Help, My Nipples Hurt !!!!!

You should find a local breastfeeding support group that is led by a Lactation Consultant. She should watch how you position, latch-on and latch-off the baby. Many hospitals have support groups - I don't know where you live, but there is one in North-Shore LIJ @ Plainview & Huntington Hospitals. Mount Sinai in NYC has one.

I know you said you have tried creams but get the Lansinlo Breast Cream and also there are nipple guards to help with the pain. Some place like "Motherhood" may carry both. Also contact the hospital that you had the baby and talk to the lactation consultant. The baby may be latching on wrong if you are still in that much pain. Please get some help with breastfeeding and don't give up yet. You can get through this!!! Congratulations on the marriage and the baby! A.

GO to a doctor ASAP. You might have a condition that is treatable with medicine. My sister breast feed 4 children and this would happen to her.

Dear M.,

I have several recommendations, some of which you may have already tried, but I hope some of these work.

1. Lanolin. It's a topical ointment for moms in exactly your situation. In my past experience, no other cream worked at all, but lanolin was like magic.

2. Call La Leche League. Part of your soreness may be due to the way your son latches. Someone there should be able to help you help your son latch better, if that's part of the problem. They answer the phone 24 hours a day and may even have someone available to come to your house.

3. Nurse exclusively -- no bottles or formula. (If you're already doing this, please disregard; I just wasn't sure.) Even though nursing is painful right now, if you do it 100%, you'll heal much more quickly -- your nipples will become stronger and your son won't have to work hard to get milk.

4. This last piece of advice probably won't be welcome, but time: your nipples *will* adjust, and since your son is five weeks, you probably don't have too much longer to go.

Best wishes, and congratulations on being a wonderful breastfeeding mom!

Mira

Hi M...Congrats on your new arrival..

Let me first start by saying that you are doing a great job of nursing your baby!.It is by far one of the most amazing gifts you can give your child.

I understand exactly what you are going through..
First you need to address the latch on, you need to pay very close attention to how your baby latches on. This is the #1 case for sore nipples. You want to make sure that your babies mouth is open wide and that you get as much of your areola in his mouth as possible, not just the nipple. If not enough goes in you need to remove him from the breast by breaking he suction with your finger in the corner of his mouth, not by pulling him off and causing him to draw out on the nipple..

Next I would suggest getting a nipple shiled or guard to place in your bra..This keeps your bra off the nipple, giving it time to heal without contact from anything ..you can use the creams if they help but I found just using some of my breast milk worked best. Breastmilk has amazing healing powers!!..

I hope this help..let me know if you have anymore questions..

good luck

Hey MOm,

LOOK inside your baby's MOUTH, Does it look like he has some white patches in there.

He could have THRUSH.

which is a yeast infection in the mouth, and it can transfer to your breasts.
which will cause pain.

In many cases this happens to moms and baby's who took antibiotics upon delivery

The patches look sort of like skin that was dry but is now wet.

ASk the Pediatrician to check at your next appointment.

There is a medication the baby can take and a special cream you would apply

But becareful not to recontaminiate the container by dipping the dropper back into the container.

M

I found that my sore nipples were from microscopic cracks I could not see. I used bacitracin (sp?) on them after every feeding. My routine was as follows:
- Nurse - be sure to get a really good latch as has been previously discussed
- Wash gently with a warm-ish lightly soapy washcloth. I preferred Dove as it had a moisturizer in it.
- Rinse well with warm water
- Dry well by patting; NOT rubbing
- Apply antibiotic cream
- Wear a loose fitting cotton nursing bra so you can actually wear a shirt and feel modest. I found a few at Sears that were just about completely useless for support but at least covered me up. They were all cotton in a biege color.
- Throughly wash off the cream (the same way - warm water, light soap, warm rinse, pat dry) prior to nursing
- Repeat as needed

You really have to be diligent and patient with this process. It worked for me after about 3 to 4 days.

The other thing I noted was that if I "fought" the process and did not relax and try to let bonding occur naturally that it was an unpleasant experience and I actually hurt more. Make sure baby as well as you are fully supported and comfortable. I had to hold my little girl higher initially so she could reach and not stretch the nipple area out and downward.

Keep trying and see if you can get more help from your hospital, a postpartum doula, La Leche League,etc. Sometimes if someone analyzes what you are doing, then they can make additional suggestions.

Good luck.
~C.

Speak with your doctor about thrush, it's an infection that makes the nipples sore and can also cause pain in the breast tissue. Some of the pain is shooting.

the dr has a steroid cream that will not harm your baby. you might want to ask them for it

If you are interested in an old fashioned remedy, try Utter Cream. Yes, Utter Cream. It is used on cows so they don't get sore from milking and to keep the teats soft and pliable. You can buy it at Kmart and, I think, Walmart. It comes in a cute black and white cow print jar. It works wonders! It has been used by nursing mom's for years before all the new fangled, expensive medications came out. I used it and within days my nipples were fine. I bet your mom and grandma used it.

It also makes great hand lotion.

I didn't read all of the responses to know if someone else mentioned this...but did you try expressing some breast milk and applying a few drops to your nipples? Breast milk has components to it that help healing (I've read where some moms apply it to cuts and scrapes, but I haven't tried that).

M. you are not alone. However, I think I remember around the 5th week feeling some relief. You might want to see your Dr. just in case you dont have an infection (totally normal)
Do you give your baby any relief bottles? That would give you a tiny break. (formula fed) I did that with my second daughter and it worked out great)
Final remedy....cabbage leaves. i swear by this. cold feels good and something about the acid in the leaves that give relief. tear off a cold leaf and put it in your bra between feedings. I tried all of those things and finally gave in and sent my husband to the grocery store late at night in desperation. It really helps.

You could pump until your nipples are less sore. It is a lot of work, but usually helps. Also, I took Motrin around the clock for the first couple of weeks post-partum. I am not sure how much that really helped, but I successfully nursed two babies after getting through the first few weeks. Good luck, it is hard.

I feel your pain! I had my first baby 8 months ago and went through the same thing. One of my nipples was cracked so it literally was an open wound! I remember thinking the pain was worse than labor. I used lanolin constantly, which may have helped a little, but honestly, it just took time. I know you probably want to give up breastfeeding, but if you can hang on a little longer, it WILL get better! And in the end, its so worth it. My son lost interest in it at 7 months, and I miss it!
Good luck,
R.

Sounds like you got a lot of good advice already. I don't have a whole lot to add. I just want to encourage you to keep going. It will get better. My second child was really painful to nurse, also. She had a very strong suck and a small mouth. I think that combination was particularly rough on my nipples. (So much worse than with my first child.) It took a couple months and then the pain went away. It could have been a combination of toughening up the nipples and/or the baby's mouth just growing larger. Also, eventually your body and the baby will just get into a rhythm.. the best way to suck for the best let down. The products mentioned earlier, especially lanolin for me, work well to soothe the chapping and irritation. Have you tried different positions to hold your little one? Sometimes that helps. Positive distraction may help.. talking to someone, listening to music, or watching tv to take your mind off the discomfort. :-)

Good luck!

Hi M.,

This is the same advice you've already been given, but I wanted to reinforce it. Have a lactation consultant make sure your son is latching correctly (your hospital might have some available and the service might be free or discounted). I found that for dryness and skin tenderness, rubbing some breastmilk on and letting them air dry after feedings worked well (not always possible if you have a lot of people around), and Lansinoh cream was very helpful. I used that between feedings for a while and after showering. I have also heard (though never had to try) that placing a frozen cabbage leaf in a bra can help soothe. Sorry, I just realized you already indicated you have tried creams and oils. Do you also avoid washing your nipples with soap in the shower? Try to only wash them with water and avoid getting soap or body wash on them. For some reason this really does dry them out a lot. If you are still in pain though, definitely get some professional help. Good luck!

Oh Maryann
I just had to write you b/c I feel Terrible that you are going through all of this all at once.
You certainly have a lot on your plate for such a young lady and such a new bride.
Are you sure the baby is latching on correctly?
If he doesn't have your entire nipple in his mouth, it will hurt you a lot and you will be tremendously sore.
Did you get any visits from the lactation consultant in the hospital? They can help, but sometimes you do not get all the help and advice you need from them b/c their time with each Mom is limited. How about the Le Leche group in your area? You can look up that number directly in your area, but also you should know that your local Department of Health will provide you with an in-home Nursing visit.
You will get a visit from a Registered nurse that is an expert in Maternity/post partum care, breast feeding and child care. She can also get you in touch with organizations in your area that can help you.

Typically if your baby is latched on correctly, you should not have that kind of pain.
Don't give up, you are giving your baby the very best start you could ever provide. I commend you for wanting to continue despite your discomfort.

Hang in there Maryann.
Get as much support as you can from family and friends too. A new baby puts a lot of demands on you and seeing as how your marriage is so new, that can present it's own set of challenges. Never turn down a helping hand. If someone wants to do your dishes or laundry for you, take them up on it. Get your rest and spend your time with your baby.

I hope you feel better and that you can get some assistance from people in your area that can help with your BF issues.
Take care,
P.

take some extra strength tylenol and get some good assistance from someone you feel comfortable. the babies latch isn't right.

First of all, its part of motherhood, nipples hurt most of the time. But you can endure, afterall you gave bith. I am still feeding my 10 month old, in the beginning its 7/8 times now its only 3/4 times. It definitely gets better. Definte help, buy Medela Lanolin nipple cream, and Lansinoh ultra soft, nursing pads. Wear the pads day and night as the nipples stay moist, I believe better than air dry. . I tried all the remodies. Hope this helps,, hang in..

J.

I completely understand, I went through this last year after I had my son. It does get a whole lot better, hang in there. It looks like you've got lots of advice already, but another product you might like to try to are gel pads. You can put them in the refrigerator and then put them on your breast after you finish nurses and I found that they provide some soothing releif. There are probably lots of brands out there, I got mine from the lactation nurse at the hospital and can't recall what brand. But I did see on the iternet that Medela has some called Tender Care Hydrogel pads.

Good luck and hang in there.

hi, first if you cancontact a lactation consultant or la leche league. second, try nipple shields. it will help protect your nipple and let it heal and it will also help your baby latch correctly. my sister is a lactation consultant and she suggested that for my twins who were preemies and then my recent baby when during her first week of life caused my nipples to crack and bleed. and then i would switch positions for every feeding so that his latch should be slightly different each time (though i found the football hold to work the best). good luck

As someone else said, you've gotten a lot of good advice. I didn't read to see if anyone recommended those Soothies gel pads? Those really helped me in the early days. Keep going--my mom told me, "you'll get to the point where someone could throw a brick at your nipples and it wouldn't hurt!"That was advice her aunt had given her when my mom started breastfeeding me! She didn't believe her aunt, and I didn't believe my mom, but it's true! Your nipples will adjust, and get really tough--nothing will hurt then!

Do a search online for your local le leche league. someone will either come to your house, or give you advice over the phone. sounds like your baby isn't latching on right. or, call your ob, you may have thrush, which is a yeast infection in your nipple, it is very painful. hang in there, you are doing great.

I sympathize with you!!!
Please just hand in there. I went through this with my first child and I feel your pain. It does become unbearable but I promise you one day...just one day you'll wake up and nurse and it won't hurt.
Don't let them dry out too much. Don't run warm water over them in the shower and don't wipe them down with a wash cloth. Gently sud them while in the shower andquickly rinse, that's it.
I used Medela lanolin and also a lanolin in a purple or light blue container. I like them both and they helped a lot. Also, I used cold compresses on top of my shirt. It helped me more than the warm or hot.
The reason they are hurting is because the baby is not latching on correctly. It may be worth it for you to call the hospital to see if you can visit with the lactation nurse or put in a call to the laleche league. I am sure the lactation nurse will see you and help you out a lot.
Best of luck to you and congratulations on your baby.

Yeah, as others said, I'd check into thrush with both your pediatrician and *your* doctor. If it is thrush, the baby might not have any symptoms but, you could still have it. That happened to me! I have been fighting a thrush (yeast)infection in my breast for months, now, that went deep into my milk duct. Don't just accept it! Make sure your doctor helps you and if not, get a second opinion. It took me three doctors to finally get treated.

Hey M.,
It looks like the other ladies gave u every suggestion that I would have said. I also used the creams, walked around topless to let the nipples air dy, use the breast shield, expressed some milk, etc. Just like the other ladies said it will get better, give it more time. As the phrase says practice makes perfect! Good luck and hang in there! Also do seek help if necessary.

Are your nipples really red and raw? Do you have shooting pains through your breasts? You may have thrush. Check your baby's mouth for white patches, but even if you don't see any, get checked out for thrush anyways. It took my friend 9 weeks to get diagnosed with it and she was MISERABLE, but once she treated it correctly and cleared it up, she had a very long and successful nursing relationship wtih her daughter (still going at 15 months!).

Maryann/M.,

Congratulations on breastfeeding your son, and for making it this far without losing your mind! Awesome! You are doing the best thing possible to give him a great start.

Contact La Leche. There is an 800 # on a website.

I believe you have what's called 'bad' or 'incorrect' latch.

I didn't find out until DS turned 15 weeks or so. He started latching correctly. Pain gone. Creams/rubs/gooey stuff gone.

What worked: When he latches, make sure he's not using your nipple as a straw (between his lips) or that his lips are folded under.

His lips, when you look at them, should form an obtuse angle (greater than 110 degrees).

Try loosening his latch, (even if he cries a wee bit), and holding your nipple a little flat (flat in line with his mouth as if it were closed). His jaw should drop (along his axis) toward his chest a bit before he latches. That (over a little bit of time) should smooth things out.

Another thing that will help is baby wearing. A sling or wrap you are comfortable with will help a LOT (you can see everything and he can nurse as frequently as he wants, which is important at this age!) If you want a free recipe for a wrap, message me (it's on my other computer). Essentially 5 yards of cloth and a simple wrapping technique (not like the box I got when I was sleep deprived!) and you're giving him the best comfort he can have at this age.

one more site:
http://breastfeedingonline.com/newman.shtml

You will get a lot more information besides latch here.

Good luck, and you are doing some great work for your baby!
M.

I had the same experience with my second child. Miraculously at week 6, it got better: my nipples were less sore and my son got better at latching. Now, at 15 weeks, nursing is a breeze and wonderful bonding experience. Lansinoh works well; you can buy it at the drugstore. Also, try expressing some milk onto your nipples after feeding and let that air dry; there's something in the milk that helps seal things in and makes your nipples not crack. It can be tough going and can hurt like heck, but as long as your baby is latching OK, I bet if you stick it out a bit longer, things will get much more bearable. Good luck to you!

I feel your pain...I had a baby 6 weeks ago and went/am going through the same. I've used madela hydrogel pads to cover the nips when not in use. It seems to be a good cover so I can wear clothes. Also, I spoke to a lactation cons. and she said it's all about the latch. I tend to think some people have sensitive nipples. I'm not crying anymore and I can tolerate my baby latching - so it does get better. Hang in there, you're doing a great job!

What worked for me was wearing "Soothies" in between nursing (can buy in a drug store), putting on Lansinoh before & after feedings & sometimes rubbing a little breast milk on them. If nothing helps, contact a lactation consultant.

Good luck!! It takes some time for your body to get used to nursing. I hope the pain goes away soon!!

use a nipple shield. you can buy them at babies r us. it's a plastic cover for you nipple. i used them until my son was three months old & never had a problem. from then i nursed him for a year.

Good for you for keeping up with breastfeeding even when it hurts. As others have suggested, get some lanolin, which is safe for the baby. I also used Soothies gel pads, which helped a lot with the soreness (I think you can get them now at Target, Walgreens, etc.). And, finally, call your hospital and ask for a lactation consultant, or contact La Leche League if there are no consultants through the hospital, to make sure that your baby is latching on properly. Everyone says if you're doing it right it shouldn't hurt, which I didn't find to be true *all* the time, but after a while it really shouldn't hurt anymore. Stick with it -- it's really worth it! After a while you will enjoy it so much more, and there are so many benefits for you and your baby. Good luck, and keep us posted.

A.

hi! are you sure he's latched on properly? if he doesn't have enough of the breast in his mouth (the entire areola in his mouth) it will hurt you. i think ypou need someone who can help you with latch on and positioning. do you go to WIC? if so there's a lactation consultant there if not they should be able to direct you to one. call la leche league. look for a postpartum doula to help you. check with your local maternity dept. or prenatal clinic for a lactation consultant.lastly, go online and search breastfeeding latch on or correct positioning. there is lots of stuff online including video that shows positioning. yep--you can youtube it!

when he goes on to nurse, tickle his mouth until he opens very wide. his head should be back, mouth wide open. when he's not positioned well, he also isn't getting his full share.

i'm so glad you are breatfeeding. it is the best best best thing for both of you. i applaud your effort and your success. don't give up. you're doing good.

Hi M.,

Oh yes, I remember the pain very well. It felt like needles when he would latch on. All you can do is wait it out and your body will get used to it. You can also buy Lansinoh (spelling?). It's heavy duty lanolin and it helps a little. I know it's a bummer. Good luck and I hope you feel better soon.

By this time it either shouldn't hurt OR should be getting much better. Two pieces of advice:
1. LATCHING on is probably not correct. Try different nursing positions and also try flipping his bottom lip out as he opens to latch, then once he is latched make sure his top lip is not sucked in at all either. I did this with EVERY feeding!
2. LANSINOH nursing cream, which is safe for the baby so that you don't have to irritate your nipples more by wiping it off before feedings. I would slather it on a nursing pad and stick those in my bra after every single feeding whether they were irritated or not. Within about three days, no more sore nipples unless he bit or latched improperly, but then it would get better faster.

Good luck, nursing is tough, but it is so rewarding too.

Just wanted to let you know that my nipples hurt for two months. My son had a great latch, but I have very sensitive skin and his suck was like a Hoover vacuum. The first couple of seconds of each nursing session would be the worst, and then the pain would be less intense for the rest of the feeding. I thought olive oil was way better than the lanolin. But, that might just be because olive oil is so much easier to apply when your nipples are so sore that they can't be touched. Eventually, I gave up applying anything, but I always made sure my nipples were completely dry before I covered them up. I had a lactation consultant checking on me every week to make sure I didn't have thrush or some other problem. I think what finally gave my nipples a little break to start healing was pumping my milk for two days. Pumping didn't hurt like nursing, so I pumped during the day and nursed in the evening and night. My son stayed with my MIL during the day and she fed him the pumped milk. Just getting those couple of hours away from nursing really made a big improvement and started the healing process. Hang in there. Once your nipples feel better, breastfeeding will be such a breeze.

Hello, and Congratulations on your baby! My son is 12 weeks now, and I went through so much to get where we are today. I too was in sooo much pain for the first few weeks. I wanted to give up so many times, but I'm glad we made it through. You have a lot of great advice, but I just wanted to add what helped me. My latch was good, and I was so sore and bleeding that finally what I had to do was take a break from nursing for 24 hours. I put medicine on and wore breast shields and just pumped and fed the baby, and it made a world of difference by the next day. I wasn't completely healed but the pain was so minimal and then was gone, and I haven't had a pain problem since. My breasts just needed a break to heal. Good Luck to you and hang in there!

5 weeks is a pretty long time to go through this. I think the norm is 2 weeks of excrutiating pain.
My hospital had a lactation consultant on staff. Try giving them a call or look up Le Leche League in your area, or see if your pediatrician has a lactation consultant on staff. It sounds to me like your baby's not latching on correctly. They'll probably have you and yoru baby come in and have a nursing session.
Good luck to you, and way to go - painful nursing for 5 weeks is pretty amazing of you!

Hi M..
First off, congratulations on your new baby boy! I have three boys and breastfeeding hurt with all three. The first two, it only hurt for the first week or so until I got over the hump. But my most recent baby hurt for much longer. I finally went to see a lactation consultant, who was very helpful. Most insurances won't cover a visit to a lactation consultant, but it was well worth the $75 I spent because I was so frustrated and in pain. Check with your pediatrician or local hospital for a list on consultants in the area.

If you just have pain at the beginning of each feeding, then the baby may not be latching on properly (a lactation consultant can help with that) and you need to toughen up your nipples. This may sound random, but try steeping two tea bags of black tea (like Lipton) in about 2 oz. of water. Leave the tea bags in overnight until the liquid is thick and then after every feeding paint it on your nipples. It will toughen them up in about 24 to 48 hours.

If you have pain even after the feeding and it feels more like needles in your nipple, then you probably have a yeast infection which you need to treat with either a cream or oral medication from your OB/GYN and then you'll also have to have your son treated because you can give him thrush in his mouth. But you probably don't have that because you would have noticed white cottage cheese like stuff in his mouth by now.

Try the tea bag thing and if that doesn't work, then I would recommend seeing a lactation consultant. You will figure it out and huge props to you for sticking it out as long as you have while in pain. Many people would have giving up. Once you get past the pain, you'll find that nursing should be a wonderful and pain free experience that I'm sure you'll enjoy. Good luck.

Hello! I am just recovering from sore, cracked, bleeding nipples!!! My daughter will be 2 weeks old on Sunday and since my son didn't nurse perfectly till 4 months old, i wanted to get help ASAP with her. First, you probably have an infection and will need prescription medicine called Mupirocin 2% ointment. You can use it after every feeding and don't need to wipe it off. My nipples started healing dramatically faster with the ointment. I don't know where you live, but i went to Breastfeeding Resources in Stratford, CT on Wednesday. All they do is specialize in helping woman breastfeed. Their number is ###-###-####. If it's not too far away, I highly reccommend going there and seeing either Dr. Smillie or Sue Iwinski. If too far, maybe they can tell you someone close to you. Do not wait, get help ASAP!!!! I was at the point of crying when he and she latched on. If they are that sore, you also may need to take a break and pump and give in a bottle to let them heal. If there is an infection you may not want to squeeze the breastmilk on them, because i was told it can feed the yeast or bacteria!! He probably is latching too shallow and it will continue to hurt and won't heal unless you get help with all these problems, again ASAP, call today!!! Good luck, and i know exactly what your going through....just know it will get better with time and don't give up!!!
~A.

P.S. Taking Advil or Motrin 600-800 mg every 6-8 hours really helps. I noticed a difference when i was due to take it.....good luck!!

M.,
I would suggest going to the Dr. My nipples hurt, burned, etc to the point of tears the first few weeks and I tried every type of nipple guards, cream, etc. and nothing helped.... I almost stopped breast feeding but when to my OBG and it turned out I had a yeast infection on my nipples he gave me a cream to treat it and after 3 days my nipples no longer hurt. 5 weeks into feeding your nipples should not hurt, at all.

good luck

Hi there. I feel for you! That is such a miserable pain! I would cry too!!
I also agree with some of the other posts that by 5 weeks you should not be in that sort of pain. I would definitely check a few things...his latch and also look into thrush. My second had thrush and I got it and it was THE MOST PAINFUL THING I had ever had. But I wasn't cut up with it...it was a pain from the inside, so maybe that's not it. But worth checking out.

I hope you get some relief soon. Once the latch is right (or whatever the problem is), it should not hurt AT ALL!!! I hope you find an answer soon. Suffering like that is just not fun at all.

Congratulations on your little one! Sore nipples are common-I remember the sharp pain in the beginning when my daughters latched on. It really helps to get a proper latch. Is there a La Leche League chapter around you? Someone may be able to look at your latch and see if it's correct. The right positioning really does help. I'm sure you're doing a great job, it will get easier!

You poor new mom. I remember when my son was breast feeding and how much it hurt.

I remember coming to a point where I knew the importance of making certain he could latch on properly. Properly meaning making certain the entire nipple and aereola (colored area of the nipple were in his mouth. Allowing my son to get more of the breast instead of gripping the tip was much better for both of us.

To keep the breast and nipple soft and supple, I recommend almond oil which is a natural oil and very nourishing to the skin.

Make certain you keep your diet. Eat a balanced diet of friut, vegetables, protein, etc. Drink plenty of water too. You need to be certain there is milk production. What good is a good latch on when your baby has to suckle harder to not even get powdered milk.

Hang in there. It will get better. Hope this was helpful to you.

congrats! i have been there, i know how miserable and discouraging it can be. hang in there, there are several things to try:
first, check for thrush, another mom here told you what it looks like. look for diaper rash too, the yeast can show up there. if it might be thrush, you need to see the doc. meanwhile keep everything clean and dry and try to minimize your sugar intake as much as possible. drink lots of water.

second, check your latch, another mom also told you about that, thats most likely the problem. a lactation consultant can help you. you need to get as much of your nipple in there as you can, do not let the baby nurse on just the tip. i know they dont recommend this anymore, but it worked for me, squish your breast like a sandwich, to be the same shape as babys mouth, and get it in there from the bottom lip up... hard to explain, but press it on the babys bottom lip, then as much in there as you can, to the top lip. also, you can try the assymetrical hold, it helped me, im going to try to find a link to dr jack newmans website, he has video clips which saved me with my last baby.

third, as for the soreness that you already have, here is what worked for me... lanolin did NOT work for me, it actually made things worse. im allergic to wool, so it makes sense. i just expressed some breastmilk at the end of the feeding and applied and air dry. then, when it got unbearable with my first baby, bleeding and everything, it was awful, here is what i did ... ***i must preface this by saying that i have read that vitamin e can pose problems in large amounts for the baby, check with your doc***... when things were just awful, what i did was to apply some breast milk, then apply vitamin e oil (from a closed capsule, using a sterilized pin), then i put a little square of saran wrap on my nipple, then a breast pad over that inside my bra. then i didnt nurse on that side for a day or so, or just overnight, whatever i felt did the trick. i pumped every few hours to protect my supply, its much easier on the nipple. i would do one side, it healed dramatically overnight, then nurse on both sides for a couple of days so i wasnt all back on that side, then to the other side if it needs it. this worked beautifully for me. ***IF you have thrush, this will just make things worse, thrush thrives in wetness.

here is the website, there is tons of good info here, including a section on sore nipples which i havent looked at, that wasnt my problem at the time i got this site, i was having latch problems with my third, and if you scroll down there is a section called latching on, there are little video clips, watch them all, the assymetric hold saved me with my third baby (who apparently didnt get the memo that i was an old pro at this!) it helps so much to be able to see video, check this out...

http://breastfeedingonline.com/newman.shtml

best of luck to you, dont be afraid to call lactation consultants or members of la leche, they were so helpful to me right over the phone. take care of yourself :)

Hi sweetie, congrats on the new baby. After 5 weeks, breastfeeding should NOT hurt. I would suggest being checked by your doctor or midwife for thrush. If that's not the issue, contact a lactation consultant or a La Leche League leader (LLL will give you free help from a trained, experienced breastfeeding mom). A typical cause of nipple soreness is an improper latch, so if this is the case, getting advice on correction from an expert will help you!
Good luck