Breastfeeding Problems: Nipple Pain
More common than thrush, nipple pain or nipple soreness affects many women who breastfeed. It can occur because a mother’s nipples are usually very sensitive after giving birth. This kind of nipple soreness or pain usually relieves itself after about a week following delivery. Beyond this week, nipple soreness or pain could be due to a nipple injury incurred while breastfeeding. If the pain persists throughout the feeding sessions and does not relieve itself after the first week of feeding, you can choose to see a doctor.
If you feel you may have a nipple injury due to breastfeeding, especially because your nipples are so sensitive during the first week after delivery, consult a doctor. Nipple injury should be attended to as soon as possible to prevent it from becoming infected and turning into a worse problem. Signs of nipple injury include bruising, cracking, and blistering. Usually this is because the baby fails to latch on properly and was allowed to continue feeding.
There is a “regular” type of nipple soreness or pain that occurs during the first few moments of breastfeeding, however, and new mothers are more likely to experience this. If the soreness or pain doesn’t go away, however, it could mean that the baby is not latched on properly. It is very common to have nipple soreness due to incorrect latching or positioning, in which case the baby should be repositioned and allowed to try latching on again. Do not allow your baby to continue feeding if they are latched incorrectly as this will lead to nipple injury.
Sometimes infants fail to latch on properly because they have ankyloglossia or the condition of having a short frenulum. The frenulum is the tissue that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth. This condition, more popularly known as being tongue tied, keeps a baby from latching on correctly because the ability of the baby to extend their tongue in order to feed properly is hindered. This means incorrect latching, which affects the mother through nipple soreness and pain while it affects the baby by not allowing the baby to obtain enough milk.
Tongue tie can be fixed through a procedure called frenotomy. The short frenulum is released, and the baby is actually able to breastfeed almost immediately after the procedure. The mother’s nipple pain may take some time to go away because the breast and nipple will need time to heal, but the baby will be able to get enough milk for feeding, which is very important for its developing body.
Treating nipple pain and soreness itself is fairly easy. Your doctor is likely to prescribe an all purpose nipple ointment for your nipples. The nipple ointment will contain several components which will help your nipple heal and soothe the pain at the same time. It is likely to have an anti-inflammatory component, an antibiotic, and an anti-fungal component.
Your doctor may also prescribe a mixture of several ointments to get the same effects. The ointment or ointments are usually applied to clean and dry breasts after each feeding session. Ask your doctor whether or not you have to wash or wipe off the ointment before the next feeding session. Some ointments are okay for the baby to ingest because the ingredients will not be absorbed by the baby and will not affect them. Other ointments or treatments may need to be wiped or washed off. If you are uncomfortable about your baby ingesting any of the ointments, you can wash it off and reapply the ointment after your feeding session.
You should also ask your doctor how the ointments or creams should be stored. Some ointments may need to be refrigerated, and sometimes refrigeration aids in soothing your pain or soreness. Keep using the nipple ointment until your breasts feel better, and you can do a gradual decrease of ointment application for the succeeding days after you feel better. Ointments can be used for as long as you like and once again feel comfortable breastfeeding without applying the ointment afterwards.
Though nipple pain and soreness has a relatively easy cure, the best cure for it is prevention. Since the pain and soreness is usually due to incorrect latching, try as much as possible to get your baby to latch on to your breasts correctly. If you have the correct latch, your nipple soreness shouldn’t last longer than a few days after delivery.
Next Article: Breastfeeding Problems: Bloody Nipple Discharge & Nipple Color Change
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