Dry Cracked Nipples..

Yes this has happened to me and I was scared at first that he was spitting up blood but when I looked at my nipples I knew where the blood came from. I stopped breastfeeding for awhile to let my nipples heal and I used Lansinoh to help them heal. I knew I shouldn't have stopped breastfeeding while they healed because after they healed my supply diminished since I have just been pumping.

I think you should give the side that's cracked a little break maybe for a few days and breastfeed from that side again.

Soothies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had three kids and nursed them all, the first one I bleed so badly that I had to bite a rag every time I tried to latch my son on to nurse, I was that cracked and soar and bleeding. when I was in the hospital for my second child and starting to crack again, the nurse recommended Soothies silicone nipple covers (not the ones to help babies latch on, Soothies is a flat silicone disc that you put on after you nurse) and my cracked nipples cleared up in 24 hours and I never had a problem with them again, (I had a third child and used soothies again and never had any cracking) but it is amazing how easy and fast it worked. I probably used 3-4 sets per kid. it sure beat having my nipples ripped off and bleeding so badly, it was sooooooo painful, glad that wonderful nurse gave me Soothies!!!!

PS the ointments and breast milk didn't help, and Pumping was just as painful because I had to rip open the scabs every time I would go to pump or nurse, so pumping to "give that side a break" did not work!

Feed him on the other side and just pump for a day or two on the hurt side to keep your supply up and let it heal. Try to get a hold of a La Leche League leader or a Lactation Consultant, I'm guessing his latch isn't great if your nipple is dry and cracked.
Do you have a pharmacy that can compound on site? Usually this will be a "natural" pharmacy or a more locally-owned one. Call around and ask local places if they compound or not. If you fine one, have your OB write you a script for this:

"It seems to help for many causes of sore nipples, including poor latch, Candida (yeast), dermatologic conditions, infections of the nipple with bacteria and possibly other causes as well. It is always good, however, to try to assure the best latch possible, because improving the latch helps with any cause of pain."
The Recipe

* The antibiotic: Bactroban (mupirocin) 2% ointment (not cream): 15 grams. You'll need to get a prescription from your doctor for this ingredient.
* The anti-inflammatory: Betamethasone 0.1% ointment (not cream): 15 grams. You can get this over-the-counter.
* The anti-fungal: Miconazole powder, so that the final concentration is 2% miconazole. You can get this over-the-counter.

Sometimes it is helpful to add ibuprofen powder as well, so that the final concentration of ibuprofen is 2%. This combination gives a total volume of approximately 30 grams. Clotrimazole powder to a final concentration of 2% may be substituted if miconazole powder is unavailable, but both exist (the pharmacist may have to order it in). Using powder gives a better concentration of antifungal agent (miconazole or clotrimazole) and the concentrations of the mupirocin and betamethasone remain higher.

Get that latch worked out, it should never hurt or make your nipples dry and cracked when you nurse. Also, you can try these:
http://www.lansinoh.com/products/soothies-by-lansinoh-gel...
Good Luck! :)

My best advice to you is this: go see a lactation consultant. There might be something more going on and you deserve to have a qualified professional check it out. It's not as if you are in the first few weeks of nursing whhen you are still figuring out latch. At four months I would expect that level of soreness\pain to hav eworked itself out unless something else is going on.

I do agree that breastmilk and lanolin are both ideas; i just think meeting with an IBCLC is a good idea, too. Best of luck! Feel free to message me off list.

Polysporin is the same as the compound mentioned. If there is any infection or fungus, that will take care of it, if caught early.
Your main problem seems to be the latch though. Contacting a lactation consultant is well worth the money. Two good ones are at www.naturalbeginningsonline.com

There are breast guards you can get that he can nurse through, I used them for a while. Plain old vitamin E is the best thing to heal the cracking, just buy the pills poke a hole it will heal fast and won't hurt the baby.
This is what they use on Olympic gymnast's hands when they get blister's and it works fast.

Yes, it's happened to me, my bestfriend during nursing is Lansinoh, and it's safe for baby to ingest it, just put it on a few times a day and the dryness will be gone, this from a mom who nursed her son for 27 months!

Lansinoh worked for my son 9 yrs ago, however I know Pure Vitamin E oil is an excellent source for healing and regenerating of the skin. The hospital that you delivered at should have a free La Leche Consultant on staff. You should consult with them as well.

God Bless You and your son!!

For me, what worked best for my nipples was breast milk.
It sounds odd, I know but my sister gave me the advice and it worked.
It's free and you cannot get allergic to it: it's yours!
In the morning, after the shower, I would press a drop of milk out of my breast and gently rub it on the nipples.
Same after the nursing, I would wash my breast and apply some milk. For me, it worked better than any store bought product.
When I had cracked nipples, I used lanolin. Then my sister gave me this advice and I never got a sore/dry nipple for the 12+ breasfeeding months after that. And I never got one for my daughter neither.
I am not sure if it works for healing your nipple but it's the best daily prevention tool I can recommend.

Yes I've had experience with nursing 3 kids. You give that side a break and just pump, so you don't get engorged, and give it a day or 2 to heal. Put lansinoh or something for nipples on it, you can get something in the baby section of any pharmacy. And put a little bit of breast milk on it and let it air dry for a few min. And let us know if your having anymore problems. Bless you.

I love "newmans ointment" you can have your ob or maybe even the babies pediatrician prescribe it for you! Amazing stuff!

SOOTHIES are the best!!! One set and you will heal very well and quickly. The blood won't hurt your lil' one; may upset his tummy if it is a lot but it will look like more than it is.

just fyi, i was allergic to the lansinoh (if you have a wool allergy), the vitamin e worked great for me. i did a kind of intensive healing, i put some expressed milk on, let it air dry, then sterile vitamin e, then a piece of saran wrap on top with a breast pad in my bra, slept like that and maybe half of the next day. not longer for fear of thrush. only pumped, no nursing for a day or so like that. didnt want to mess with my supply by stopping altogether, pumping is gentler on you than the baby. then resume after about a day or 2 at most. this worked very well for me.

I second the pure lanolin suggestion. I have used it with both of my babies. I used to put it on before bed and after each feeding. I have used Medela and Lansinoh brand and both work great. Such a life saver for dry cracked nipples! You can get it at Target or Walmart. Good luck!!