Sore nipples are an inevitable part of the breastfeeding experience. Initially, the areolae become sore from the constant sucking pressure;
the areolae crack and bleed and eventually the skin toughens up. Babies who swallow blood spit it back up, a frightening-enough event, but completely benign under the circumstances. Air drying the areolae between feedings should be enough to relieve some of the pain.
If not, or if the cracking becomes severe, apply unscented skin barriers such as zinc oxide (Desitin) or Vitamin A & D ointment. Just like you put on your baby’s bottom. Avoid petroleum jelly (Vaseline), which traps moisture in and makes the irritation worse. Also, avoid soaping the skin, which just adds more chemical irritation to the situation.
Get a Good Latch
If your nipples are sore, it is likely that baby is not latching-on properly. In most cases, baby is not getting enough of your areola into her mouth. Make sure baby is opening her mouth wide and that she has enough of the bottom part of the areola in her mouth.
You may need to support the bottom of your breast to keep it from slipping out of baby’s mouth. Check our article on latching on for more tips on how to get baby latched-on correctly. It may also help to vary your breastfeeding positions.
One of the most important things to remember when dealing with sore nipples is to keep nursing on both sides, even if one is painful and the other isn’t. If you favour one side over the other, not only can you do damage to your milk production, but you’ll most likely wake up to find one breast two times the size of the other. Offer the less sore side first, so your baby isn’t ferociously hungry when she gets to the sore side.
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Tags: breastfeeding, chemical, crack, nipples, ointment, Petroleum jelly, skin, soap, Sore Nipples, Vaseline, Vitamin A, vitamin D, Vitamin D ointment, Zinc oxide
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