My sister in law just had a baby on Tuesday and both her and the baby are doing a fantastic job at nursing. Neither one of my children ever latched on and ate and well as my newphew. The issue is mommy is getting incredibly sore and painful nipples. Considering I didn't have this issue I'm not sure what to suggest and she isn't familiar with this site yet to ask.
Does anyone have suggestions on what they used that helped ease the pain.
Ditto to what everyone else said. I used lanolin (by Lansinoh...doesn't have to be wiped off before nursing!) and let them air dry after each feeding. The first couple weeks were rough though, but it was so worth it!
This is very normal. I had pain with 2 of my kids and it lasted for roughly 2 weeks until my nipples toughened up. She can try the Lanolin cream, but I didn't get much relief from it. One good tip is to let her nipples air dry after each feeding THEN put the cream on them. Lansinoh makes a really good one.
The good news is that it will get better!!
hth
L.
This sounds crazy but if she's cracked and bleeding, apply a teabag. Put it in hot water till the tea just starts to come out, take it out of the water and cool it off a little then apply to the nipples. My nipples healed overnight literally.
First off, she needs to be sure the baby is latched on properly. Keep them as dry as possible. Make sure she isn't soaping her nipples, it only dries things out more. After each feeding, she can rub some of the breast milk on them. And Lanolin ointment might be helpful (as long as she is not allergic to wool). With my first baby I had a lot of the same issues, they were cracked and bleeding. It was awful! I had my son's pediatrician watch to make sure we were doing it right and he saw no problems. I wound up calling my OB nurse. She suggested breast shells (NOT breast shields). The shell kept clothes from rubbing my sore nipples and also allowed air to get to them. It was also suggested to go topless for as much as possible...again, they aren't rubbed and air can get to them. Tell your sister to hang in there...it will pass. I think it was rough for about 2 weeks for me and then got MUCH better (I should have called the nurse earlier :) ) Congratulations on the new baby. Good luck!
All the advice so far is good. The baby isn't latching quite right as yet, or it wouldn't hurt. But the baby is learning too, so this is normal and the pain will go away. You can call a lactation consultant to see if they have any ideas. The hospital where she delivered should have one and their services are usually free, even after you've checked out of the hospital.
Two other things you can try:
- pump a bit first before breast feeding. Not very long, but enough to let the nipples expand via the pump so your baby doesn't have to do this.
- use a nipple shield. I've been told this isn't recommended, but it saved my nipples, so I'll tell you what I did and she can take the advice or leave it. :)
Medela make nipple shields that you can place over the nipple. It's a clear rubbery plastic and the baby latches onto that. It's already shaped the way the nipples are supposed to be for feeding. And since it covers the nipples, it protects them a bit so the latching isn't as painful. I used it for about a week or two after my baby was born. Haven't used it since.
You can find them in the Medela section at most Target stores. They are about $5 for 1, if I remember correctly.
Are her nipples cracked and bleeding? If so, I used tea bags.... (soaked in water and as warm as I thought was safe)
I know it's crazy........ but it worked.
My friend used cabbage leaves..
This also happened to me. I would make sure that I had a big drink of juice or water while nursing. If she will drink while the baby nurses it helps her let down quicker and then the baby doesn't suck as hard and that means a little less pain. I know this is going to sound silly but I always had a plastic cup so I could kind of bite down on it when it hurt really bad. This will get better as time goes. I was also told to let air get to my nipples. Perhaps a perfect time is night time and naps...just go braless and let the air hit them. Please encourage her it will get better and she will absolutely be glad that she forged through this with her baby.
Good luck!
C.
I had this with both my kids.
First off, it's a sign that that the baby isn't latching on quite right. She may want to try to get the baby to put more of the nipple in his mouth while nursing. This being said, that isn't always easy when they are very little, but it does get better over time. In the meantime she needs to buy the salve that is made for nursing moms. I forget the name of it, but it's kindof like vaseline and you put it on your nipple inbetween feedings. You can find it with the other nursing supplies. Trust me, when you are sore this stuff is heaven and it helps a bunch!!
this is super normal. your SIL should've started putting Lansinoh Lanolin on her nipples before she gave birth and she should be putting it on 3-4 times a day now.
it'll get better.
