, You can get it at target, babies r us, and i am sure many other places. I think i have even seen it at the grocery store in the baby isle.
Good Luck!

Well, I had big problem breastfeeding my first daughter and I went to Hoag Hopsital's breast feeding "lessons". They said if your baby is latching on correctly you WILL NOT HAVE SORE NIPPLES!! I had a great nurse who taught me and my baby how to latch properly and the problem DISAPPEARED!! Call your local hospital or get a lactation consultant. They are amazing and can teach you how to latch correctly, increase milk supply, etc. They changed my breastfeeding experience!! I was also able to increase my supply!! Good luck!!

Go to babies u us and look in the nursing section. You should find a breast shield to put between your bra and nipple to protect the nipple from rubbing against the bra. Apply lanolin on the nipple to relieve the cracked nipple when baby's not nursing. To maintain milk supply, pump from the affected side and have baby nurse from the other side. Make sure baby latches on properly or nursing will continue to be painful. By the third month, your nipples should be much less sensitive.
Drink lots of liquid to increase the milk supply. Note all tips about increasing milk supply includes drinking something. Water is cheapest and works just as well, 6 to 8 glasses a day should do it. As a rule: One glass when you wake up, one with every snack or meal.

I feel for you! I suffered 3 months before discovering that my baby had "tongue tie." I found out through a Le Lache League consultant I hired to help me through the horrible nursing. She had me see a ENT (ears, nose throat) specialist that cut his frenulum (the tissue thin skin that anchors the tongue in the mouth). It is painless and harmless and I never had any problems again. It could also be that you have Mastitis or a a yeast infection of the breast. Try contacting your local La Leche League (go to their website for a group near you). This group is a life saver for Mom's who want to nurse their babies. Also make a visit to your doctor-they maybe able to figure out if it is an infection on your breast, but beware, doctors these days do not care if you nurse your baby and may give you care that ceases your abilty to nurse, so consult with La Leche as well for all opinions. I have been nursing my little one for 32 months now and I am 4 months pregnant with my next one. Good luck to you.

P.,

congratulations on sticking through it. breastfeeding is one of womens' great tasks in life. tenderness is not uncommon. i'm wondering why are you having it now, after 2 months. did something change in the way the baby is feeding? you also mentioned not having enough milk.

what i think about with all those concerns is how well the latch is. i know, that's something that is concerning in the first couple of weeks. but with adequate milk supply, the baby can gain weight even with a poor latch.

i suggest getting in touch with a professional ASAP to assess your latch. you want to make sure the baby has a deep asymetrical latch. that ways it will be more comfortable for you and more efficient for baby.

for now, express some breastmilk and rub on the nipples and areola (the dark part) then let airdry. if you are having problems with dryness, you can try 100% lanolin (there are a few brands on the market) that is made to soothe breastfeeding moms.

i had the same problem what i did was use lanolin cream. its one that you dont have to wash off before you feed the baby. you can find it just about anywhere.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3922518