Breastfeeding and the Pain of it.

A Helping Hand for Sore Nipples

There is so much emphasis on breastfeeding and the benefits that it provides for mums and babies.  Sure, it is the most convenient way to feed, always ready and less time consuming and a great way to bond with your baby.  It also has great benefits to babies and is said to provide them with the best start in life and an important boost to the immune system.  Let’s not forget the benefits to mums too.  It is said breastfeeding is able to help with post natal bleeding, act as a contraceptive, get us back to pre pregnancy shape and help to prevent and lessen the effects of post natal depression.

Now, while breastfeeding is my preferred method of feeding, I know just how hard it can be and how much pressure is placed on us mums from other people.  I have tried to breastfeed with all my girls, all four, but not been successful with the first three.  Sure, they got at least two months, but for me wasn’t enough.  With baby four, I am still going four months on.

Right from the time our baby is born it is ‘do things this way’,’ hold your baby like this’,’ no, not like that’,’ you are doing it wrong’.  Sound right?  Of course it does, as it is practically the only thing midwives are concerned with once that bundle of joy arrives.  They are full of advice, though not all of it is right for every mother.  They do push things too far sometimes and can make us new mums feel bad if we get it wrong.

And what about what they don’t tell you?  Has anyone had a midwife tell them what to do if your nipples are so sore they are bleeding?  No?  You are not alone.  Sometimes I wonder if they themselves know how to deal with this issue, and lets face it, some of the midwives were serving back in the Dark Ages, or so it would seem.

So, how do you deal with cracked, sore and bleeding nipples?  Well, if you want to know then keep reading as I’m going to share with you something the midwife shared with me after my first baby came along.  It is something that really helped, I have used ever since and now I am going to pass it on to the rest of you.

It was the day after my daughter was born, and my nipples were that sore from only a few hours of breastfeeding that I had blisters that were bleeding.  Quite common for a first time mum but very painful.

This one midwife was a godsend to me.  She was so good and so caring about what I was going through and I thank her so much for the advice she gave me.  Get to the point, yeah, getting there.  Just want to make sure you can see where I am coming from.

She told me all about a wonderful, natural product that would help me.  And what do you know? She was 100% right, the reason I want to share it with you now.

The product is purified lanolin.  Here in Australia, the brands I know of are Marcalan and Lansinoh.  Both are great brands and readily available from your local pharmacy.  Marcalan is generally the cheaper of the two, and the one I prefer, though the price difference really isn’t all that big.

The product is applied to the nipple area, the whole area, after a feed or shower/bath.  It works by adding moisture to the area, repairing the damage done and providing a good barrier from the baby’s saliva, which is often what causes the soreness to begin with.  Believe me, it really works and I think is the main reason I have continued to breastfeed my fourth baby.  You also don’t need to wash it off before a feed as it is non-toxic and it may also help with attachment by providing a good seal around the areola and baby’s mouth.

For you first-time-mums-to-be who have heard that breastfeeding is painful, believe it as it is, but if you give this product a try you will lessen the negative impact of breastfeeding.  In your last tri-mester, grab a tube and start using it.  This will give you a good starting base for high moisture and help to prevent nipple chaffing and soreness.  Don’t forget to take it with you when you go to hospital.

I can hear some of you saying ‘what is lanolin?’.  Well, it is the oily substance that sheep secrete in order to prevent their own skins from drying out and to waterproof the wool close to the skin.  It is a safe, non-toxic, natural substance and a little goes a long way!  Oh, and for you animal lovers, it is generally a by-product of shearing the wool.  I believe that when the wool is washed, the lanolin is separated out ready to be purified.  Don’t quote me 100% as I am trying to remember back a few years now.

What have you got to lose by trying to prevent a problem?  Nothing.  There is no strong smell, it is easy to use and really works.

I thank you for reading this and I hope that I have helped you all a bit more.  Us mums need all the help and support we can get and I just wanted to let you all know I had problems and found a great solution.

Happy parenting to you all and no matter what decision you make about feeding your baby, you are still a GOOD MOTHER!