Are you experiencing tender, sore breasts along with cracked and painful nipples? Well, welcome to the world of nursing! Breastfeeding concerns like nipple tenderness and pain are common and experienced by almost all new mums. The good news is that these concerns are usually temporary, and tend to resolve on their own. But sometimes, the pain and soreness in your nipples may tend to get worse and make breastfeeding anything but a breeze for you.
To manage your pain, you can try some remedial methods at home and also consider seeking guidance from a lactation consultant to determine the exact cause behind painful nipples during breastfeeding and possible treatment methods. In this post, we have listed some of the most common causes of sore breasts during breastfeeding and homecare methods to handle the pain.
Causes Of Sore And Painful Breasts When Breastfeeding
Some of the leading causes of soreness and pain in the breasts of lactating mums include:
- Poor latch: A poor latch can cause your nipples to bruise, become red, and even crack, resulting in extreme pain. To prevent and treat this condition, you should ensure your baby is latching properly.
- Stretching of your nipple: It is common for your nipple to stretch and extend during the first few days of breastfeeding. This phenomenon occurs due to your baby’s sucking action during the feed and causes your nipples as well as areola skin to become sore and red. With proper care, the stretching may subside in a few days.
- Thrush: Thrush is a yeast infection caused by the candida fungus and is a common cause of painful and sore nipples. This infection appears as red, pink, or white shiny patches on the nipples or areola skin.
- Eczema: Constant friction during breastfeeding can cause an allergic reaction on your skin, known as eczema, which also contributes to pain and soreness in the breast.
9 Homecare And Preventive Measures For Nipple Pain
Make Sure Your Baby Is Latching Correctly
The key to preventing sore nipples is to ensure a good breastfeeding latch. Hence, you should ensure that your baby is latching correctly, and has your entire nipple as well as some of the areola skin in their mouth while feeding. You can also consider trying out some methods to help your baby latch properly or consult a lactation expert to teach you the right techniques to get your baby to latch well.
Wash Your Breasts With A Mild Body Wash
You should consider washing your breasts with a mild body wash, especially one suited for sensitive skin and with added moisturisation, to keep your breast skin and areola hydrated and nourished. Make sure that the body wash contains organic actives, such as coconut-based cleansers, ginger essential oil, orange essential oil, and pro-vitamin B5 that deeply moisturise your skin and soothe skin inflammations like eczema.
Choose A Comfortable Breastfeeding Position
A good breastfeeding position will ensure comfort both for you and your little one, and also encourage a tight latch. You can try the football hold or the cross-cradle clutch, as both these positions give you a better view of your nipples, as well as your baby’s mouth.
It may also be helpful for you to use some nursing accessories, such as a soft and durable pillow for back support and a footstool to help lift your legs and bring your child up to the level of your breast. These accessories will also help prevent straining in your arms, back, and neck, and ensure comfort during feeding sessions.
Keep Your Breast Skin And Nipples Moisturised
After rinsing your breasts with a mild body wash, apply a natural nipple butter, specially designed to reduce pain and soreness in your breasts. Look for ingredients like kokum butter, rice bran oil, wheat germ oil, and calendula oil that moisturise and soothe cracked nipples, and aid in the quick healing of your breast skin. Apply the nipple butter after every feed, or when you feel pain and tenderness in your breast. Additionally, make sure that the nipple butter is safe for breastfeeding so that you do not have to remove it before every feeding session.
Avoid Keeping Your Breasts Too Full (Breast Engorgement)
Breast engorgement usually happens when regular feeding is not done, or when your breasts are still adjusting to your baby’s needs. It is crucial to avoid breast engorgement, as sore breasts may hurt more when they are full. In some cases, even latching may become difficult when you try to express your breast milk for some relief. To avoid this situation, make sure that you are expressing breast milk often using a breast pump and storing them in a safe bag/ bottle.
Change Your Breast Pads Often
It is essential to change your breast pads often to prevent the growth of fungus or yeast that may cause sore and cracked nipples. Try to keep your breast pads clean and dry, and change them at least twice a day to prevent infection. You should also opt for washable and reusable breast pads designed with natural materials, as they offer more comfort, absorbency, and breathability than plastic or silicone ones.
Choose The Right-sized Breast Pump
In case you are using a breast pump, make sure to purchase the right-sized one according to your breast size. This is crucial because using a wrong-sized breast pump can irritate your nipples, leading to pain and soreness. You can also try following a breast pump guide to using it properly. Just make sure that you are using a vacuum strength and speed that feels comfortable to you while pumping. Having the pump at a strong speed might hurt your nipples too.
Use A Body Butter To Soothe Stretched Skin
If you feel that the skin around your breast is stretched and itchy, then you can use a natural body butter that is designed to provide long-lasting moisturisation and nourishment. Look for body butter with rosehip oil, sea buckthorn oil, cocoa, and shea butter to heal dry and itchy skin, reduce inflammation, and repair skin damage. Apply the body butter after showering and before going to bed at night for maximum benefits.
Use Hydrogel Pads For Pain Relief
Using hydrogel pads can help relieve pain caused by cracked and sore nipples. You can either use these pads at room temperature or put them in the refrigerator to cool before use. Hydrogel pads also prevent your nipples from sticking to the bra fabric, which could further cause irritation in your nipples.
Sore and painful nipples during breastfeeding are often associated with your baby’s poor latch and skin conditions like eczema and dryness. This condition is temporary and can be effectively managed with some homecare methods, such as using nipple butter to heal cracked and sore nipples and using the right-sized breast pump. But if you are still concerned or have unbearable pain, you can consult a lactation expert for more guidance and tips.
Also read:
Essential tips for breastfeeding: Check out these tips on breastfeeding to make your nursing sessions more comfortable.
Handy tips for breastfeeding twins: Read this post to know essential tips on breastfeeding your twins and feeding positions to try.
Featured image: Freepik.com
