Nipple ointment as a breastfeeding aid relieves pain

Why does a nipple ointment help?

Sore nipples are a common problem in nursing mothers, especially at the beginning of lactation. Usually, the nipples and areolas are kept supple by sebaceous glands. The so-called Montgomery’s glands look like small nodules and spread around the nipple. If your nipples are particularly sensitive or you put your babyunfavorably, the skin becomes strongly irritated and fine cracks form that hurt unpleasantly. To make the skin supple again, you can resort to nipple ointment.

Nipple ointments or creams are usually made on the basis of lanolin (wool grease). This wool grease is extracted from the secretion of the sebaceous glands of sheep and nourishes irritated nipples both before and after breastfeeding. For small wounds or tears, the nipple ointment promotes the natural healing process. You can apply the cream at any time and it does not have to be removed before the actual breastfeeding. The wool grease is tasteless and is produced without any artificial additives.

In addition, these tips may also help you:

• Use only plain water or mild toiletries without alcohol for daily hygiene. This preserves the skin’s natural acid mantle and allows it to regenerate itself.
• Suction before the milk flow reflex sets in is often perceived as painful in sore nipples. You can spread out some milk before you put your baby on. So you avoid that your child has to suck vigorously at first.
• Make sure that your baby’s mouth encloses not only the nipple, but also the yards. It will suck less strongly in this way to get to milk. If you notice that your child is having trouble, you can help a bit and slightly pull his lower lip forward so that the areola is also covered.
• Simply let excess milk dry on the nipple. It has a sterilizing effect and restores moisture to the skin.
• Nursing padsmade of wool or silk are said to positively influence the healing process of sore nipples.