SORE NIPPLES

Women starting to breastfeed frequently experience early, mild nipple soreness. The discomfort is typically brief in women and goes away by the end of the first week. However, it is not unusual for some women to endure breast soreness that lasts for a month after giving birth. A thorough evaluation is necessary if there is significant nipple pain, nipple cracks or fissures, pain that lasts during a feeding, or pain that has not subsided by the end of the first week. Women who experience painful nipples or nipple injuries may lose interest in breastfeeding and experience depression. Within the first 6 to 8 weeks after giving birth, up to one-third of women who endure nipple pain and trauma switch to bottle feeding. The second reason moms give for stopping nursing is nipple pain, which is also the main reason mothers stop in hospitals. Perceived insufficient milk supply is the main cause of breastfeeding discontinuation. Proper placement of the infant on the breast is the best defens...