Nipple cream - am I using it properly?

[Laitymoo]

Hi I am using Lansinoh cream, but Im just not sure I am using it effectively. My nipples are both very sore and cracked and the cream just keeps the scabs soft - this has lead to a couple of horrific moments when my daughter has latched badly or tugged and pulled off a scab which has been agony. Ive seen the breast feeding specialist and she says I have a good latch and I am only experiencing pain (severe toe curling pain!!) during the initial let down, lasting about 10secs. The scabs formed during the first few days home when my latch was wrong, I was then advised to feed every two hours to counter act a lack of bowel moment, so my nipples are recovering from that.

Baby is now having regular bowel movements but the damage has already been done.

My question really is should I try and let my nipples dry out so they harden off or continue to use the cream? I have been applying a smalll amount of cream to the nipple and some on the breast pad as well.

ANy advice is so welcome - :-) thanks

How old is your baby, laity? How often are you feeding now?

Can you tell whether you are getting any pain on feeding (meaning, is any pain just from the damage or from something else?)

Hi Laitymoo - yes I would say that if Lansinoh doesn't seem to be helping then stop and let them dry out. Just my opinion but I had this very discussion with another mum from my ante-natal group as we both didn't seem to be getting any benefit from it. I also stopped using disposable breast pads as they seemed to keep the area damp - I actually used a first aid dressing designed for burns for a few days instead which let them breathe and heal better. I now use washable pads which are stiffer and better for me (although one of them blocked the washing machine filter and we had to get the engineer out - gah). I've since found Kamillosan cream better than Lansinoh so that might be worth a try.

Hope it gets better soon - am feeling your pain, grim isn't it?

The point of moist healing is to stop scabs forming so that you don't get into the cycle of scabs forming then being pulled off then worse scabs forming.

Just to add my two'peneth. The purple stuff didnt' work for me either, neither did Kamasolan (sp?). Fresh air did though.

Although, I've since learnt that Lanisolh heals from the inside out ...btw, hope you're warming the tube up on the radiator or in a glass of hot water before applying. It makes it so much more manageable.

Some mums find that it helps to rub a little breast milk into the nipples after a feed and then to keep the breasts open and exposed to the air to let them air-dry. Breast milk itself has brilliant healing properties !

It may also help if you make sure you change breast pads after each feed (once nipples have dried of course )

Thanks for the advice - things are looking up. Ive been trying rubbing breast milk on the nipple after the feed and then allowing to dry out. I am also expressing a little bit just to start the flow before latching on - this has really helped.

Thanks all

I found Kamillosan to actually degrade my nipple, it seemed to make them weep as opposed to heal. I've since stopped using it and have ordered some Lansinoh.

Hope they settle down Laitymoo, sore boobs are the worst