Cracked nipple help please?

Question

Please I need some advice My nipple is cracked all the way round I have a 9 day old baby.
IT starts to heal inbetween feeds but then when I feed again it opens up and the pain is unbearable
I had a bad latch before and now it is fixed but still whenever I feed the wound opens up again.

What am I supposed to do?

I am using lansinoh but that is not helping because the baby is opening the wound again

Answer 1

Feed from the other side and use a pump to express from cracked side. This will ensure milk flow is uninterrupted and you can control the pressure.
You can get a really great barrier cream by Advent (Nipple Cream) It has the consistancy of honey and really sooths. Also when you are having a bath express and apply a little breast milk to the sore nipple. It has great healing qualities!
If all else fails you can buy a little 'shell' device that goes over your nipple, the baby sucks this therefore you have no direct contact with the sore nipple which stays dry and gum free!
Good luck.. I know how sore it feels but it does all get better, don't give up!

Answer 2

Sounds all too familiar. Lanolin cream was the only thing that got me through the early days of breastfeeding. Lansinoh makes a great one that is available at most major drug stores. http://www.lansinoh.com/. What I use to do was apply the cream directly after feeding my daughter and then I would also cut non-adhesive pads to cover my nipple and slip it in my bra so that my nipple would not stick to anything and reopen the wound. The lanolin cream really does help with the healing process, and although the initial latch may be painful for some time it will be short lived and eventually there will be no pain at all. What I also use to do is whilst I was feeding on one breast I would "air out" the other nipple. Air is suppose to be very healing, as well try rubbing a bit of breast milk into the sore nipple itself. Breast milk has some wonderful healing properties...my public health nurse even told me to rub some in my newborns eyes when she had an eye infection (sounds strange but it worked). Best of luck, be patient it will get better every day.

Also, try expressing just a little bit of milk before the baby latches on, it may help. If you don't have a pump, just express some manually. This way the baby will not have to suck so hard initially to get the milk to come down.

Answer 3

Your nipples will continue to be like this for a few more weeks because your milk has come in and swollen your breasts to the max causing a shallow latch. I found that using a breast pump for 5 minutes before each feed "deflated" my boobs allowing bubby to have a deeper latch, it also makes it not so painful to put baby back on plus it will cut the healing time by 50%. Also get some lanolin cream from your local pharmacy, tell the ladies its for you nipples lol, and CAKE it on between feeds after you have had your nipples out to dry for a bit, be sure to wipe it off before your baby gets back on it. If it is really terrible you can just use the breast pump for a couple of days.

I know how horribly painfull it is to try to feed your baby when your nipples feel like they are being torn from your body, I cried when I got home because of the hormones and pain working together! It does get alot better though luvvy, just keep up the good work it is so nice to see you persevering with the feeding :D

Answer 4

Your nipples at this stage are going to get sore, and cracked and hurt. But it will pass. Call up a mother friend (or your mother) and have a good talk about it, as almost everyone who breastfeeds finds the first few weeks not as pretty as the pictures! You are doing a great thing for yourself and your baby so keep it up.

Try a few things other than the creams.
Rub a few drops of your breast milk on your nipples after the feeding and then allow your nipples to air dry.

Allow your breast freedom to ‘breath’ so they can heal faster.
Don’t stop breastfeeding though as some people are recommending, this is just bottle feeding in the making. Stick to it, and see a lactation consultant to assure you that your baby is correctly positioned on the beast.
Keep you baby in close when feeding, so pulling isn’t making the situation worst.

Good luck and keep it up!

Answer 5

You need to get nipple shields. They form a seal around your nipple and have tiny holes for the milk to come thru. It won't hurt as bad and will make sure that the baby has the nipple drawn out all the way around. I would also pump and bottle feed every other feeding to give yourself a chance to heal up better. Otherwise you'll be in pain for weeks. Heal now. That comes first.

Answer 6

I had this both times..... can you buy some lanisan i think the cream is called and get baby to feed from the other breast for a few feeds and gently hand express from the cracked nipple side. I would do this for up to a couple of days if you can and then reintroduce the nipple slowly. Your milk will readjust as needed and your baby will be fine feeding from just one side for a couple of days. Just make sure you drink plenty and keep the nipple aired as much as possible to stop infection and to allow it to heal.

Good luck I remember how painful this was.

Answer 7

Firstly, Never introduce formula as some people , ie doctors, nurses etc suggest. Any Breastfeeding counsellor knows that the minute you introduce formula it will diminish your milk supply. Also formula is "pretend" human milk made from cows and never as good as what you naturally produce for your child. Ask the experts!

Basically what a lot of people have already suggested - lansinoh cream, expressing by hand/machine. sometimes nipple shields can work. What i found helped was nipple shells - they have a hole in that helps avoid friction on the nipple from clothing.

get in touch with your local breastfeeding support group they will be most help practically.

Answer 8

I had a similar thing - the first few feeds were a bad latch then I got damaged and it took ages to heal.
I was told by a very experienced breastfeeding counsellor that after each feed I should squeeze a few drops of my milk onto my nipples and let them dry and give the nipples lots of air. If you put your bra on straight away there isn't much air and it's hard for the nipples to heal.

Answer 9

Keep up with the nipple cream. I would also suggest letting you nipple air dry for awhile to. Also it may help to nurse on the one side for a while and if you can express of the other. Just until it is a little more healed. If it persists see you Dr as you may have something else wrong.

Answer 10

One word...Lansinoh. Please find some Lansinoh cream, it is a lanolin based cream which you can put on your nipples to help the soreness and cracking, and it will help to heal them. You can put it on RIGHT after you nurse, and it will not harm your baby when you go to nurse again (ie you don't have to wipe it off before nursing). Use it after each time you breastfeed. I think you can find it in the baby section at most stores like target, walmart, etc, or if not, talk to your OB or see if there is a lactation consultant who can give you some free samples. Good luck. :)