What causes itchy nipples in pregnant women?

Women who have given birth know some of the symptoms encountered during breastfeeding. For example, because of the need for long-term and repeated breastfeeding, the baby will often bite and suck the nipples. In addition, the nipples will become dry and cracked because of the milk, which will cause itching and pain, and cracks will appear. This is very likely to cause mastitis, and in severe cases, bleeding may occur, so some methods should be used to judge and pay attention.

Nipple fissure is one of the common diseases during lactation. In mild cases, only cracks appear on the surface of the nipple. In severe cases, local exudation and bleeding occur. If the condition does not heal over time and recurs repeatedly, small ulcers may easily form. Improper treatment can easily cause mastitis. Especially when breastfeeding, there is often a heart-wrenching pain, which makes the patient restless and extremely painful. The main reason for this situation may be that the child bites the nipple while sucking milk, or other injuries are caused.

When the nipple is cracked, the baby will feel sharp pain, bleed, ooze, and form yellow crusts when sucking. Check the nipple and any small cracks or ulcers on the surface are nipple fissures. There can be one or more spots, with varying depths, and the nipple fissures can be circular or vertical. The cracked areas are often tender, and light yellow serous or bloody fluid can be seen oozing out. Erosion can often be found in the groove around the nipple.

Cracked nipple cream

As an expectant mother, how can I prevent nipple cracks?

During pregnancy, you can pull your nipples more to make your short, inverted nipples more prominent and prepare for breastfeeding in advance.

Apply some cracked nipple cream every morning and evening. This will help moisturize the nipple skin and increase its elasticity. When the baby is born, the nipple will not be so dry and hard when sucking, and the nipple will not be easy to crack.

1. When breastfeeding, try to let the baby suck most of the areola, because the area below the areola is where milk secretion is concentrated. When sucking, the milk is sucked out like pressure, which makes it easier for the baby to breastfeed and causes minimal damage to the nipple. This is the most effective way to prevent nipple cracks.

2. You can apply nipple crack cream before and after breastfeeding. This can not only prevent nipple cracks, but also relieve nipple pain caused by breastfeeding.

3. Each feeding time should not exceed 20 minutes. If the nipple is immersed in the baby's mouth indefinitely, it is easy to sprain the nipple skin. There are also bacteria in the baby's mouth, which can cause breast infection through the damaged skin.

4. After feeding, make sure to wait until the baby's mouth relaxes the nipple before gently pulling out the nipple. Pulling the nipple hard may easily damage the nipple skin.

5. Wear loose underwear and bras after breastfeeding, and put the nipple cover in the right place to facilitate air circulation and healing of skin lesions.

First of all, before breastfeeding, you can use a wet towel to warm the nipples and breasts, and massage the breasts appropriately. This is conducive to stimulating lactation. When the baby is breastfeeding, he can get smooth milk more easily, and the sucking force will not be so strong, which can slightly reduce the mother's nipple pain.

Secondly, when feeding, let the baby suck the breast with the healthy nipple first. If both breasts are cracked, suck the lighter side first. Be sure to let the baby hold the nipple and most of the areola in his mouth (this is the correct way to latch on), and change the feeding position frequently. This can reduce the stimulation of the nipple caused by the baby's sucking force.

Also, after feeding, the mother can gently press the baby's lower jaw with her index finger, and then pull out the nipple after the baby opens his mouth. Never pull the nipple out of the baby's mouth abruptly. This can also better protect the mother's nipples.

Finally, after each feeding, squeeze out a little more milk and apply it on the nipples and areola, then let the nipples dry naturally. The protein in the milk can also promote the healing of wounds on the nipple skin.