Nipple care, wdyd?

Flutterby00

I'm wondering what breastfeeding and pumping moms do with their nipples daily. I feel like mine are sore still ( got a late start with breastfeeding, only been EBFing for 3 weeks, pumping prior), and daily I wear a soft bra, hard shells and pads, to protect them. I go back to work in a few weeks and this flimsy bra and obvious shells are not appropriate for public use. When I go out now, I'll wear a better nursing bra and a pad w/o the shell, but the pads alone leave my nipples smushed and dry and I can't wait to get home into something more comfy.

Do I need to ditch the shells at home so my nipples get used to a dryer environment? Will that toughen them up? Wdyd?

blondolphn

I use reusable pads. Much softer on the nips. Have you tried any of the creams yet?

Flutterby00

I have the lansinoh (sp?) cream and I'm currently using APNO since I've been so sore. I'll use either the lansinoh or mother love nipple creams once I'm done with the APNO. I have reusable that my friend gave me, I should try them!

SnoopyLuv

I don't think you need to "toughen them up". I'd go to BRU and get Bamboobies reusable pads. They're much softer. I put coconut oil on my nips daily, and if they're feeling sore I'll do that or rub some milk in. They'll get used to it soon enough.

MtnChickaD

blondolphn said:

I use reusable pads. Much softer on the nips. Have you tried any of the creams yet?

Reusable pads all the way. I also put nipple balm on them once a day when I pump. I don't remove any breastmilk after nursing. Otherwise I leave them alone.

Inn2

Reusable pads and lanolin here.

hartsl01

MtnChickaD said:

I use reusable pads. Much softer on the nips. Have you tried any of the creams yet?

Reusable pads all the way. I also put nipple balm on them once a day when I pump. I don't remove any breastmilk after nursing. Otherwise I leave them alone.

Do you use the Boob Ease Nipple balm?

blueeyedrose86

I practically walked around the house with my boobs hanging out for the first few weeks and kept my nipples covered in lansinoh nipple cream, mother's love nipple cream, or breast milk. Bras made them much worse, as did any shirts that weren't really soft cotton. I don't know if this is practical for you, but it helped me a lot. MIL came to stay with us for a long weekend around 3 weeks pp and my nips suffered because of it. I felt like I was set back a lot in the healing dept.

bnikiz

Boob ease nipple cream and nuk reusable pads. Bought both at babies r us

MtnChickaD

hartsl01 said:

MtnChickaD said:

blondolphn said:

I use reusable pads. Much softer on the nips. Have you tried any of the creams yet?

Reusable pads all the way. I also put nipple balm on them once a day when I pump. I don't remove any breastmilk after nursing. Otherwise I leave them alone.

Do you use the Boob Ease Nipple balm?

Motherlove nipple cream actually. It's really more of a balm than a cream if you ask me.

Flutterby00

Anyone have trouble transitioning off of shells? I have even had to wear them at night because the rub of a nightgown or sleeping bra was so uncomfortable.

I'm going to start wearing these organic cotton reusable pads around the house and see how it goes.

sarahcatie

Flutterby00 said:

I'm going to start wearing these organic cotton reusable pads around the house and see how it goes.

Heads up, but if they don't have some type of backing on them, you might want to put disposables behind them.  The first reusables I tried didn't have a backing, and with my first let-down I soaked right through them and my shirt.  

sleepy33

I wear a sleep bra with disposable pads 24/7. I haven't had any issues w/ my nips up until I started pumping all day this week (back at work), and now they are much more sensitive and dry. I wonder if yours got irritated with all the pumping and maybe will become less so if you are doing more nursing? Maybe just wishful thinking

Flutterby00

sleepy33 said:

I wear a sleep bra with disposable pads 24/7. I haven't had any issues w/ my nips up until I started pumping all day this week (back at work), and now they are much more sensitive and dry. I wonder if yours got irritated with all the pumping and maybe will become less so if you are doing more nursing? Maybe just wishful thinking

They definitely are less sore now then they were when I was pumping all the time- but going back to work will make me start again w/ the pumping. I wonder if I'm just super sensitive. My nips are "flat", so I also have to use a nipple shield when nursing, wonder if that contributes to my clothing sensitivity as well.

@sarahcartie thanks for the heads up. Mine don't have backing!

Oh the things I never imagined I'd be worried about......

kimbo1216

Get a pack of soothies to wear for a few days.

When at home let them air out as much as possible.

Use lanolin or coconut oil before and after feedings as well. Both are natural and won't hurt baby.

I did all of the above when going through a rough phase and it worked for me.

karo112

Early on I was all over the shells and any cream I could get...lanolin, Mother earth  whatever, butter stuff, soothies, APNO

 

Now they are so toughened up I don't feel anything so i don't wear anything. Also my supply has adjusted itself so I don't leak anymore.

They got a little sore when I got back to work and started pumping more than usual but i got pumpin' pals and it's better now

Flutterby00

kimbo1216 said:

Get a pack of soothies to wear for a few days.

When at home let them air out as much as possible.

Use lanolin or coconut oil before and after feedings as well. Both are natural and won't hurt baby.

I did all of the above when going through a rough phase and it worked for me.

Are you saying the creams help the smush problem? Or pain in general? My little nipple nubs gets folded over in my bra when I don't wear shells and it makes them sore. I have on the soft cotton pads now with APNO and my nips are folded over. My bra is a loose house bra, not super tight or anything.

So are you saying let the nipple get smushed and then use cream/ ointment to address the pain from being smushed? Or is it weird my nipple is folding over?

sleepy33

karo112 said:

Early on I was all over the shells and any cream I could get...lanolin, Mother earth  whatever, butter stuff, soothies, APNO

 

Now they are so toughened up I don't feel anything so i don't wear anything. Also my supply has adjusted itself so I don't leak anymore.

They got a little sore when I got back to work and started pumping more than usual but i got pumpin' pals and it's better now

I have seen people say this before, but doesn't one side leak still when you are nursing on the other side and your milk lets down? That's primarily why I still wear my pads and bra 24/7, and for the random times I get let down when not nursing.

sarahcatie

sleepy33 said:

karo112 said:

Early on I was all over the shells and any cream I could get...lanolin, Mother earth  whatever, butter stuff, soothies, APNO

 

Now they are so toughened up I don't feel anything so i don't wear anything. Also my supply has adjusted itself so I don't leak anymore.

They got a little sore when I got back to work and started pumping more than usual but i got pumpin' pals and it's better now

I have seen people say this before, but doesn't one side leak still when you are nursing on the other side and your milk lets down? That's primarily why I still wear my pads and bra 24/7, and for the random times I get let down when not nursing.

My problem, too!  Are some people just lucky and this doesn't happen?