Painful nipples when breastfeeding
Especially during the first two to four days of breastfeeding, many new mothers get sensitive or painful nipples. But that’s no reason to stop breastfeeding. Here you can find out what the causes can be and what you can do against sore nipples.
7 Causes of Sore and Painful Nipples
Most often, the symptoms begin with the 20th breastfeeding and reach their peak during the next 24 to 48 hours. The good news is: afterwards they subside again. So remember: As unpleasant as it can be, the complaints usually pass quickly and it is worth continuing. Below we give you the most common reasons for painful nipples and what you can do about them.
Cause 1: Wrong investment
Your baby grasps too little part of the areola with his mouth or burdens the nipple on one side because you put it on the wrong place. Then, together with your midwife, pay attention to how you put your baby to the breast. His head must rest on your forearm so that his nose is directly opposite the nipple. His belly should lie against your stomach and not tip backwards. Your nipple should be in the middle of the baby’s mouth, otherwise your nipple will be loaded on one side.
Cause 2: Wrong or too late removal from the breast
Taking your baby from the breast without interrupting the vacuum created during sucking can lead to painful nipples. So make sure that either your baby stops sucking himself or, if you want to take it off, you interrupt the vacuum with your finger beforehand. Just gently shove your little finger into his mouth. The breast is also heavily stressed if your baby uses your breast a lot as a pacifier substitute and likes to “suck” for a long time. Therefore, pay attention to whether your baby is really still drinking or whether it is already full and only satisfies its cuddling and sucking needs. Then you should remove it from the breast. You can find out more in our article “Put on correctly and lose weight from the breast”.
Cause 3: Breastfeeding positions
Do you always use the same breastfeeding position? Then it may be that your baby strains the nipples on one side and uses one breast in only one way. It is bestto use different breastfeeding positions. So your baby always addresses the breast differently and there are no one-sided loads.
Cause 4: Too long breaks from breastfeeding
Do you take long breaks between breastfeeding meals? Especially when the nipples become sore, many new mothers like to delay breastfeeding for a long time. This leads to further problems, because the breast becomes very plump due to the long break and the baby can no longer grasp the nipple properly when putting it on. Even if it hurts: Do not breastfeed your baby less often, but rather more often and shorter, then your child is not so hungry at the beginning of meals and does not grip so tightly. If, on the other hand, a lot of time passes between breastfeeding meals, your baby will suck impatiently and thus strain your nipples.
Cause 5: Moist, airtight nursing pads
Moist nursing pads (for example, disposable layers with plastic film) allow less air to the nipples and can thus promote soreness. Therefore, make sure to change the nursing pads frequently and allow plenty of air to your nipples. Also pay attention to the right humidity: In an apartment with central heating, the humidity is low, and the skin tends to dry out. You can remedy this with a humidifier or, even easier, by letting diapers dry in the room.
Cause 6: Incorrect breast care
It is better not to use soap on the wart and areola, because it destroys the acid mantle of the skin, leaches the skin and makes it cracked and promotes the formation of cracks and rhagades. Do not wipe the milk after breastfeeding, but let the milk and saliva dry on the skin. You can also brush a little milk out of the breast and then spread it on and around the wart. It is best to let them air dry. The milk makes the skin soft and supple and has a sterilizing effect. After breastfeeding and drying the milk, fats the skin with a little nippleointment, usually mamillen-lanolin (ultra-pure wool wax). This makes the tissue even smoother and helps with healing.
Cause 7: Soreness as a sign of thrush
If the nipples become sore, itchy, burning, tingling and reddening after some time, you may have thrush. Thrush is a fungal infection. If that’s the case, your baby most likely has thrush in his mouth as well. This can be recognized by a white coating of the oral mucous membranes. Both of you now urgently need medical treatment. In this case, too, pay special attention to changing the nursing pads every time you breastfeed.
Important: If you’re unsure at first, let a midwife watch you breastfeed to find out what you can improve. If the pain persists for several days and, contrary to expectations, there is no improvement, it is best to contact your midwife again or ask a breastfeeding or lactation consultant for help.
