sore nipples...advice needed from BFing moms

crystalmeyer08

my baby girl is a week old...my nipples are very sore and tender from breastfeeding.  the pain is very intense when she first latches then its not so bad...they are tender just sitting here, but only painful when she first latches.  is there a chance she isnt latching right?  i make sure her lips are flanged and i can hear her swallowing and all that...but these babies are SORE!  i also use lanolin cream...any other suggestions?  how long will this last??

Ruby412

I'm not sure about her latch, but in the hospital they set me up with both nipple shields (since my LO was having a hard time staying latched) and also "triple nipple" cream. I got a compression line after one day of bf'ing so I understand your pain, although now with the shield it's pretty much fine. The triple nipple cream might be helpful for you. It's anti-inflammatory/anti-biotic/anti-fungal. So, it can help with certain issues you already have and be preventative with others. Also, try Soothies Gel Pads. They are way more comfy than the regular disposable breast pads. Good luck!

llizzyb

Others may not agree with me, but what saved me the first week to week and a half was pumping for one feeding and giving LO a bottle of pumped milk. It really gave my nipples a break and allowed them to heal. We lucked out in that LO didn't have issues with any type of nipple confusion.

I've used lanolin, the soothies pads(put in fridge!), and Earth Mama Angel Baby nipple butter (Amazon). Also, you're only a week in. By two weeks BFing was much, much better. LO's latch and ability to suck improved greatly each week. We still have room for improvement, but it's amazing the difference now. 

vtwd40

put some warm sale water in glasses and dip your nips for a couple minutes.It really helps. I also have the gel soothies that Iput in the fridge or freezer to help me out

starbound6

Me too.. I was in agony for the first week with bleeding nips & would cry in pain during feedings.  PPs suggestions are great.. hang in there, by 2-3 weeks your nips will be ok, I promise:))

Christina_Diane

My nipples were really sore too, and just recently (today or yesterday) it got better. 

dubs3

Honestly, every time I bf, I would rub some milk around my nipples, let it dry, and use lanolin. It helped SO much...breast milk is amazing!

metucker

If the pain is getting better during the feeding, it's probably just regular sore nips. Mine are still hurting throughout the feeding at just over 2 weeks. 

mommy~to~mj

dubs3:

Honestly, every time I bf, I would rub some milk around my nipples, let it dry, and use lanolin. It helped SO much...breast milk is amazing!

This. I express a few drops and rub it on both before she latches and after she's done. It's made a huge difference. It's getting significantly less painful each time.  

countdowntolockdown

Mine were ON FIRE over the weekend, and our LO is 2 weeks old as of Wednesday. Today, it still hurts when she latches, but my nips are MUCH better post-feedings.  

The nurses and consultants told me, it takes a couple weeks for your "nipples to callous over."  Essentially, they have to toughen-up to stop hurting. I guess it's a "hang in there" situation.

Good luck! 

ateal2490

Mine hurt when LO initially latches as well...but after that there shouldn't really be any pain (according to the LC I saw).Maybe they haven't had a chance to heal since the beginning when your LO was learning to latch correctly (and maybe had some botched latches?) Is she breaking the latch herself or are you? Pulling her off could be causing them some pain. Use that landolin a lot...I mean, a lot a lot...I wasn't using it enough and my nips were super sore...

I really hope this lets up for you! I know its super painful...they say the first 2 weeks are the hardest and then its smooth riding from there!

 

lmd321

My LO is 11 days old and just the past day or two my left breast is no longer sore.  The right is a little still.  I was using the lanolin cream religiously and tried a frozen black tea bag after it had been used for tea to soothe it.  It was so bad I was thinking I would have to quit and go to the bottle.  But, I stuck it out and it is def getting better!!  I was worried about the latch too, btw.

mumegs

Mine are still pretty painful, I talked to an LC and she told me to try different positions, they had taught me the football hold in the hospital and that was all I was doing. She said to switch it up and try the cradle hold, different positions put pressure on different parts of the nipple so it can help with the soreness. I think some of it is just sore from the newness of it too, hopefully that will go away soon!