Nipple Cream

my_gorgeous_ellie-belle

To be honest you dont need anything yet - you just need people i.e midwives and so to watch and make sure you are doing it correct. The majority of babies will teach YOU how to feed them. It is really amazing to see. I have breastfed my daughter for 6 months now and only had sore nipples for about 2 days when i made the mistake of expressing and giving her a bottle (babies can get their sucking techniques confused).

My advice is use the samples you get before going to buy anything as hopefully you wont need anything.

If you do, then get Kamilosan (it is very gentle and can be doubled as a nappy cream too) it is pricey but as far as i see it you should never second best anything you eat or put onto your skin as it will absorb into yours and baby's system.

Until i began studying to become a dermatologist and therapist and started doing some serious research, i never realised just how bad Johnsons and all of them wipes etc is for you. I have done my reasearch on Kamilosan and they are ok ingredients wise. Try to only use cotton wool and water for your newborn as baby's do not really nead any form of soap.

Best of luck! Your baby will be the light of your life - gaurunteed!!!

Hornyrhino

Just my two pennies worth, but just because you have a good latch, DOES NOT mean you wont get sore nipples. My baby latched on perfect from the minute he was born, all the midwifes were gobsmacked out how good he was at breastfeeding straightaway...and yet I did get sore nipples with a perfect latch. Fact of the matter is your nipples are not used to being sucked on all day long and so will get sore. They start to toughen up after about 2-3 weeks and then you cant even tell your baby is breastfeeding!!! I think those who dont get sore nipples are a minority.

I used the Avent nipple cream that I got with my breastpump and it worked a treat. My baby is now 3 and a half months and exlusively breastfed and 16lb!!

Good luck!:T

AnnieZC

Medela has a good one
http://www.maternitycorner.com/miva/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=NAC
it's a small tube, but it goes a long way (most people don't need the big tubes) so you save by buying a small one compared to a big one. I used less than one tube when I was breasfeeding my son (for 9 months)

Congratulations on your baby!!

pinky8

Hi,

I would 100% recommend Kamillosan, My nipples were sooooooo sore with my first dd. I used nipples shields for a couple of days just so I could heal and used kamillosan and it worked wonderfully.

I b/f my first dd till her 2nd birthday and am just weaning b/f my second dd who is 17 months old. Once you get the hang of b/f you probably wont need nipple cream etc

At for breastpads I would recommend the tommee tippee ones as they are resonably cheap, absorbent, slimline and very comfortable!

Js_Other_Half

AnnieZC wrote:

Medela has a good one
http://www.maternitycorner.com/miva/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=NAC
it's a small tube, but it goes a long way (most people don't need the big tubes) so you save by buying a small one compared to a big one. I used less than one tube when I was breasfeeding my son (for 9 months)

Congratulations on your baby!!

AnnieZC, I would point out that the site you have given the link to is Canadian, and is called Annie's...and this is the second post today where you've given this link...:rolleyes:

my_gorgeous_ellie-belle

Hornyrhino wrote:

I think those who dont get sore nipples are a minority.

Fair enough - but in my experience only two of my mummy-friends got sore nipples for more than a week - one of them (quite understandably) gave up. I only had sore nipples for about 2 days and i know it can be toe-curlingly painful (literally) so im not saying OP wont get them - im just saying, chances are she wont need more than the tons of samples you get thrown at you so best not to buy! And a few of my mates never had a single day of sore nipples (lucky!!!!!!s). You are right though it is due to not being used to it, but if a baby is latched correctly they dont need to suck that hard at all so the pain you do experience is bareable (it will be down to milk flow too though), most breastfeeding consultants will tell you the same.:j

jopsey

"don't worry love you will be able to trap your nipples in the door soon and you wont feel a thing "

Just had to put this quote in here this is what a freinds wife told me in the first few days of bfeeding my little boy after I was complaining that my boob's were sore ,she was right.

It still makes me chuckle

debtfreehopeful_2

inkie wrote:

Nipples do not get sore if the baby is fixed on properly

Sorry inkie (please dont take offence as none is intended) but this is simply not true, generally they dont get sore if the attachment is right but things like thrush and even just the change in use can cause pain. Also hormones can have an effect im fairly sure as im still feeding my dd and since falling pregnant again i have found it more painful which is common and generally put down to hormone and milk production change.

As for nipple shields and creams, unless when the time comes you need them i wouldnt suggest spending your money. if you have cracked nipples or pain then nipple shields can be useful but in short term as over time (weeks or months) they can reduce your milk supply through reducing the stimulation to produce milk. I did as some others have suggested on here and used breastmilk when i got cracked nipples and thrush until i got to a dr as its soothing and can help heal it. a lot of people reccomend it for sticky eye in babies too.

anyway ive nattered on long enough. im a la leche breastfeeding peer supporter, if you need a chat at any point feel free to pm me.:o

take care and good luck

Sue

Mics_chick

I agree with everyone that has suggested using your own milk to rub into your nipples and surrounding area (areola I think!). My midwife told me to do this and I never needed to use anything else. She actually said that it had a sterilising effect as well so was good for mum and baby.

My own experience with my first was that I was sore for just over a week until my nipples 'toughened up' !!! They don't get hard skin or anything but you do lose sensation in them until you stop breastfeeding.

I breastfed my dd until she was over 8 months old because I needed to return to work. But I only fed my ds for 2 weeks because of PND. But everyone (doctors/midwives/health visitors/etc) said that he'd still had a good start because he had had the colostrum - watery fluid that's produced immediately after labour until milk 'comes in' about 3-5 days after that. So if you can do it even for a few days it's worth it...

Good luck MC

Snaggles

Yes, there's no denying it, even with a perfect technique and even if you do everything you are told, sometimes it just hurts - generally though you just have to screw your toes up for the first couple of minutes, after that the pain subsides. It amazes me that new Mums are not told about the discomfort (pain!) that breast feeding can cause, as I think it's better to be prepared. The midwives/health visitors possibly think if they told people, they wouldn't want to breast feed? (although if we were really worried about painful consequences, we'd never have sex at all, would be lol!).