Chapped Nipples

I used Soothies and they were AWESOME! They are gel pads you can get at any lactation center or Motherhood (I think). They are kept in the fridge in between uses and they are cool and refreshing when you place them on. It took 24 hrs and I was good as new! :) They are re-usable which is nice... you put them on the backing and place them back in the fridge until next time.

Good luck and congrats!

Jen

I had an alergic reaction to a hypo-allergenic nipple cream and am very allergic to lanolin so I can't use lansinoh.
I now use olive oil and it works well - won't hurt the baby and the terrible cracking and pain is gone. You should also wipe your nipple with plain water and then squeeze a little breastmilk out and spread it around when you're done nursing. I use the olive oil after a shower and before I pump.

I had a bad time of it too, with my first one. Our midwives suggested hand-expelling a bit of breast milk out of each nipple, and gently smearing it over the nipple, and letting it air-dry like that. And it actually worked amazing wonders. It wasn't sticky, wince it dried in the air, and it actually made them feel alot better. The cracked, dryness cleared up within a day or so.

Have you tried dabbing a little breast milk on your nipples after feedings? That was the best thing I ever did for chapped and cracked nipples. Good luck!

I used the Lasinoh wipes while I was breastfeeding. I do remember that the chafing went away and I breastfed Becca for 18 months. I'd check with my doctor. Maybe you can get a prescription that is stronger than what you can get over the counter. I also used breast pads to help soak up any moisture. I had the disposable and the washable ones.

I had all kinds of nipple issues and found the BEST cream for it. It is Motherlove Nipple Cream. Www.motherlove.com. You can find it at Whole Foods and most health food stores. It totally saved me. Its also great because you can leave it on when baby nurses. All natural and organic. I like to heat a little scoop up in the microwave, rub it on my nipples, cover them with a cotton ball and let it really soak in. You will notice a difference immediately! Good luck!

E.,
If you can not leave the house, don't wear a bra under your shirt. Or if you have a nursing bra leave the cup portion unhooked, and continue with the cream/ointment.
W. M.

I cant remember where i got the following (probably from WIC) but i had some hard plastic dome shaped nipple covers (for lack of a better term!) that would fit over my entire nipple area that i wore under my bra to keep fabric, etc away from my nipple area and let it get some air. they had air holes in them and oh my gosh they were such a lifesaver. i couldnt stand to have anything touch my nipples they were so sore. good luck!

Try this, it worked for me and many of my friends:

Here are the ingredients for the breast cream. Use equal parts of each. Make sure to wash your nipples off really well before feeding!!

You can find these at any drug store:
Polysporin
Hydrocortisone cream
Miconazole Nitrate (yeast infection cream like Monistat, generic is fine)

I just put it in a small container that I could reseal and use again. I was practically going to give up on breastfeeding and this saved me and my nipples!

Expressing some milk, rubbing it round then putting on a little lanolin helps. Also, you might want to make sure that your baby has a nice deep latch going. There should be no real sucking or clicking sounds to be heard. If the pain gets any worse than just chapped feeling, check in with your doctor. Good luck and happy nursing!

Hi E.-
Sounds super painful. Ouch. I saw at Target the other day a new Boudreaux's product (new to me anyway). It looks like a carmex tube in a box, and it is for babies who have chapped lips and faces. I bought a couple of tubes for the sisters who have babies as stocking stuffers and one for me to test. My lips were SO soft afterwards. I figure since it can go on babies mouths, you could use it on your nipples to see if this helps prevent or soothe the chapping.
I hope this helps
-E. M

Seriously, you should buy some Nipple Shields from Babies R Us ASAP! I buy them for all my new mommy friends and they are a LIFESAVER. Although it does seem odd after 3 months, I would consider the last post about the latching and consulting with a specialist, ask your pediatrician or home hospital.

I would pump (if you have one) for a few feedings so that you are still expressing milk but not directly in baby's mouth. This has helped me before with cracked nipples. Not sure why but it does? Maybe because there is no baby playing with/gumming my nipples - as the pump is pure work instead of fun like the baby uses it for!

Hi, use a little A&D ointment, but wipe it off before the feeding and air dry your nipples.

Good luck

At 3 mths you really shouldn't be having chapped nipples anymore. Your baby might have a poor latch. They should be nursing with their lips flared on the areola region. they don't nurse on the nipple. The other issue could be a tongue-tied baby who isn't putting the tongue under the breast and might be hitting the nipple. They can still gain weight with a poor latch but keep you miserable. I would check with the lactation consulatant at the hospital or call Le Leache 800 number for a local support group and consulatant. For the immediate care the only thing I would add to Lansinoh ointment, air time would be express a small amount of breastmilk after nusing and rub that on your nipple as well to reduce the change of infection and help healing.