Really Sore Cracked Nipples help!

I was going to suggest purelan or lanisoh until I saw that you have tried creams.

If it's really that bad perhaps go along to the docs. They might be able to give you something different to help.

Are you using cloth breast pads, rather than disposable ones? I found wool ones really good. This should stop the new skin sticking as much and breaking down again. Also, dabbing on Weleda Hypercal lotion for a week really helps with healing. I used it on my nipples and down below and it really helped! You just need to follow the instructions about how much water to mix it with.

Also, try and expose them to fresh air as much as poss to help with healing.

Like Neeks said, you need to keep feeding from that side. It will get better. I was all ready to give up bfeeding at 3 weeks, but am still exclusively bfeeding 6 months later!

Also try a cabbage leaf in your bra against your skin. Sounds mad I know but it is an old wives tale that really works (and I know a lot of mw that recommend it). Get a small cabbage and keep it in a cool place and tear off the leaves as and when you need them. It is also a fantastic help with mastitis.

Show your midwife and tell her how painful it is believe me its not worth the stress pushing thru it if its too much. You need to get them sorted out before it gets as bad as mine were.

My nipples sounded like yours (well a wee bit worse) sticking to the breast pad (all kinds including cloth but i found pidgeon were the best for me)and pulling the healing skin off each time i removed them. I was put on antibiotics and told to stop breast feeding and express only (I was topping josh up with formula) until they healed as I almost lost the top off one of my nipples i could lift a flap up. Mine got so bad i could only hand express in the shower (it even stung if the shower sprayed my nipples) as that hurt much which meant my milk supply dropped a lot and when i tried to breastfeed again when they healed Josh was sucking extra hard (he is a very strong sucker with a perfect latch) I only lasted two feeds with a nipple shield i was so traumatized i couldnt handle it.

To get the breast pads off easier squeeze your boob to express a some milk it can help loosen it up. I found Lanolin & Lansinol made mine stick a bit worse but bepanthen was better and it is so good for nappy rashes, scratches, rashes, pretty much everything.

I hope you can get it sorted out soon and can enjoy breastfeeding. I would like to have breastfeed Josh longer than 2 weeks (he was a perfect feeder) but i in absolutely no way regret my decision to change to formula after what i experienced my midwife even told me when i decided to dry up my supply that she thought i was completely crazy to have tried again with the damage i had.

I dont want to scare you just warn you about how important it is to make your midwife aware of how bad it is!!!

Also my midwife suggested I put some of the cream I was using onto the breastpad where the nipple goes as it stops it sticking. Worked for me.

Hang in there I know how you are feeling and it can be so excrutiatingly painful but it will get better. I know it is hard to believe that but it will.

Mine was still bad at about 5-6weeks but I now know that is was a latching issue so if you are still having probs I really urge you to get some advice from your midwife or a lactation consultant.

Good luck

I was going to say check your latch as well.

Hugs to you, its so stressfull, isnt it? All through pregnancy you think the birth will be the worst thing, and baby will come out and all the hurting stops and you expect that breastfeeding will be painless and easy, and baby will come out knowing what to do. Then you realise no, the birth was the easy bit.

I promise you that it dies get easier. MAKE your midwife come and look at it. Tell her you will stop breastfeeding, that will scare her into action. It is important you get it looked and, and I am sorry to agree with the others here, but it is really important you keep feeding on that side.

XX good luck to you.

I had the same problem. I found purelan was the best cream to use and was most effective when I put some on the breast pad as well. Fabric breast pads didn't tend
to stick so if you are using disposable ones it may pay to swap. The best piece of advise I got was to gently hand express the breast with the sore nipple before putting the baby to the breast so the baby didn't have to suck hard to bring in the milk. My cracked nipple healed in a week or so and I'm still feeding more than ten months on.

oo yeah that reminds me I found the loving touch breast pads absolute rubbish, the cheaper johnsons ones were my favourite.