Day six of nursing, but have cracked nipples, what should I do?

Question

I have been nursing for six days, love it, but wish my nipples would heal faster than they are. I have been coating them with lansinoh. Is this "wet method" the best? I also have heard about letting them "air dry" but when it scabs over, it stickes to my pads, and of bra. What is the best, and fastest way to fix them?

Oh ya, and i did fox my positioning problem. I knew there was a problem. My baby just has a very small mouth.

Answer 1

The main cause of cracked or bleeding nipples is that your baby is not latched on at the breast properly.
Make sure that your baby is brought right up to the breast and wait for her to open her mouth in a wide yawn so that she takes in plenty of breast tissue. The nipple is then drawn right to the back of her mouth and your baby is able to access the milk from the ducts with the muscular action of her tongue.

moist wound healing, relieves pain and letsthe woundsheal much faster without a scab. It does not need to be washed off before feeds.

Don't use soap, alcohol, lotions, or perfumes on the nipples
Take painkillers. If the pain is severe, you can take a painkiller about half an hour before a feed,ask your doctor or chemist for one you can use while feeding.
you can give your niples a rest and pump, but some pumps are harder on the nipple than feeding.
a niupple shield can help give the pain a rest.
i ahv ealos heard lavener oil and st johns wart oil help.
Air drying your nipples after rubbing expressed milk on them is good for healing cracked nips too, if you have the luxury of letting them hang out for a little while to dry..
sometimes the redness is thrush,it usually thrush looks red raw ans shiny and it won't go away without treatment.
i would try the lanolin cream,nipple sheild and reasess your latching on teqhnique.
good luck, if you can hang in there, by 8 weeks you will feel as if you have always been feedinmg,it should all have fallen into place by then.

Answer 2

Healing skin on the breast is necessary to prevent infection like mastitis for instance as cracked nipples can be an easy entry point for bacteria. You would not want to ruin your nursing experience by such suffering.Apply 100% USP modified lanolin between nursing sessions. Lansinoh Cream for Breastfeeding Mothers - because of the aspect of "Moist Wound Healing". Indeed the cream is great, albeit a little sticky and messy. To use effectively, dab enough Lansinoh on the affected area to cover it. Dab the cream on the corresponding area on your breastpad so that the sore part of your nipple/breast is bathed in this cream and is prevented from further abrasion. Another way to prevent the cream from rubbing off on your bra or breastpad is to use a breastshell after applying the cream. You may also use a small-sized plastic mesh tea strainer (with handles cut off of course).
Cool teabags (any plain type of tea, eg. Lipton teabags) applied to the breast after nursing can be soothing. The tannin in the tea leaves are said to be good to some extent in healing sore skin. Camomile or calendula tea might help soothe sore skin and with healing as well.
Hope this Helps! Good Luck! =)

Answer 3

Not that you need another answer on this one, but here is something you may wish to try. Firstly mother's of experience will tell you lanolin because it does seem to heal the quickest. When I found the pain to be unbearable, I placed warm tea bags against the nipple. The tea actually helps to soothe the pain. A plain orange pekoe works well....Another thing you can consider for quick healing believe it or not is lip balm....something similar to a soft chapstick. It can't harm the baby...its made to soften dry chapped skin of sensitive areas like the lips...and it helps to keep the skin moist. Plus it prevents pads from sticking to the nipple. Just make sure you get something that is unscented...and unless you are trying to offer a little bit of playfulness for your hubby's benefit...don't worry about making it flavored either.*grins* Keep going with it, it is so worth it in the long run. My youngest nursed the longest and I swear to you she spends the least amount of time sick of all three of my children.

Answer 4

Do NOT use Tea Tree oil as suggested above by mpmemory


"Not enough scientific information is available to recommend tea tree oil during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Animal studies suggest caution in the use of tea tree oil during childbirth because tea tree oil has been reported to decrease the force of spontaneous contractions, which theoretically could put the baby and mother at risk. Women who are breastfeeding should not apply tea tree oil to the breast or nipple since it may be absorbed by the infant."

Give the lanolin a few days to help you heal, the comment above about freezing pads with some lanolin on them is great. I leave my lanolin in the fridge, although it is tough to squeeze out when its been in the fridge

Answer 5

first off- the baby probably isn't positioned correctly and most important make sure your nipples are completely dry BEFORE putting your bra/pads back on! After your baby is done nursing on one side- let your nipple air dry and then put on your pads and bra-- keeping them 'moist' will only make things work! Good luck

Answer 6

Go to the link below. The information is provided by LLL & the medical advisory board of La Leche League International... a breastfeeding information and support group.

First off.. do not give up. You might want to get the book "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" by La Leche League International.
*Nurse your baby more frequently (so your baby isn't overly hungry & nursing aggressively.) Start on your least sore side first.. making sure you are "tummy to tummy" with her (correct nursing position). Make sure your baby is getting as much of the aerola in his mouth as possible rather than the tip of the nipple.
*Make sure your nipple is dry before you cover it up again. Moisture trapped can cause chaffing of already tender skin.

Read the link I have provided in sources below. It is full of excellent information and suggestions.

Congratulations on your new baby! Enjoy!

Answer 7

I know exactly what you are going thru went thru the same thing, I now have 3 grown boys!

Tea Tree oil, Really good tea warmed in tea bags and let them sit a while? Air drying is always the best but you can't walk to the store with your boobies hanging out, so I would sooth them as much as you can until and keep them warm and wet (not in a sick kind of way!)

Answer 8

Put a dab of Lansinoh on the center of disposable breastpads and freeze them in the freezer. You and do this with a bunch of breastpads separating them with wax paper. These are really soothing!

Hang in there, sweetie. It will get a lot easier after week 2. You are giving your baby the best.

Answer 9

Talk to a lactation consultant. They told me to rub some of the breast milk on my nipples. It seemed to work but I also used the lanolin. After a couple of weeks my nipples didn't crack or hurt anymore. Good Luck!

Answer 10

with my son I had the same problem, they stuck to the pads and it hurt like hell. I put a little vasoline on them and then if i was laying down for a nap or something, i would let them air dry it helped after a bit. It just takes time for them to go back to normal