How To Heal Sore Nipples During Breastfeeding
Why Do Sore Nipples Occur During Breastfeeding?
Sore nipples are normal during the first few weeks of breastfeeding your new baby. New mothers commonly experience sore, dry, and cracked nipples during the initial days and weeks of breastfeeding. But relief is possible.
The breast has been protected by clothes and bras with minimal air exposure so it’s sensitive tissue. Within minutes of giving birth, your breasts are exposed and being sucked on for long periods of time.
Another cause of sore nipples during breastfeeding is that the baby’s tongue uses a “stripping” motion around your nipple, pulling and stretching the breast tissue to get the milk.
Your breasts go through many transitions to produce and deliver the superfood breast milk, but they will adapt to breastfeeding your baby.
How Long Do Sore Nipples Last During Breastfeeding?
Sore nipples can last for days or even weeks. During this time, you can have sore, red, blistered, or cracked nipples that can make breastfeeding uncomfortable and challenging. The soreness can also extend throughout the entire breast tissue as your nipples are just one part of your breast. You can shorten the discomfort in your breasts and nipples by using some of the techniques below.
Can Sore Nipples Affect Milk Supply?
Your milk supply is not affected by sore nipples or sore breasts, it keeps flowing naturally. However, relief is key for both mom and baby to have a positive, relaxing breastfeeding experience.
How Do I Heal My Sore Nipples?
Addressing breastfeeding challenges early will make the whole experience better for you and your baby. The symptoms will usually resolve in the first few weeks postpartum with routine selfcare. Giving your breasts a little attention a few times a day the first week postpartum will help to avoiding serious issues.
Nurse Well Breast Salve
Our Nurse Well Breast Salve will provide immediate relief. Organic, entirely plant-based, and safe for baby, it heals and nourishes your nipples between feedings. The salve is also created to nourish the blood, shrink inflammation, and repair the entire breast tissue.
Ideally, you’ll have Nurse Well ready to use after your first feeding, before any significant discomfort arises, but you can start using it any time. Nurse Well is best applied after feedings, so it has time to penetrate the tissue and promote healing. For more info on Nurse Well, check out the product page.
“LIFESAVER! With cracked nipples and what felt like nonstop nursing, this salve saved me! It also was great for working out clogged ducts. Plus, I never had to worry about what my baby was consuming. A little goes a long way, it’s worth its weight in gold!” – Sara ★★★★★
Massage your entire breast and nipples with Nurse Well after each feeding to heal and moisturize the breast tissue. The herbs in the salve were chosen specifically for healing breastfeeding issues.
Breast Massage
Milk flows from deep inside your breast tissue and out your nipples. Massaging the entire breast with a smooth gentle motion will improve blood flow and circulation throughout the breast promoting a healing response to the nipples. You can use our Nurse Well Breast Salve as the lubricant for this self-massage.
Warm Baths
Taking a warm bath or even shower is a simple way to create immediate relief. If you’re taking a bath, adding mineral salts can provide additional healing benefits to both your breasts and entire body.
Wear Natural Materials
Wearing cotton nursing bras and undershirts made of 100% natural materials allows the breast tissue to breath between feedings, relieving soreness. There are tons of nursing-friendly bras. Obviously, you have to choose something that works for you. Also, ensure that your bras aren’t unnecessarily tight, creating extra pressure or rubbing on your breasts and nipples.
Nursing Pads
There’s a lot of leaking from your breasts in the first month. This is a normal occurrence until your breasts adjust to your baby’s feeding patterns. Change out your nursing pads frequently, especially when they are damp as it can create additional discomfort. Wearing soaked nursing pads for extended periods of time can also cause an overgrowth of candida which can create complications in feeding.
Comfortable Nursing Positions
Being relaxed and in a comfortable position, with a good latch while breastfeeding is key. This can take time, practice, and patience. To support this, make nursing stations around your home in the places where you most frequently breastfeed. Stock these stations with things like pillows, blankets, burp cloths, diapers, wipes, breast pads, breast salve, and water. Being comfortable and well supplied will help!
Conclusion
Your sore nipples and breasts will adjust to breastfeeding. By applying a salve to your nipples several times per day, massaging your breast tissue, setting up comfortable nursing positions, wearing natural materials and allowing your nipples to air out will help to significantly reduce the duration and severity of your soreness.
Believe in yourself and your ability to breastfeed. You got this!