Cracked Nipples!

Lasinoh!!! Very best stuff on earth for cracked nipples from breastfeeding, you can find it in the baby section near diaper rash creams in just about any store.

Lansinoh comes in a purple tube and can be found at most stores even Walmart. You apply it after every feeding and it helps protect your nipples from cracking or cracking any further.

I understand the pain! I have nursed four babies. The last two are twins and I am still nursing them. The best thing you can do is keep nursing through the pain and just watch for infection. Hang in there!

get some pure lanolin cream (usually in the baby section next to bottles, nursing pads, etc. at walmart) and use it after every time you nurse. it doesn't sting, and best of all, it's all-natural so you don't have to wipe it off before you nurse again =) your nipples should heal up in a matter of days. (lanolin can also be used on rough, cracked feet or any other skin that's really dry, FYI)

I just stopped nursing in November after having gone 17 months strong. I will tell you that the two things that were absolute lifesavers for me were the Lansinoh cream and Medela Soft Shells for Sore Nipples. I used the soft shells instead of pads and I was so comfortable. I ended up using them for about the first six months they were so awesome. You can find them at Babies R Us or online. Good luck - it will get better!

The easiest thing to do is to apply some breast milk to the nipple after nursing and then let them air dry for a minute or two. It is safe and it is a great healer. Also, don't use soap on them when you shower, just water.

Ugh, I thought I had blocked out memories of this! When I had this problem my doctor told me to wash the nipples with a gentle soap like Ivory after each nursing session and to air dry, don't use a towel, and when they were completely dry to use the lanolin cream. I used Neutrogena sesame oil and it worked great, it is best to put it on head to toe when you're still wet from the shower.

Hope you get well asap!

Be sure to let your nipple dry out completely after each nursing before applying any lotions, etc or covering them up. This helped me tremendously.

I had a terrible time with my nipples for the first 6 weeks of breast feeding and still (son is 5 months) have to be very diligent about caring for my nipples. Everyone said to use the Lanolin, but it did not work well for me. I put a bit of baby lotion on them almost every time after I feed or pump and they seem to stay pretty healthy. hope that helps - I know too well how awful it hurts.

I would recommend against using soap on your nipples, however gentle it may be - that's straight from LLL's Womanly Art of Breastfeeding

Lanolin is good.
Also, try expressing an extra few drops at the end of a nursing session and rub it in. Breast milk has great healing and anti-bacterial properties!
Avoid using anything that will require being wiped off before nursing - that's just more friction on an already sore spot. Also, no matter how you wipe, there will likely be a residue that your baby may/may not suck off as she nurses.

Has her latch changed recently? Have you changed how you hold her when you nurse, thus changing her body's position when she latches? Her ear, shoulder and hip should all be in a line when she nurses. Your nipple should aim towards the back/roof of her mouth....You probably already know all of this if you're just now experiencing sore nipples, but sometimes it's easy to forget to check these things each time we latch our babies on.

Have you recently started pumping? Sometimes if the 'horn' of the pump is the wrong size it can cause sorenes.

If your nipples are already dry/cracked, I would avoid doing anything extra to dry them out. It just doesn't make sense to me. If my hands are dry with the knuckles cracked (which happens in winter) I don't add heat or anything to dry them out more -- I add lots of lotions and creams! Made sense to me to do the same on my nipples when this happened with my first baby.

Is it possible that it's caused by thrush? I've never had thrush, but I know it can cause sore nipples (not sure about cracked)...I think your local LLL leader can help you identify whether or not you have it.

Sum up, first check position and latch, then the other stuff I mentioned. I would still contact your local LLL person - this is what they're there for!
http://www.lllusa.org/web/ShermanTX.html

HTH
K. H, mama to
Catherine, 4yrs (nursed to 2.5yrs)
Samuel, 1yr (still going strong)

You've heard it already, but LANSINOH (medical grade lanolin) is an absolute MIRACLE! I was so bad with my daughter that I bled everytime she nursed. My nurse suggested LANSINOH, and I was healed in just a few days. And, you don't have to wash it off before nursing. It is also great fro diaper rash, burns, etc. I swear by it.

hey T.,
bummer! i had that a little with my first. luckily it didn't last too long. however they would sometimes get sore if she changed her latch (which they do sometimes when teething). make sure she is latching on properly and you're holding her tummy to tummy as much as possible. the nipple needs to go to the back of her mouth (i'm sure you know that). make sure if you're using breastpads that you change them often (especially after they've gotten wet) to keep your nipples dry. you can try coconut oil on your nipples. it's all natural and has antibacterial, fungal and viral properties to help clear up "owies". i'd still wipe it off before nursing, but it's all natural and should be fine for baby. i wouldn't do the chapstick as someone recommended b/c it's not safe for babies. there are a lot of chemicals in chapstick. if you did use it, be sure to wipe it off as well.
if nothing is working, i'd go to a la leche league meeting and ask them. they are so knowledgeable! i love going to them. so helpful.
good luck.

Hello.

You've gotten great advice . . . .
and . . . try using an Evenflo bottle nipple.

Place it directly over your own nipple.
The baby's suction will pull it thru more completely.

Saves "you" until you heal.
Let me know what you think.
P. B

I would also caution against soap, it can dry your nipples even worse. There is a pure lanolin product called Lansinoh, and it is a miracle!! (There is also a store brand that is teh same but may be a bit cheaper.) You can get it at many drug stores and dept stores (including Babies R Us.) The great thing about using pure lanolin is you do not have to wipe it off before nursing again, it is 100% natural and non toxic. I used it all the time and it really worked!

Good luck!

Cherry flavored chap stick. You don't have to wash it off, your baby won't mind the taste, it' super cheap and easy to take with you and it WORKS!!

I was told just to take a soapy cloth and wipe them. And make sure she is latching on correctly.

Udder balm or bag balm or if on a tight budget, use A&D ointment it works like a DREAM!!!!! I know it sounds funny, but it works. You can get it at whole foods or walmart.

Of course before you BF make sure it is ALLLLLLL washed OFF THOROUGHLY. I know you know this.