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Breastfeeding help!

Hi ladies! This is my first time on here so not sure how it works, but I’m looking for some advice! I’m breastfeeding my newborn daughter (6 days old) and it is incredibly painful! Cracked and all 😣 I breastfed my son, but he couldn’t nurse until 2 weeks old due to a surgery, so I pumped first. Breastfeeding was not painful with him and we did it for a year. The Lactation Consultant said she is latching correctly. I was using coconut oil to help but picked up lanolin today. Any other advice to help heal and be in less pain? How long does the cracking usually last? Thank you!!
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Your own milk after every feed and air drying. Also check for tongue tie x

Silver nipple covers helped enormously for me x

The trick for me was to use pads over the coconut oil so it could really lock it that moisture, and not rub against my shirt or bra. Also, definitely could be a tongue tie. It shouldn’t hurt, it just only be uncomfortable. I would also evaluate her latch. Look at baby’s jaw and make sure it looks like he/she is biting when he/she is latched, that’s how it should look when they have a good latch. 

Check for lip and tongue tie.

Use a nipple shield when feeding. Then when your not feeding, put your on breast milk on them and sit out in the sun. They will heal in a few days. Try not to wear a bra if you can. Only use the shield when you need to. Do not use any ointments they need to by dry to heal. Make sure bub has heaps of nipple in her mouth

Nipple cream and nipple shield were my friends when i first started. It was tough but i got through. You got this mama, hust keep going. Youre doing a great job!💕

Try Dr. Jack Newman’s All Purpose Nipple Ointment

Get some lansinoh it’s incredible. You can leave on whilst baby feeds too and also put some of your breast milk on your nipple xxx

The lanolin really helped me & the nipple shield too(it was temporary) I had to time the feedings per side & using my pinky to slide gently in babies mouth to break latch when not using shield, which helped too.

I haven’t had any issues but ask someone to check for tongue tie to see if that’s the cause. Breast milk and nipple cream should help ease the pain for you.

Try wetting your nipples with the breast milk before and after

My daughter had a tongue and lip tie and no one listened for three months. Her latch looked perfect but it wasn’t deep enough! Once we got them revised, she nursed perfectly and no more pain at all. She’s over a year and still nursing.

Mama, I had the same issue and what saved was alternate between breastfeeding and bottle feeding. You can pump and save the milk for the next meal of your baby, on this way, if she eats every three hours, you will have six hours to allow your breasts to heal a bit before the next feeding. Your own milk is also a good healing agent. Always After feeding pass some milk around your nipples, let it air dry and on top of it use the breast balm with lanolin. Wait for six hours until the next feeding and you wi see how if feel less painful. That was what saved my breastfeeding. I know that with each is different but I hope any of this can help.

I only used my own breastmilk and didn’t crack or bleed. It worked wonders for me.

It will pass. I was in horrible pain too but we managed. First month was the worst. I would say by third month I was very confident about breastfeeding.

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I smear the left over breast milk around my nipple and let it dry before covering up with bra/clothes. When I shower I don’t dry my breast I let it air dry, and wrapping towel already dries it to some extent. Rubbing coconut oil is a double edge sword, as you need to wipe it off before breastfeeding. Baby can’t ingest it just yet. Hope this helps!

Remember tummy to mummy, nose to nipple xxx

Let your nipples dry before putting clothes on them anytime possible

I love Bamboobies nipple cream and they have nipple pillows you can heat up or put in fridge and rest on your boobs. Helped me a lot.

It might be worth getting your Health Visitor to check if she has a tongue tie? I really struggled with my baby for 2 months with a tongue tie. Though it still gets painful sometimes now, there was an immediate difference!

Mamas nipple butter and lanolin

Yes use the lanolin and see if you see a difference I think it could be from not being moist Does she drink a lot from them also do you use breast pads in your bra.

Plus he was born with his two bottom middle teeth and with them coming threw it was painful sometimes he struggled leaching but not all the time

I never had any cracking when a breastfeed my son but that was only for a couple week because when he ended up getting the cold a had to stop as he was stuggling to leach on the nipple and a got the nipple cream for it x

Use your breastmilk. Good luck!

I use Earth Mamma organic nipple cream. You can put it on and nurse directly after too! :) it was a real life saver in the beginning

I had so much trouble breastfeeding when I started. The lactation consultant would try to help but when I got home I was in so much pain I could hardly shower because the water hurt. I’m not sure how cracked you nipples are but if they are bad you should let them heal and pump for a week or so. After I healed I used a nipple shield which helped create a barrier & it was amazing! After a few weeks she was nursing with no pain... it gets better <3

https://youtu.be/osCImBjD-T4

My first few days my nipples were so cracked they would bleed it was terrible I religiously put on lanolin and it worked like magic!! After that it definitely got better

I had the same issue with my son. What I did was use my own breastmilk and rubbed it around my nipples. I did wonders!!! The milk helped it dry up the skin ( it would bleed) and within hour the pain would go away. If you haven’t yet, give it a try! ☺️

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So helpful!

Is she tongue tied

I never had any cracking like ever sometimes it was a little bit sore just from the nursing so much and the engorgement in the beginning but for the engorgement I just took hot baths and pumped if I needed to like if I got a clogged up and I was advised by lactation consultant to use lanolin if my nipples got cracked which they never did or what you also could do is maybe use a milk pad maybe that will be a little bit more gentler than the brawl that you're using hope you get better soon

For sure check for a tie and I used a nipple shield till my daughter was 6 months old. It was a life saver! I don’t loose any milk from it, always had an oversupply. #noshame

Nipple shields - but they don’t recommend using them long term. Also, use your breast milk and coat the nipples when you’re done and let it air dry. I also used a saline solution that the nurses at the hospital gave me. Good luck!

I had the same problem. Go to a pediatric dentist to be evaluated for ties. Some IBCLCs will miss posterior tongue ties or buccal ties

Get baby checked for tongue tie. My lb didn’t look like he had one but he did in the end and having it snipped made all the difference. I had pain with my first born too but it was to do with latching incorrectly. Also ask about possible thrush on nipple: babies mouth? Lansing makes lots of difference but remember you only need the tiniest amount as otherwise baby will find it harder to latch on as it’s quite greasy.

Nipple shields are good for helping heal. My daughter was latching in correctly but she would sometimes pinch my nipple with her tongue. So that cause some cracking and scabbing. Honestly my nipples got tough. I allowed her to continue to feed. But I did use the lanolin nipple cream. That was a gift from the angel! I swear. But she eventually quit wanting to attach so now I strictly pump. Good luck.

Also medela softshells for sore nipples. Wear these between feedings. These saved my life and sanity!!! I also soaked in epsom salt using the hakaa pump with warm water.

Cranio sacral therapy helped us a lot!!’ It could be something related to your baby’s suck swallow reflex. Lactation consultants almost never pick up on that. Happened to me. After two sessions he was a pro!

If your in pain and swelling badly try some cabbage leaves to put around your breast it does wonders

Just keep doing it. I know it’s painful. My daughter destroyed my nipples. My son is a lot better. If you can pump and give her a bottle for a day or so and let them rest that will help too.

Nipple shields to the rescue!!! And don’t worry about spending money on nipple creams— rub a little breastmilk on them. My lactation consultant recommended these things, and my boobs were back to normal in no time (THANK GOODNESS).

I’ve heard nipple shields reduces milk production over time . I’d check for a lip or tongue tie

NIPPLE SHIELD NIPPLE SHIELD NIPPLE SHIELD!!!!!! The nipple shield saved my life!!!! I had absolutely no cracking, no redness, no soreness...100% no discomfort once I started using a shield. Whoever invented the nipple shield deserves some kind of national award..complete life saver!

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I found that the medela nipple shields helped a lot. Also, be kind with yourself.

Ask you ob or family doctor was a medicated nipple cream it works like magic. Or try using a nipple shield off and on for a break. You can get them at toys r us !

Allowing some of your own breast milk to sit on your nipples after nursing and allowing them to air dry is one of the best fixes! It helps you heal quickly and keeps them moisturized to prevent cracking. Breast milk is great for healing!!

Hey, I know I'm a bit late here. But if you're on Facebook, join a group called Facebook Yummy Mummies. There are some amazing and helpful ladies on there who can advise so much regarding breastfeeding :) I've learnt so much just being in the group.

Lanolin and a nipple shield. After 9 weeks I was finally about to wean away from using it, your nipple toughen up! (ALSO, make sure the nipple shield's holes aren't too big! I had one with four larger holes and my nipple was going THROUGH them, hurt so bad, nipple looked like a button. I got a different kind with 6 smaller holes, worked wonderfully 👍🏻)

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