White spots on the nipples of pregnant women

A newborn mother needs to feed her newborn baby with breast milk, so her breasts must be kept full of milk and her nipples must be clean. Some newborn mothers find white spots on their nipples. One possibility is blisters, and another possibility is garbage blocking the nipple holes. If you find these white spots, do not pick them open by yourself, but consult a doctor first. Let’s take a look at what is going on when a woman has white spots on her nipples.

Several common types

1. It looks like it is embedded in the flesh, but you can clearly see the white solid substance attached to the nipple. They vary in size and may be accompanied by blisters.

2. It is hidden deep inside the red and swollen nipples and may also be accompanied by blisters.

3. A hard gravel-like object is stuck in the nipple. After it is ejected, milk gushes out of the nipple like a fountain.

4. White spots like ulcers (thickened keratin).

How to deal with it: The safest thing to do is to use the correct latching position to allow the child to suck effectively (if the child has the wrong latching position or pulls on the nipple, it may make the situation worse).

How to improve the root cause of the problem

For recurring white spots, the first thing to improve is the baby's latching problem. This is of utmost importance. Incorrect latching is the root cause of various breast problems.

Mothers can choose a relatively quiet place to breastfeed, and feed according to the baby's "need for breastfeeding". Do not chase the baby or force the baby to feed. At the same time, pay attention to the baby's breastfeeding. Before the baby wants to pull the breast, use a little force on the back of the baby's neck to fix the position, let the baby spit out the nipple first, and then turn his head. If the nipple is pulled too much, you can use your little finger to reach from the corner of your mouth into the middle of your gums to release it and re-suck it. Ensuring the stability of the holding support is also the basis for maintaining correct latching, which in turn prevents the child from repeatedly pulling the nipple, causing recurring white spots. This is one of the very important methods.

How to deal with white spots on nipples

I observed the condition of my mother's nipples and found an obvious blister-like (thick stratum corneum) white spot on the surface of the nipple tip. The white spots are accompanied by ulcers, and there is a milky hole in the center of the ulcer. When the ulcer wound heals, it easily blocks the nipple hole. After blocking the nipple hole, it is punctured with a needle. After repeated attempts, the cuticle becomes thicker and forms lumps repeatedly.

If the mother's nipples are really painful, you can apply ointments or oils such as lanolin, glycerin, etc., or you can use breast milk to apply it and then air dry it to help the wound heal without blocking the nipple opening. At the same time, try to get feeding back to normal while correcting the baby's breastfeeding posture. If this is not possible for the time being, the mother must learn to hand-express milk to keep the nipple opening unobstructed, allowing the milk to flow continuously and flush the mammary ducts, which in itself reduces the risk of milk accumulation and prevents the nipple opening from being blocked again when the wound heals.

If you find that the nipple pore is blocked again, try not to pick it out with a needle, and never pick out the white spots on your own! ! Improper self-operation can easily lead to bacterial invasion and infection, and the stratum corneum becomes thicker and more difficult to heal. If white spots occur repeatedly, the mother should not only take the above measures, but also consult a doctor to culture the bacteria of breast milk or nipple ulcer skin. Under the doctor's guidance, use antibiotics or remove necrotic tissue in the ulcer, and then use topical ointment. This is more conducive to the recovery of nipple wounds and avoids the situation where the surface heals but the internal wound remains, which makes the milk duct blockage more serious. After using topical ointment, wash your breasts thoroughly with warm water before the next feeding.