Sore Nipples

kmjohnson5 · February 2014

Hello Ladies,

I am pregnant with baby #2 and plan on breast feeding again. However my first time around was pretty painful. I asked a ton of questions and even spoke with a LC and was told I was bf'ing correctly even though my nipples were so sore to the point of bleeding at times. I would cringe when it was time to feed, that after a few weeks the pain was unbearable and I was forced to purchase a pump and became an exclusive pumper. Now that I'm pregnant with #2 my nipples are sore already (they never really healed from before and have always been sensitive since I've stopped b'fing) and I still have 5 months to go! I can't imagine bf'ing with the tenderness I am already feeling. Do you have any advise for when my baby is born to make this experience more enjoyable for me the second time around? I will do anything to breast feed again I am just dreading it with the pain that I occurred last time. Thanks for your feedback!

jennypenny* · February 2014

It took a good 6 weeks for the tenderness to go away. I had cracking and bleeding in the beginning too.

I started soaking my nipples in salt water for a minute after each session, then applying nipple cream and using breast shells to keep my clothes from rubbing my nipples between feedings. Once I started this routine they healed quickly. i wore those shells morning, noon and night to give my nipples air and space from my clothing.

BootsOrHearts · February 2014

If it hurts consistently it could be a bad latch. It can look good from the outside but it might not be. I had LCs tell me baby's latch was fine but after feeding my nipples were crushed and creased due to a shallow latch. Yes BFing is hard on your nipples but should not be any harder on them than pumping. If you switched to pumping and got relief id say something was wrong.

Cupcakes339 · February 2014

Same as the comment above I don't think it should hurt for so long. For me it hurt first 3 weeks or so. It cracked and hurt pretty intensely even though LO was latching correctly. But the nipples got used to being nursed after about a month. Did you see LC again after starting pumping about the sensitivity?

sofia8079 · April 2014

it is very important that the latch is correct! I was lucky because my baby started latching correctly from the beginning. I also used Silveretteusa silver cups and I never had any cracks or soreness... They were very difficult to find but now they are available in the US. You don't have to use any creams if you use the cups, that's why I like them so much.

Good luck!

kmjohnson5 · June 2014

Thanks for the feedback!! I looked into the silverette nursing cups and found it hard to come across any reviews from users. How long did u use them for? I'm thinking about giving them a try, but they are pretty pricey so I hope they work. Thanks again!!

byrne15 · June 2014

I had intense pain while BFing. Not like from letdown, engorgement, etc....but actual nipple pain. I remember crying one night and described it as if 100 bees were stinging my nipple at once.

I ended up using a nipple shield. I know they aren't ideal...but it was the only thing that allowed me to continue. I literally went from 10/10 pain to almost no pain at all.

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Sore Nipples

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