Nipple Tenderness

At the end of a session rub some of the remaining breastmilk around to help sooth. It helped when I was breastfeeding.

Hi A.,

Look for help from the La Leche League - either a book or a nursing consultant. Ask about steeped tea bags - they really work!

Good luck,
Parent Coach J. B

Hi A., I'd just like to say "way to go" to you for your decision to stick with breastfeeding! I know exactly what you are going thru..everytime my 7 month old hits a growing spree, I have lots of tenderness and an occasional sore. The main reason I'm responding is to warn you to NEVER use the nipple guards. They will absolutely ruin you! I know from personal experience that they won't work because the baby needs to latch onto the whole nipple (the entire pink part of your skin) to nurse correctly. The shields only let them latch to a small part and will cause very painful cracks and sore. One thing that I did to give myself a chance to heal was give my son a small bottle of cereal a couple of feedings each day before I nursed him. It seemed to curb his appetite just enough so that he wouldn't nurse so aggressively. Then I was able to heal. I hope you find a great solution. Keep up the good work and God bless!

Go braless around the house with a loose shirt should help them dry out and not be irritated.

hi sorry about that... let them air out... you can even use a hair dryer to dry out your nipples... and there is an old wise tale... use cabbage leaves put them in your bra.. that will help... I am 58 had six and I did this ... it did help.. but making sure the baby latches on correctly is the most important thing... break the sucking if not on right by using your finger and then let baby attach back on the correct way.. but there will be some pain it will go away.. I nursed mine till they got teeth and bit me... lol..good luck..

I remember those days! I nursed both of my boys - the 1st for 25 months and the second for 18 months. One of the things that helped me was to take a wet hot wash cloth and soften the scabs so that your skin will get a little more pliable.

It took 2 weeks for all of the healing to take place but once past that never had any more scabbing issues unless I did not have a good position and latch. Try laying on your side also - worked wonders for making sure I had a correct position. I never found anything to make it easier - just make sure you are patting yourself dry at the end and changing your nursing pads - keeping yourself dry is also a big issue. Hope it helps - hang in there. I wish I would have known this place existed when I was nursing and had questions and no one to answer!

as others have said, definitely check your latch. And let them completely dry before putting them back in your bra. I personally found the lanolin to not help, but many people like it. i found it kept my nipples too moist and they couldn't dry. But some scabs are normal. I had them in the beginning with both babies. But you definitely shouldn't be sore more than a month. And the problem the other lady had with her LO mouth just being small, I had that with the second one. It was just shaped differently and she had to grow a bit!

I would wash them very well after each breastfeeding session and then let them dry. After that, I would put breastmilk on them and then coat them with Lanolin.

As some other mothers recommended, I'd check the latch-on and see if that's good or try a different hold/angle for the baby.

Good luck! I hope it goes away for you.

It does get better. Hang in there. I called La Leche League and also read their book on nursing and they were very helpful. They can even have someone come help you to make sure the baby is latching correctly, etc.
You are doing the best thing and the cheapest and easiest thing it just takes a couple of months to get in the swing.

Wow A. I know what you are going through. I had a horrible time with my son who is now 6 years old.
Now my other son is now almost 5 months old. This is time around I am determined to make this work! I also had extreme pain, this time it only lasted the first week or so. What I was able to do to relieve this pain was to use lanolin (which I know you said didn't work for you) and what worked the most was I would pump some. Usually when I was really cracked and sore this would really help. I would also use Tylenol for the pain.

We have also had thrush. This is not fun at all! It stings severely, but I've never bled with it so that's how you can kinda tell the difference. We had been latching really well for awhile when we got it so I knew something else was wrong.
Now, with my 6 year old I had a ton of problems, and I gave up. Looking back, I think I had latching problems. Mostly I think it was because his mouth was too small, but I gave up :(

Lastly, I delivered at Seton NW so at my 6 week checkup I walked over to visit with Linda the lactation consultant there. She had no problem talking with us and watching us feed to make sure everything looked good and giving us a little advice. I have also gone to a La Leche Meeting, this was fun and informative. Take a look at their website, they will have a list of all the meetings in the area and the leaders of the meetings will even talk to you over the phone if you need to talk before the meetings. I hope you find some resolution soon I know how bad the pain can get it and it's not fun! I too have been in tears :(

Congrats on the new arrival!

Hi A.,

I had this same problem with my son who is now 5 months old (he is also my second) and the pain was just horrible. The one thing I did was that I used a nipple shield (a plastic shield that goes over the nipple while nursing) when nursing him at night because I was always so tired and he was starving, so we weren't getting latched on correctly during the nighttime feedings and that made the pain significantly worse. I used this until they healed up and then we worked on it again. And, as the other posters have said, express a few drops of breastmilk and rub that on your nipples, let them dry COMPLETELY and then put the lanolin on. It does get better, I promise you. I, too, did not want to give up, but I was in such horrible pain. We are doing great now, so just keep it up! See a lactation consultant if at all possible. That helped me tremendously as well.

I agree with the previous poster who said to make sure they dry out completely and make sure she is latched on correctly. (If you aren't sure...see about attending a La Leche League meeting or contacting the lactation consultants at the hospital you delivered at.

How old is your daughter? With my first one I just about cried everytime she latched on because the pain was so intense so I KNOW what you are going through. I also had bleeding and some scabbing. It turns out even though I THOUGHT that she was latched on the right way...she wasn't. Once we got that whole thing figured out...within a week the soreness was gone! :) I went on to breastfeed her for a year...even through the teeth and biting stage! :P

i would suggest some aloe vera, that would not be harmful to the baby and has natural healing agents in it.

Hi,
i am so sorry this is hurting you. With my first son I would actually cry through the whole feeding and it was that way for at least a month. I felt like I was doing something wrong and I kept breaking his latch and getting him to relatch so many times that it just made it worse. finally I decided that I would just let him be and cringe and get through it however he latched (against all the advice of everyone I knew) as he got a little older it got better and eventually just didn't hurt at all. Later a doctor told me he had a small mouth and I had large nipples. I realized he probably just needed to grow a little and it was gonna hurt no matter what I had done. ]
When the pain got too bad i would pump for a couple feedings to give my nipples a rest, but not much else really worked, besides the lanolin stuff. I was glad I did not give up, though I was on the verge many times because the pain really is awful.
Oh, I did start taking my shower with my breast pads and bra still on so the shower water did not hurt them so much and taking them off only at the end of the shower.

You didn't say how long you had been nursing but it will get better and nursing is worth it! I remember those days! I am wondering if the baby is sucking extra hard because you aren't letting down right away. Make sure you are in a quiet place and try to relax. Get soothing music like enya or something to help you get the "world" off your mind. Also my problem was that I wasnt producing much milk because I didn't drink enough during the day and evening so my girls had to suck harder to get what I had. Try increasing your non-caffeinated fluids (caffeine will pull the water out of you, so will fruit juices). I hated water so would add individual packs of koolade to my water bottles. Whatever you do, don't listen like I did to some bonehead lactation "consultant" who told me the baby wasnt latching on right (yes my whole aereola was in her mouth! You are doing great, it will pass. Good luck.

With my daughter (first child), breastfeeding hurt so bad. I developed scabs and blisters on my nipples. I was concerned that she would be getting blood when eating. I would pump for a minute to assure that there was no more bleeding from the scabs and then allow her to latch on. It lasted a couple of weeks and then I got "tougher" nipples. :) I would sit after she fed with no covering to let the air dry my nipples but I did not apply anything. The lanolin just seemed to irritate. Hang in there! It is definitely worth even if it does not seem worth it right now. Also keep in mind that you are not a failure if you decide to stop. You need to do what is best for your little and YOU. I hope it works out!

Even with a good latch, I think those first couple of weeks kinda hurt at first contact! For me, it's worth it. Many people stop because of this, but as long as latch is good, then the pain WILL stop. Just make sure she is opening her mouth all the way and that her mouth is on the areola. If you think her latch is not right, talk to a lactation consultant or a La Leche League leader. Keep using the lanolin. It won't take away the pain, but will help with the healing. One of the best things in the world, though, is to apply a little of your own milk and let them air dry. Don't close up your bra right away - you're home, so just let them breathe until they're dry! That will really be the best thing!

Many people will say that there should be no pain with a good latch, but my kids both had good latches and it still hurt at first. But it will stop. For me, it took about 2 weeks the first time, a week or a little longer the second. Just stick it out, and I promise it will get better.

The combination of nipple shield so she wasn't directly biting on me and rubbing a little of the breast milk on my nipples really helped. Definitely make sure your latch is correct. I thought that if she was getting milk she was latched on right. I was wrong. The breast shield taught her to open her mouth wider. Breast milk has many healing enzymes. It really does get better. Crying helps too.

Sounds exactly like what my first months of breastfeeding were like. I consulted a lactation consultant who helped show me how to latch him on better, but it was very difficult and a fight at every feeding, so I occasionally gave up, which led to worse pain the next time.

My painful feedings lasted until he was around 3 months old, then I just slowly healed. I did spend two weeks pumping and bottle-feeding at about 3 weeks old in order to let them heal from the worst two weeks of my breasts' life! It still hurt if I didn't get him to latch correctly after that, but I needed that pumping time to heal and toughen up a bit.

None of the lotions or lanolins seemed to help, though. Just time and if it's really bad, some pumping/bottles for a bit. My son had no issues going back and forth between bottles and breast, and continued to take a bottle every night as my milk supply was too low for him by evening throughout our 11.5 months of nursing.

Oh, and nipple shields were a god-send for about a month until I felt better and his mouth was bigger (enough to latch less painfully). Best $6 I'd ever spent!

I had the same problem with my fourth. Mine actually cracked and bled and it was very painful to feed him. I used the lanolin to help ease the pain after he fed. He was about three weeks old when my nipples got tough enough to endure his hard sucking power. Hang in there it is worth it! I breast fed him the longest of the kids and loved every minute of it (after the pain)! I actually cried when I decided to wean him....Good luck!

Hi! I'm A. G too. :) Air drying will do wonders!!!

Sounds exactly like my experience, it felt like torture at first n my nipples bled. I did have a lactation consultant too so I know my baby was on there right. All I can say is the pain does go away for me by the time the third week came around it stopped hurting. I then started to love to feed him n nursed him for 11 months. I plan to nurse this one too because it did turn out to be a nice experience. The first 2 wks of nursing I would use the nipple cream n took ibuprofen. I cried a little too, haha.

Hi A.,
I also have a 5-yr-old girl and a new girl! I breast fed my first daughter for 10 months and am still breast-feeding my 8 month old. My mom gave me the best advice, and it rang true for both girls. "Just when you think you can't stand it anymore, it no longer hurts". After 2 wks with my first and almost 3 weeks with my second, the pain just disappeared. I'm not sure why, but it did. If you can just get past this time, you should be fine. I'm not sure about all of the scabbing. I had a scab on one nipple this go round, it was not fun. I was able to put Aquaphor and lanolin alternating as well as air drying whenever possible.
If you still have problems, you may want to contact La Leche League for some advice. Maybe her latch isn't quite right? Good luck with your sweet baby!

Hi A.,
I understand totally how much it hurts. I fed my first 3 totally successfully, with no pain. When my little girl came along I was in agony. I knew that was not normal. It is not normal for breastfeeding to hurt! Especially if you have a good latch on. Be sure to get as much nipple in your babies mouth as possible, pointing it up toward the roof of his mouth. Then, if the pain continues I want you to investigate the possiblity of thrush. This is what we had, and it was so easy to cure, and so painless after! I have to admit, I did not go to the doctor. A nurse friend helped me through this time. I took acidopholus and painted my babies mouth with plain active yogurt. You can tell if it is thrush by looking in your babies mouth. If the tongue has a white coating, that is what your dealing with.

Please, DO find someone with the La Leche League. They can help you so so much. These gals have been there, and the leaders are usually experts in the field of breastfeeding.

Good luck, and don't give up! You are doing what is best for you and baby!

I had this too (my daughter is now almost 5 months). I remember crying, with tears, it hurt so badly. I used lanolin which, you're right, doesn't do anything for the pain but I walked around with my bra flaps down and sometimes no shirt so this helped the lanolin to stay on and soften up the nipples (mine would bleed). It worked after a few days but the pain would return off and on for the first month or 2 and I would do this routine all over again. Nothing the docs recommended worked except for this. Good luck and don't give up. It does get better (until they're older and start clamping down on purpose :) ).

It sounds like my experience! The toe curling especially! I was determined to nurse with my second. I had a very deep cut that i pumped on until it mostly healed i started nursing again and it cut more so i just nursed through it, i didnt feel like it was gone till he was 3 months. i am so glad i stuck with it though he stopped nursing when he was 9 months. check out some of my other posts to see my experience and the remedies i did.. The thing that ended up healing it the fastest was coconut oil all the time and its all natural for the babe so i wasnt worried about using it too much!
HANG IN THERE!!

Hi there! It sounds like you might have an infection if your nipples are staying moist. You might want to try a product called Motherlove. The product I used was intended for diaper rash and thrush relief but safe to use on your nipples while breastfeeding. Since I have used it, the company has come out with other products specifically for breast relief. These products are all natural and organic. I used the product for one day and didn't have any more "toe curling" pain. The company has their own website where you can look at all they have offer or get help from one of their experts. I swear by their products and soon you can too!
Hope this helps!

Been ther eand done that 3 times and I know how painfull it can be. Contact La Leche League in your area and they will help you tremendously. But till then when you finish nursing let your nipples air dry. I know it's going to be strange sitting there with your nipples hanging out but it works. Another thing could be not enough milk production so start drinking more fluids( skim milk & water are best). Also let the baby cry a little while before you put her to nurse... this will help 'let down' your mikl and she wont need to suck so hard to get the milk.Stick with it I breast fed all 3 of mine and my kids rarely got sick and small children and now as teens still going strong. On the other hand all my sisters kids are at the pediatricians on a regular basis.
Good luck and congratualtions

I would go to the doctor and make sure you and your child don't have thrush. I had the same problem and it ended up that we had an infection. The medication cleared it right up and made breast feeding much easier!