Injured and cracked nipples are the bane of many mothers. Breastfeeding with injured nipples is a great discomfort. What are the causes of rupturing warts? What to do to quickly and effectively relieve the suffering mother? Here are home remedies for cracking nipples.
You look atcracking nipplesand you find it hard to believe what lactation consultants say - thatbreastfeedingshouldn't hurt. It may not be, but it hurts a lot. One of the causes of pain is cracked or bitten nipples by your baby. Look for a freshly baked mother with a candle, who would not have any problems with it. So if it happened to you, do not worry that you are not good at latching on your baby. Feeding isn't easy right away.
Why do warts hurt and crack?
In some women, the mere fact of having a baby and starting lactation makes the nipples very sensitive and they react with pain to a stronger touch. It is not even clear why this is so - it is believed to be influenced by hormones. Most often, however, nipples suffer from poor feeding techniques, i.e. uncomfortable positioning or inadequate latching on to the breast. If the baby only grasps the nipple (instead of also a large part of the areola), he will not suck properly, but - more and more irritated - will tug and bite the nipple with his gums. You must be able to recognize such a situation and stop feeding, also in the right way. So, when the baby has only the nipple in his mouth (without the areola), when the tip of his nose and chin do not touch his breast, and when you do not hear the sound of swallowing, only pecking - stop feeding.
If you want to stop feeding, don't do it by pulling the breast out of your baby's mouth, just by sliding your finger into the corner of his mouth. In the same way, detach your baby from the breast after feeding.
If the problem of injured nipples does not appear at the beginning, when mom and baby are just learning to feed, but later, it may be because the nipple is being given. Under its influence, the child may begin to treat the wart more brutally.
If your nipples crack, bleed, or sore for more than 3-4 days, see a lactation consultant who will identify the cause of the problem and suggest ways to deal with it. Sometimes sore, wounded nipples may be a symptom of mycosis or allergies. In thatsituation, it is necessary to see a doctor and start treatment.
Quick help for sore nipples
In the vast majority of cases, however, the problem is not that serious - warts suffer because they are a "testing ground". Once the mother and baby have figured out what feeding is all about, everything will normalize and the pain will be gone. But before that happens, feeding is unpleasant, especially when your little one grasps the breast and begins to suckle. The warts are red, often with bloody, longitudinal sores that turn to scabs over time. You need to help them quickly, the most important thing then is to ventilate the breasts as often as possible and lubricate the nipples with your own milk or special ointments, and to limit washing.
- How to protect cracked and sore nipples?
When at home, try to walk without a bra (if possible with breasts full of milk) - the access of air will speed up healing in the morning, and you will not expose your nipples to painful rubbing against underwear. When you need to go out or get dressed, you can protect the nipples from injuries with special silicone covers (Avent, Chicco, Medela). The best ones are those with holes that allow air to reach the nipple. Practical are also lactation shells (Medela, Avent, Nuk), which collect the milk leaking from the breast - excess milk flows into the shell, so the liquid does not come into direct contact with the skin. With injured nipples, they are better than disposable nursing pads, where the diseased nipple comes into contact with moisture (a warm and humid place is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria).
- How to treat cracked warts?
You will speed up the healing of the morning by lubricating the nipples with your own milk, which has bactericidal properties. After each feeding, spread a few drops of milk over the nipple and areola, gently massaging them, and leave it on the exposed breast for about 15 minutes (if it's warm at home; be careful not to catch a cold!). When this does not help, you can use baby-safe creams and ointments (PureLan 100, Bepanthen, Alantan Plus). Lubricate them on your breasts several times a day; some ointments do not even need to be washed off the breast when the baby is approaching the next meal.
- Cracking nipples: how to maintain hygiene?
It is important not to wash sick warts too often (at most 2 times a day) and not to use soap, because it dries the skin and irritates sore spots. If the nipples are badly injured, do not use water as well - wash your breasts with an infusion of calendula or sage. How to relieve pain?apply an ice cube (wrapped in a tetrapack diaper) - the cold slightly reduces the feeling of pain. And if it is very severe, you can take paracetamol.
- How to feed when your nipples are cracking?
Start feeding your baby with the breast whose nipple is less painful - at first, the baby sucks more greedily. You can also feed through special silicone caps for a few days - although lactation advisers do not recommend them, but in special situations it is probably justified - it is better to use the hoods than to discourage breastfeeding at all. If the pain is unbearable, you can finally stop feeding for several or several dozen hours, so that the breasts can rest. During this time, express milk, preferably by hand, and give it to your baby with a syringe or spoon.
And when nothing helps and after a few days you still do not see any improvement - seek the help of a specialist.
You must do itAsk your lactation advisor
When you have a breast problem, don't hesitate to ask a specialist for help: visit a lactation clinic, book a home visit or get advice by phone (some are open even at night). It is worth taking advantage of this opportunity - friendly and competent people work there, they will certainly do their best to help you. You can find contacts to the clinic on the Internet: http://www.laktacja.pl/, http://www.mlekomamy.pl/
Cracking nipples
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