Breastfeeding helps nourish your baby and maintain your bond, but it strongly affects the mothers. An infant can nurse every two hours – if nursing hurts you, it will happen regularly. Nipples’ getting hurt is normal in this time, but chapped nipples. Remove pain is compulsory, but while you’re doing that, take care of your nipples like you take care of your baby.
Things you’ll need
- Lanolin
- Hydrogel nursing pads
Instructions
- Moisturize nipples after nursing. Rub a little of breast milk, water or lanolin over the nipples and let it air dry in minutes.
- Rub a layer of lanolin, which helps moisturize and protect your skin, on your dry nipples. Use a safe product for your baby, which can be found in a grocery store or a pharmacy. If you want to clean your breast before breastfeeding, use water only.
- Stick hydrogel nursing pads on nipples to reduce pain and protect them from friction. Use bra which doesn’t compress your nipples, natural-fiber one is a best choice. Avoid bra and shirt totally when you are at home if you feel comfortable.
- Wash your nipples when bathing. Avoid using soap, body wash or lotion, which can irritate your chapped skin. However, doctors can ask you to use antibacterial soap or other products if the nipples are too chapped and broken in order to prevent infection. Rub lanolin again after bathing.
Avoid using soap, body wash or lotion when bathing.
- Adjust the way how your baby latches. Red and chapped nipples are signals of latching problem. Use other position, maybe tilt your baby’s head back slightly, grasp your breast to guide it to his mouth and try to get as much of the bottom of the areola into his mouth as possible.
- Ask an expert for broken nipples if it lasts more than a few days. They can show you how to improve the way your baby latch. Call the doctor if your nipples bleed or have an open cuts, since any infection develop in your breast will affect the breast milk. The doctors may suggest you a strong nipple cream if chapped nipples still happen.
Ask an expert for broken nipples if it last more than a few days.
Tips and warnings
A mother who is allergic to wool should not use lanolin because it’s derived from wool.