What to do for cracked nipples

Cracked Nipples: Natural Remedies

Overview

If you’re a breast-feeding mother, you’ve probably had the unpleasant experience of sore, cracked nipples. It’s something that many nursing moms endure. It’s usually caused by a bad latch. This results from improper positioning of your baby at the breast.

Try these five natural remedies to treat sore, cracked nipples. Then learn what you can do to prevent this problem from happening again.

What Causes Cracked Nipples?

Traumatized nipples are described as nipples that are:

• sore
• oozing
• bleeding
• throbbing
• cracked

There are two frequent causes of traumatized nipples: poor latch at the breast and suction trauma as a result of improper positioning.

There are a number of possible reasons for incorrect positioning. Breast-feeding is a learned skill for moms and babies alike. It takes a bit of practice to properly position the nipple in a baby’s mouth and their body against the mother.

Babies who aren’t latched well may protect themselves from forceful letdown reflexes by pinching off the nipple. If a baby has a shallow latch, they may also nurse more frequently. This is because they aren’t getting as much milk at each breast-feeding session.

La Leche League International notes that, in other cases, a baby will pinch their mother’s nipple because of anatomical issues, including a:

• tongue-tie
• small mouth
• receding chin
• short frenulum
• high palate

Other possible causes include:

• nipple confusion (a possibility if you’re breast-feeding, bottle-feeding, or offering pacifiers)
• sucking problems
• baby retracting or improperly positioning their tongue during nursing

It’s important to determine what’s causing your cracked, sore nipples so you can avoid a recurring problem. Speak to a certified lactation consultant. They will be able to assess both your breast-feeding and latch techniques. They can also look at your baby’s sucking patterns and strength.

How Can I Treat Cracked Nipples?

Proper positioning is essential for preventing future trauma to your nipples. But how can you treat cracked nipples if you have them?

There are several home and store-bought options for treatment.

Apply Freshly Expressed Breast Milk

Smoothing freshly expressed breast milk onto cracked nipples may help them heal by offering antibacterial protection. If you’re a nursing mother, you’ll have breast milk on hand, making it easy to apply after breast-feeding sessions.

Make sure to wash your hands before gently applying a few drops of breast milk to your nipples. Allow the milk to air-dry before covering up.

Note: If you have thrush, this remedy should be avoided. Any breast milk should be rinsed off the nipple after feeding your baby. Yeast grows quickly in human milk.

Warm Compress

This is another readily available and inexpensive treatment option. While there aren’t any antibacterial benefits, you may find using warm, damp compresses after breast-feeding to be soothing on sore, cracked nipples.

1. To apply, dip a washcloth in warm water.
2. Wring out excess liquid.
3. Place the washcloth over your nipple and breast for a few minutes.
4. Gently pat dry.

Salt Water Rinse

This homemade saline solution will help hydrate the skin and promote healing:

1. Mix 1/2 teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of warm water.
2. Soak the nipples in a small bowl of this warm saline solution for about one minute after breast-feeding.
3. You can also use a squirt bottle to apply the solution to all areas of the nipple.
4. Pat gently to dry.

Be sure to make a fresh supply of saline solution daily to reduce the chances of bacterial contamination. If your baby doesn’t seem to like the taste of the dried solution, rinse your nipples before feeding.

Apply Medical Grade Lanolin Ointment

Using a lanolin ointment specifically designed for breast-feeding mothers will help promote moist wound healing. Apply to nipples after breast-feeding. It doesn’t need to be removed before nursing your baby.

Change Nursing Pads Frequently

Change nursing pads as soon as they become damp. Leaving the moisture against your nipples can delay healing. Also avoid nursing pads made with plastic linings. They can obstruct airflow. Look for pads made from 100 percent cotton.

Remedies to avoid

You may hear of other remedies for cracked, sore nipples. But some of these can be counter-effective and should be avoided.

• Wet tea bags: This is a popular remedy in many locations around the world. While they’re inexpensive, the tannic acid from the tea can have an astringent effect on the nipple. This can dry out the nipple or even cause cracking. If the moist warmth is appealing, stick with a plain water compress.
• Using ointments or creams that aren’t 100 percent lanolin, or shouldn’t be ingested:Some products marketed to breast-feeding mothers can prevent air circulation and dry out the skin. Avoid products that shouldn’t be ingested. These could be harmful to your baby. If you must wash your nipples before every feeding, you’ll lose the benefit of natural lubrication.

Takeaway

Remember, cracked nipples are often a symptom of breast-feeding. While it’s important to help cracked nipples heal, it’s also important to address the cause of the problem.

If you have questions or concerns about cracked nipples, see your pediatrician or a certified lactation consultant.

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Healing Tips for Nipple Cracks or Abrasions • KellyMom.com

By Kelly Bonyata, BS, IBCLC

The following measures can be very helpful if the skin on the nipple is broken for any reason (cracked nipple due to shallow latch,  tongue-tie/lip-tie or other anatomical variations, thrush, a bite, milk blister, etc.).

Keep in mind that one of the most important factors in healing is to correct the source of the problem.

.

Continue to work on correct latch and positioning, thrush treatment, etc. as you treat the symptoms, and talk to a La Leche League Leader and/or board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) if what you’re doing is not working.

During the nursing session | After nursing | Between nursings | Additional information

• Breastfeed from the uninjured (or less injured) side first. Baby will tend to nurse more gently on the second side offered.
• The initial latch-on tends to hurt the worst – a brief application of ice right before latching can help to numb the area.
• Experiment with different breastfeeding positions to determine which is most comfortable.
• If breastfeeding is too painful, it is very important to express milk from the injured side to reduce the risk of mastitis and to maintain supply. If pumping is too painful, try hand expression.

After nursing

Salt water rinse

This special type of salt water, called normal saline, has the same salt concentration as tears and should not be painful to use.

To make your own normal saline solution:

Mix 1/2 teaspoon of salt in one cup (8 oz) of warm water. Make a fresh supply each day to avoid bacterial contamination. You may also buy individual-use packets of sterile saline solution.

• After breastfeeding, soak nipple(s) in a small bowl of warm saline solution for a minute or so–long enough for the saline to get onto all areas of the nipple. Alternately, put the saline solution into a squeeze bottle and squirt it on gently; use plenty of saline, making sure to get it on all areas of broken skin.
• Avoid prolonged soaking (more than 5-10 minutes) that “super” hydrates the skin, as this can promote cracking and delay healing.
• Pat dry very gently with a soft paper towel.
• If baby objects to the taste of the residual salt from the saline rinse, rinse directly before nursing by dipping nipple(s) into a bowl of plain water. Pat dry gently.

After the salt water rinse

• Apply expressed breastmilk to the nipples to promote healing–this can be done in addition to other treatments.
• To promote “moist wound healing” (this refers to maintaining the internal moisture of the skin, not keeping the exterior of the skin wet) apply a medical grade lanolin ointment (e.g., Lansinoh, Purelan), soft paraffin/vaseline or a hydrogel dressing (e.g., ComfortGel, Soothies).
• If you have thrush, follow the saline soak with an antifungal ointment or other thrush treatment.
• If needed, apply an antibiotic ointment (e.g. Bactroban/mupirocin, Polysporin) or Dr. Jack Newman’s All Purpose Nipple Ointment(APNO; an antibiotic/anti-inflammatory/anti-yeast combo) sparingly after each feeding.
  • Per Hale, Bactroban ointment (mupirocin; lactation risk category L1/safest), available only by prescription, may be the best choice for nursing mothers.
  • Of the over-the-counter treatments, Polysporin (Polymyxin B Sulfate and Bacitracin Zinc) may be preferred for topical use in the nipple area of nursing moms over antibiotic ointments containing neomycin (such as Neosporin or triple antibiotic ointment). Neomycin carries a small risk (1-2% of the general population) of contact dermatitis (see The Role of Topical Antibiotics in Dermatologic Practice by J.J. Leyden, MD).
  • It is not necessary to wash small amounts of antibiotic or APNO ointment from the nipple prior to nursing, even if baby nurses again within minutes (see Dr. Jack Newman’s Sore Nipples info). If too much ointment was used and there is an obvious amount remaining when baby is ready to nurse again, gently wipe the excess off with a damp cloth.

Between nursings

• Keep nipples exposed to air when possible. When wearing a bra, use fresh disposable pads (change when damp). Some mothers use breast shells to protect the nipple from the dampness and friction of the bra.
• If there is a specific injury–like a bite–cold compresses (ice packs over a layer of cloth) may help: 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off; repeat as needed.
• Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) is compatible with breastfeeding.
• Once a day, use a non-antibacterial, non-perfumed soap to gently clean the wounded area, then rinse well under running water. Using soap on the nipple area is not recommended unless the skin is broken.

Additional information

Treatment of Sore, Cracked, or Bleeding Nipples by Becky Flora, IBCLC

Sore Nipples by Jack Newman, MD, FRCPC

Nipple Pain by Paula Yount

Sore Nipples in the Breastfeeding Mother from Lactation Education Resources

Barton A. Oral Antibiotics and Positioning Are Effective in Decreasing Morbidity in Breastfeeding Mothers. Critically-Appraised Topic from University of Michigan Evidence-Based Pediatrics Web Site, February 14, 2000.

Buchanan P, Hands A, Jones W. Assessing the evidence: Cracked Nipples and Moist Wound Healing. Paisley, Scotland: The Breastfeeding Network, March 2002.

Livingstone V, Stringer LJ. The treatment of Staphyloccocus aureus infected sore nipples: a randomized comparative study. J Hum Lact. 1999 Sep;15(3):241-6.

Martin J. Nipple Pain: Causes, Treatments, and Remedies. Leaven. February-March 2000;36(1):10-11.

Morland-Schultz K, Hill PD. Prevention of and therapies for nipple pain: a systematic review. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2005 Jul-Aug;34(4):428-37.

Cracked nipple Wikipedia

Cracked nipples | Medela