Has anyone got any useful tips for cracked and bleeding nipples?

Carrie - posted on 01/28/2012

Mine cracked & bled. It was awful. I bought "Soothies" at the Mommy & Me store at the hospital which helped relieve the immediate pain. Kinda like gel pads that I put in the fridge, they absorb milk when you leak, & felt sooo good when I put them on. However, to actually help get my skin back to the way it was before nursing I bought the organic Peter Rabbit Therapy Cream sold at Whole Foods. I did a lot of research to find a nipple cream that could be safely ingested. And as a bonus, I use it for diaper rash cream, on the cheeks & chin for chapped face from drool, & even on my dry hands from washing. It's the best stuff & worked really well on my very painfully sore nipples & loved the fact that it was totally safe for my baby to ingest. Just don't use anything that has petroleum oil/jelly or products with mineral oil...mineral oil is just a petroleum byproduct!! This absolutely should not be ingested!! Petroleum jelly/oil & mineral oil act like saran wrap on the skin, it doesn't let the skin breathe, blocks pores, & doesn't let the body's natural ability to moisturize itself so you will have a continuous battle of chapped/cracked skin. For ex, you can take a cracker & put in water & it turns to mush, but if you take a cracker & put in baby oil even a day later you can take it out and it will crumble like a fresh cracker. No moisture can soak in the cracker so same goes with your skin. So, I highly recommend the Therapy Cream!

Sheena - posted on 02/13/2010

my daughter is the same age and i havent had this problem because from my previous chile i learned to stalk up on the lanolin and use it every time i feed her...if it really is bad i would suggest a nipple shield....good luck

Nicole - posted on 02/13/2010

I only had this issue in the very beginning and honestly, I don't think it should still be bothering you. Maybe you have very dry skin or she is not latching properly? I would contact la leche league or possibly the pediatrician. But what did work was linosoh ointment. It helps alot is is safe for baby to have in their mouths.

Rebecca - posted on 02/13/2010

Get with a lactation consultant to make sure the baby is latching well. That was the hardest part for me, i was awkward because i was learning what to do and so was she. Use Lansinoh Lanolin like crazy!!! after every feed and more often if you need. You may also want to get a Nipple shield for when the baby is feeding. Just use it temporarily though. It will help protect your nipple until it heals up a little better. I would go to your doctor though to make sure that you don't have a yeast infection on your nipple, make sure your baby doens't have any white spots in her mouth, that is a sign of Thrush which is a type of yeast infection. you will both have to get treatment to make sure it goes away! Good luck

Tiera - posted on 02/13/2010

One word . . . Soothies . . . available at drugstores. Love them!

Kimberley - posted on 07/27/2009

My mum told my sister in law to use a hole lettuce leaf, it helps with the ease of pain :)

Julie - posted on 07/27/2009

I had very sore cracked and bleeding nipples early on it stayed in one breast until my doctor sent some of my milk to test it for a bacterial infection. I had a bacterial infection in that one breast, a course of antibiotics and it healed pretty quickly. So it may be wise to get yourself checked.

Tara - posted on 07/27/2009

The most important thing is to make sure your baby is getting a really good latch. Put babies nose to your nipple so babe has to reach forward and open wide, taking a large mouthful of breast tissue. Check that babies cheeks are not dimpling in while eating. You want the baby to suckle not suck the nipple. Once you have the latch fixed the problem should work itself out. Try using nipple shields while it is healing. I would not recomend bottle feeding at this time as it reinforces the babies habit of sucking, which will damage your nipples more.

Heather - posted on 07/27/2009

Lanolin ointment is great.

Hannah - posted on 07/24/2009

I tried all the nipple creams and the soothies, and they didn't help a bit. Then my doula told my to express some breast-milk after each feeding, and rub it on my nipples, then leave my breasts exposed to the air as much as possible. It worked wonders, and my boyfriend also got a nice surprise when he came home from work to a bare-breasted woman.

Tiera - posted on 07/24/2009

"Soothies" gel pads feel great and are available at many drug stores and childrens stores like babies r us. I hated lanolin! Gerber makes some stuff that looks kinda like a big tube of chapstick, but it's made for nipples. I found it at babies r us. Works great. Doesn't have to be washed off before nursing, doesn't taste bad to baby, smells nice, not sticky and gooey like lanolin. Also have a lactation consultant check your latch and have your doc/babies doc check for thrush.

Kaienthokwas - posted on 07/24/2009

When I'm home and not planning on going anywhere, I just wear a shirt, no bra...air dry helps so much. My boy is going on 6 months and one side is starting to get sore...possible latch problem or maybe thrush. Check with a lactation consultant

Martha - posted on 07/24/2009

I agree that you should check her latch and get checked for thrush. I had luck with the gel pads. They use the same technology they use for burn victims to help you heal quickly. My local hospital pharmacy carried them, or you can get them on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Ameda-17262-Comfor...

Hope you're better soon!

Stephanie - posted on 07/24/2009

I also had a ;ot of pain and even lost a part of my nipple once.I used to cry at the start of every feed.I had my latch checked and it was good and I was using lanolin as well. I almost gave it up but the public health nurse told me to check out this site http://www.drjacknewman.com/ And try the all purpose nipple ointment there.So I bought a nipple shield to use for that week[I had to I couldn't even pump it was so painful] And I went to the docter and got the perscription for the cream.I got a lukewarm bath in the evenings with 5 drops of teatree oil and dryed my nipples with the hairdryer on cool setting.Try to get a little air and sun on the for a little bit every day.It worked miracles!It may have been just the cream or a combo of everything I dont know.But it worked for me.The site has great advice for breastfeeding moms.Good luck Joanne!

Erin - posted on 07/24/2009

will your baby take a bottle of breast milk? sometimes a day off will do you wonders. with my first daughter we had alot of feeding problems and at one point half of my nipple was detached from the areola, and i am not exagerating. i was told to take 10 days off and pump while i healed, it worked and i was able to continue nursing after. the lanolin is wonderful, also after a nursing, or pumping, session rub some breast milk on your nipples and allow it to air dry. an old home remedy for soothing soar nipples is cold fresh cabbage, just crush a leaf with your hands and place it in your bra.

Cathrine - posted on 07/24/2009

nipple shields :P

Nicol - posted on 07/24/2009

THE YEAST INFECTION ON YOUR NIPPLES IS CALLED THRUSH AND YOU AND THE BABY WILL BOTH HAVE IT THE BABY WOULD HAVE WHITE PATCHES THAT LOOK LIKE MILK BUT WILL NOT WIPE OFF BUT I HAVE HAD IT AND IT DID NOT CAUSE BLEEDING BUT A BURNING SENSATION BUT IT IS EASILY TREATED WITH ORAL NYSTATIN

Brianna - posted on 07/24/2009

Bless your heart! My breastfeeding counselor said that moms have a tendency to not pay so much attention to the latch after baby has been feeding for a while (like 7 and a half months, lol). So, first and foremost, make sure she's latching well and you're still holding her correctly, tummy to tummy. Also make sure her ear is in a straight line with her shoulder and hip...if she's twisting, she's pulling the nipple with her. Second, try this position: cross-cradle. When you are feeding baby on your right side, hold her with your left arm so that she's actually using a different part of the nipple (it worked for me). Also try sidelying or football, though that may be difficult with an 7 month old squirmer! Maybe put that old boppy pillow to use. Third, try to feed her in a quiet room, free of distraction when you can so that she isn't pulling the nipple with her when she looks away. As far as nipple care, I have used several kinds of lanolin, my favorite is the Medela brand because it's so smooth. The breast shells (not shields, but shells) allow airflow and healing to the nipple even inside your bra. They are noticeable, so you would have to use them when you're at home, but they help out a lot, too. As far as nipple shields, this may help for a little while, but can make things worse sometimes. Lastly, make sure she doesn't have thrush, which is a yeast infection that she can pass on to your nipple, opening a whole new can of worms! Best wishes, dear!

Erin - posted on 07/24/2009

Lansinoh is the only thing that worked. You should also go to the doctor though if you have been BFing that long and just started cracking and bleeding. You could have a yeast infection on your nipples.

Nicol - posted on 07/24/2009

I have 8 children and have had the same problem you need to let them heal nurse on the better side also apply the lanolin by lansinoh and to relieve the pain take tylenol or advil 30 min before nursing this advice was given to me by my midwife

Leslie - posted on 07/24/2009

Lasinoh lanolin you can get it at walmart. It's about 10 dollars and it works. Make sure your baby is properly latched.. otherwise the first 2 weeks are hell.

Anna - posted on 07/24/2009

haven't had that tough of a problem with it, but when i did have some cracking i was able to use the lansinoh lanolin ointment and that worked well.....of course expressing your milk and massing into nipple is supposed to help as well. hope it gets better for you!!!