Common Breastfeeding Problems, Problems with Sore Nipples

One of the most common preconceived ideas that people have about breastfeeding is that it is easy and something that comes naturally. The truth is that breastfeeding is not an easy thing to begin with and it requires a lot of practice. Some of the most common breastfeeding problems are related to sore nipples and in rare occasions infections in the feeding ducts.

Problems with Sore Nipples
A lot of women have problems with some pain in their nipples during the first days of breastfeeding. However, this pain is generally not very intense and usually goes away on its own, but on occasions it can get worse and can cause the nipples to crack which causes a good amount of pain to severe pain. If this is your case, make sure you do take care of it right away before the pain gets to be too much. The following are some things that can help:

• Check to make sure the position you are putting the baby in is correct. If the does not put the whole areola in his or her mouth, the pain will persist. Try to gently change the baby’s position each time you are breastfeeding.

• Increase the number of times you breastfeed and reduce the amount you feed in one session. This way the baby will not be as hungry and may not suck as hard.

• You should try to continue breastfeeding the baby with the sore nipple, even if it is only for a few minutes, as this will condition the nipple for breastfeeding. If you allow the nipple to heal, the whole ordeal will start all over again once the baby starts sucking on that nipple again. You can start out by first feeding the baby with the nipple that is not sore, or as sore, because it is the moment in which the baby sucks the hardest.

• You can manually take some milk out of your nipple yourself before you start feeding the baby. This way the milk will have already come down and the baby will not have to suck as hard for the milk to come out.

• Do not use any sort of soap or chemical products on your nipples. If your nipples are sore, you can use boiled water to clean them to avoid bacteria from developing. Cleaning them unnecessarily though can cause an irritation or worsen it.

• One good way of hardening the skin of the nipples is by exposing them to the air. If it is viable, try walking around your house without your shirt on as much as you can. If you use a breastfeeding bra leave the covers off while you are in your home. Allowing your nipples to rub up against your clothing will also harden them.

• If you are using milk protectors for milk that drips from your breasts, change them as soon as they are wet. Leaving them wet could cause your nipples to crack.

• You can use some vitamin E oil on your nipples and then leave them out to air out; other products that can be used are lanolin or olive oil.

• Apply dry and warm heat over the nipples several times a day. You can use a hot water bag to do this, but you should not use hot water, only warm.