Sore Nipples - Question for Breastfeeding Sister

She should see a professional lactation consultant ASAP before it gets to the point that she gives up on bf because of the pain. Not a Dr. a lactation consultant. There are several possible issues and more than one may be at play. Poor latch is the obvious, but also there could be a yeast infection/ thrush. She needs to get to the bottom of the pain, not just treat symptoms of pain.

She needs to work on his latch-that is what is causing the soreness. Tell her not to give up..the first two weeks are the hardest.

Lanolin... also she needs to air them out. Poor lady, I have nursed 3 babies very successfully but those first few weeks are horrible if the latch isn't right. I would strongly advise her to contact her lactation consultant to help correct the latch, since that is what is causing the pain. If the latch is right, than her baby may be tongue tied and need his tongue clipped. I hope she gets it figured out, nursing is wonderful and very rewarding for mother and baby, just have to get those early kinks worked out!

She can also contact the la leche league for help:
http://www.lllusa.org

Lansinoh is sold over the counter, its a lanolin cream I believe and it's a life saver!! I also had a horrible time with my first one latching on.. blisters and bleeding:( I spoke to a lactation nurse who recommended this and it was amazing. The best thing is you dont need to remove it before feeding again. I healed within just a few days, but had immediate relief from the pain.. Good Luck to your sister tell her to hang in there and CONGRATULATIONS!!

Getting used to nursing is a PAIN literally. But, a common cause of sore nipples is that the baby is not "Latching on". Make sure the baby's tongue latches on the underside of the nipple before beginning to suck. Maybe ask the nurse to help her with that. Also, go to the baby isle in the store and get nursing ointment to apply prior to nursing. This does not harm the baby, but allows mommy to get relief and get used to nursing. Keep it up, though, it does get better.

I have nursed three children (with lactaction consultants each time) and I don't believe ANYONE who says "it shouldn't hurt if it's done right." Your nipples ARE NOT used to having that kind of action on them...it takes some time for them to get used to all of that pressure. My first didn't have the latch quite right (was doing something weird with his tongue), so I did use nipple shields for maybe three days with him, on the LC's advice, so that his tongue couldn't do what he was wanting to with it. Once he was "trained" we stopped. With my last daughter, she had such a strong latch I was almost in tears every time I nursed. LC said all I could do was wait it out, and use lanolin in between feedings. I almost died when she spit up all blood about a week after she was born...I was trying to figure out if it was from her or me. I found that out a few hours later when she latched on and got off right away and I was gushing blood...gross, but even then another day or two and everything was normal. With each of my kids it took 7-10 days of that uncomfortable pain, until my nipples were used to being suckled by a baby. I always tell people that you just have to get through that first bit, and then it is smooth sailing. Have her call a LC like others have said, but make her tough it out a bit longer and things should get better :-)

With my first child my nipples were sore for 3 months straight. I cried almost every feeding. But with my second it never hurt passed the first couple of weeks. But blisters sound abnormal to me. She needs to contact an LC (Lactation Consultant) to make sure she's doing it right and the baby is latching well.

This stuff is amaging. APNO at
http://www.pregnancy.org/article/all-purpose-nipple-ointm...

The OB needs to perscribe - I asked for it and got a perscription, but needed to go to a compounding pharmacy. These are around, and the doctor can direct you to one. My lactation consultant recommended it.

AMAZING!!

PS - I don't think the link is showing up but it is "all purpose nipple ointment" google it with Dr. Jack Newman.

Lots of thoughts on this one! I breastfed all three of my kids, for what now seems like forever! First, the chances that the baby's latch is wrong are good, and, like many have suggested, seeing a lactation consultant--one she is comfortable with (I had one or two that grabbed my boobs in ways that made me feel a little invaded--and if that happens, she should tell the LC that she's making her uncomfortable)--could do wonders. I'm not really sure that Lansinoh or nipple cream or lanolin are going to do much for soreness; that seems to be more for the rubbing that comes from nursing, and less for blistsers. If she has some, though, it's definitely not gonna hurt anything to try. I know some LC's recommend against nipple shields; I'm not sure why she's using one, but is it possible it's the shield that's causing the blisters? Last--I had blisters with my second child while I was still in the hospital. The nurses said, "Oh, that's colostrum" but they were not the brightest bulbs, because a) it wasn't the color of colostrum and b) it DIDN'T RUB OFF. Duh. Anyway--it was not from a poor latch; it was because he was just a really strong sucker. It helped to feed him more frequently, but he was just a big eater, and got HUGE in his first year (he's quite normal now at 5). For him, it just took me gritting my teeth through it and toughening up my boobs, but admittedly, it only took a few days of pain. And, when I got home, I pumped almost immediately to give him more milk with less pressure on the same spots on my nipples. She can also try nursing in a different position; it might ease the pressure on the blisters and encourage a better latch. Google "breastfeeding positions" if you're not sure what this means. Good luck to her!

Maybe it's his latch. Does she have a lactation center she can go to? Many at least have a "warm line" she can call. Or ask her OB. I had a slight infection when DD was newborn and got some cream from my OB. She can also use her own milk to help heal herself and consider lanolin, too.

Kellymom.com is also an excellent resource.

Oh, and I was told I could take a reasonable amount of Tylenol. I didn't have to be in pain to feed her. It all worked out. Tell her to keep asking questions and finding what works FOR HER.

I nursed two babies, and especially with my first, I wasn't prepared for how much it was going to hurt.

First of all, I'm small, and all the sudden, I had these huge boobs. I didn't own a single thing that would fit around them and my back was killing me. Then, the nipple thing. I cried and dreaded feeding my baby. I seriously just didn't think I could take it anymore. It was right about that time that things started getting better.

My second baby didn't come along until about 10 years later, but I was prepared, emotionally, for the initial pain that would come. It did, and I survived it. I breastfed my son for 15 months.

I would suggest that your sister call the hospital where her baby was born.
I worked in the OB ward at my local hospital and the nurses are so great. They also have resources for lactation specialists who will even do home visits to work with you and get you through those rough first couple of weeks. I dealt with nervous, frustrated, and tired mommies all the time and the nurses followed up with them right away. They really do care.

Have your sister ask for help. I'm positive there are people who will be happy to support her through this. It could be a latch issue, it could just be soreness. It's been my experience that the soreness does go away, until the baby starts getting teeth, but that's a separate topic. :)

Congratulations on your new nephew.

It does hurt at first! I don't think there is any way around it! But, after about 2 weeks, it's not sore anymore. if she can just stick with it, she can make it thru... Sorry there isn't an eaiser way!

She needs to make an appt with a lactation consultant, if there is not any at her hospital maybe the OB nurses there have some names they can recommend. The LC will help her figure out what the problem is and help her to correct it, you typically don't need more than a couple appts. Also have her look into a breastfeeding support group or LeLecheLeague meeting, they can be wonderful resources. I was quite sore for the first week or two of nursing all my babies, but I knew it would get better. She needs to see a light at the end of the tunnel to give her the strength to continue, and that light is knowledge and solutions to fix whatever the problem is. I wish her the best.

Breastfeeding, if done correctly, should not hurt. If it does, there are 2 main reasons. The first is that the baby is not latching on properly. The nurses and the lactation consultant at the hospital can help her with this. The second is that after nursing, do not wash your nipples. The nipple is clean and the bit of milk left on lubricates the breast.

Lansinoh makes a nipple cream that you can get at Target or Wal-Mart - it's by all the breastpumps and accessories. It helped me so much with that toe-curling pain from my daughter nursing so much. After each feeding, I would slather that on really thick. It's completely safe for the baby to nurse with that stuff on too, so no need to worry about rubbing it off or anything. By the way, anyone that says it shouldn't hurt is wrong. I have 3 kids and nursed them all to a year. The 1st two were relatively painless and the 3rd was awful for about a week until the medicine kicked in and my nipples built up a little callus (for lack of a better term). Perhaps my daughter had a different latch from the boys, but either the baby needs to change or your body needs to get used to it. I think it's easier for your body to get used to it for immediate relief. If your sister needs medicine to help her through this time, she can also safely take Advil. Best of luck to her!

I also suggest Lanolin cream. It is thick and helps the soreness and dryness.

I found it at CVS or back then Longs. But it has been almost 13 years since I bought it.

She needs to request an appointment with a lactation specialist. I had a LOT of soreness and the specialist was able to identify that my son had a weak lower lip so he was not latching on properly. She gave me techniques to use to help him improve his latch and she gave me these awesone gel packs to put on my nipples to help them heal faster.