What to do with cracked nipples

Nipple cracking is a common phenomenon for breastfeeding women. Generally speaking, milder chapped nipples are only on the surface of the breasts, while severe chapped nipples will have local exudate and recur repeatedly. If not properly handled, it is easy to cause breast abscesses, especially during breastfeeding. The breasts will feel particularly painful, and will bleed, pus will flow, and severe ulcers will occur. So, what should we do with chapped nipples?

Treatment for cracked nipples:

The first point is that when a mother has cracked nipples, she should apply hot compresses and massage her breasts before each feeding to stimulate milk discharge. This will be more conducive to the connection between the nipple and the baby's mouth, facilitate feeding, and reduce irritation.

The second point is that when breastfeeding, let the baby suck the healthy breast first. This can further reduce the irritation of the cracked breast. Also, change the breastfeeding posture frequently and do not let the baby hold one nipple for a long time.

The third point is that after feeding, you can use your index finger to gently press the baby's lower jaw to hold the baby, and then open the baby's mouth to quickly take out the milk, which will reduce the stimulation of the nipple by the baby's mouth.

The fourth point is that after breastfeeding, you can apply a little breast milk on the nipples and areola, let the nipples dry naturally, which will help repair damaged nipples.

The fifth point is that if the chapped skin does not heal for a long time and recurs, you should seek medical attention in time and have a professional doctor examine it and provide targeted treatment. If the condition is mild, you can apply some cod liver oil drops for babies. When breastfeeding, just wash the cod liver oil drops and feed them, it will also have a certain therapeutic and relieving effect.

The sixth point is that if the condition is severe and infection has occurred or is about to occur, you must first actively seek treatment and stop breastfeeding, and then resume breastfeeding after treatment.