1. Sore Nipples Aren't Normal
Doctors told our mothers it was normal to get sore nipples while breastfeeding, but that wasn't true. A sore nipple during breastfeeding indicates something may be wrong. However, mild nipple soreness during the first days at the start of breastfeeding is normal. If the soreness is extreme or doesn't go away after the first few days, talk to your care provider or a lactation consultant. Check with your birthing facility to see if they offer lactation consultants; many of them do now. Rather than sore nipples, you may have a plugged milk duct, mastitis (infection of the milk ducts) or thrush (yeast infection of the nipple). These breastfeeding problems require treatment from your care provider.
2. Products to Prevent Sore Nipples
Every time your baby pops off the breast, express a drop of breast milk and spread it over the nipple. Let it completely dry before covering up. Avoid using blow dryers to speed the drying, as this can cause cracking. If you don't want to use breast milk, spread on Lasinoh. This greaseless lotion protects the nipple while it heals. It's safe for your baby to ingest, so you don't have to worry about wiping it off before feeding.
3. Protect Yourself From Your Bra
The material in bras can exacerbate sore nipples. Protect yourself by inserting products such as Soothies into your bra. Soothies look like gel packs, feel cool and protect the nipple from the fabric of your bra. They also give your breasts a boost, making them look larger.
4. Check Your Baby
Babies who aren't opening up wide enough to get most of the areola into their mouths often cause sore nipples. Your baby should open wide enough to get your nipple onto his soft palette or the soft area at the roof of the mouth, near the back. Instead, perhaps your baby is latching onto the nipple, causing soreness. He's also probably not stimulating milk production, which long term may affect your milk supply.
5. Monitor Yourself
Perhaps the reason you have sore nipples is because you're holding your baby at a poor angle, or you haven't realized your baby's not latched on correctly. You'll know if your baby is on the breast correctly if her chin touches your breast, and you see more of the areola above the nipple than below. Lactation consultants can tell you if your baby's latch is correct, or they may have tips to help you get your baby correctly latched. Make sure you're correctly removing your baby from the breast. Insert a finger to break your baby's suction before pulling her off the breast.
