SORE NIPPLES

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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 defense against nipple pain and irritation. The mother's nipple must be close to the intersection of the hard and soft palates for the baby to efficiently feed by drawing the breast deeply into the mouth. This enables the infant to extract milk from the ducts  rhythmically and smoothly against the bottom of the breast.A successful latch places the mother's nipple so far back in the baby's mouth that the tongue's compression wave cannot touch it, preventing both pain and injury. A lactation consultant or a medical professional with expertise in breastfeeding should watch a mother nurse her child if she is in discomfort. If there is a problem, it can be identified by the lactation consultant or if the pain is merely caused by breastfeeding a new infant.

The most common causes of persistent nipple pain are trauma from improper breast positioning, poor latch, improper release of suction following a feed, infection (thrush or staphylococcus aureus), pumping with excessive suction or the wrong breast flange size, an unorganized or dysfunctional suck, and dermatological abnormalities.   Even before being released from the hospital, nipple pain might happen. Rituals for cleaning and caring for the breasts can also aggravate nipple pain. All that is necessary to properly clean a lactating breast is a regular wash in warm water. In addition to some creams and lotions causing skin irritation and allergic reactions, soaps and other cleansing agents can irritate the nipple. Breast pads with a plastic backing that are used to stop milk leakage might trap moisture and obstruct airflow to the nipple.

Women can control nipple pain with a few easy actions. After nursing, it's advised to let breasts air dry, rub expressed milk or an all-purpose cream (not one containing petroleum), and apply warm compresses to sore nipples. The literature does not support the widely held belief that reducing feeding frequency or length will prevent or treat painful nipples. If the mother's nipples are too painful to breastfeed, using a pump to express milk can help sustain the supply. The breast pump's suction, though, needs to be properly controlled. High suction can result in blisters, redness, and soreness in the nipples.


References

Brown, J. E., 2016. Nutrition Through the Life Cycle. In: J. E. Brown, ed. Nutrition Through the Life Cycle. United States of America : s.n., pp. 193.

 


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