Care Tips For Sore Nipples From Breastfeeding

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Breastfeeding can sometimes turn out to be hurting and the main cause for this is due to nipple soreness. Nipple pain is a problem that women undergo either when they are pregnant or breastfeeding. You may experience sore nipples during the first two weeks of breastfeeding. If your baby sucks or pulls your nipple aggressively into her mouth it can sometimes become painful. After the first week of breastfeeding, this discomfort would lessen. Mothers usually develop sore nipples after a few weeks of nursing because of poor positioning and because the baby is not latched on properly or either the baby is sucking incorrectly. The pain is usually caused by wrong positioning at the breast and suction trauma; however make sure to check the positioning and encourage your baby to open the mouth wide while latching on. Trying different nursing positions will heal and can be good breastfeeding care for sore nipples. Fungal infection can also be the cause for sore nipples. Aching, bleeding, cracked, itching or sore are the usual terms many new moms would associate with their nipples.

Sore nipples can be due to three reasons; either due to blockage, breast engorgement or mastitis. If the cause for sore nipples is something to do with the first two reasons, then you don’t have to worry about it as the right breastfeeding care for sore nipples are easy to follow. Here are certain measures to make your breastfeeding more comfortable and for the treatment of your sore nipples.

Go braless
A badly fitting bra will add pressure to your breasts and won’t let your skin to breathe. This could make the problem worse if too much moisture has been trapped inside. And if you want to take proper breastfeeding care for your sore nipples, go braless or shirt-less if possible. The less aggravation and irritation you have on your nipples will help bring down the irritation. Moreover, the more the air you have on your nipples it would definitely heal the area. So try to open both sides of the bra before breastfeeding.

Breastfeed frequently
Nursing can be made comfortable, if you do it at least every two hours. This will certainly not let your baby to become hungry between the feedings and hurt you when he or she latches on aggressively at your breast. The other most important step for breastfeeding care for sore nipples is to nurse your baby on the nipple that is less sore.

Expressing or Pumping your breasts
Do breast pump or hand press for two minutes before feeding you baby as this can soften the area and it also helps to elongate the nipple for the baby. This can give a better grip to latch on to. It will help the milk to flow easily and won’t make your baby to nurse so vigorously. Pumping the breasts before nursing can protect the milk supply and increase the supply of milk for your baby, which is a good breastfeeding treatment for your sore nipples.

Tickle your nipple on the baby
To get a better latch on, try to tickle your nipple on your baby, so that the baby opens the mouth wide. Sore nipples can be a cause of concern. For better healing and breastfeeding care for your sore nipples, try to point your nipples to the baby’s lips. So when your baby latches on, his/ her chin and lower lip touches the areola first and the upper lip would touch most of areola into his/her mouth.

Breast milk
Try to apply breast milk after feeding and do rub it on your nipples and areola. This is a good breastfeeding care for your sore nipples as the breast milk is fully loaded with antibodies. It’s a speedy process to heal and to treat sore nipples.

Warm teabags
The other breastfeeding treatment for sore nipples is to apply tea bags to your nipples before you start nursing. Tea bags are readily available in your homes and can be good way for soothing sore nipples.

These are some of the breastfeeding care for sore nipples.