Cracked nipple - advice please?

[KristinaM]

I've been Bf for 6 months and have just got a cracked nipple . Any ideas...

Why now ? I'm not aware of doing anything differently

How best to treat it?

Is ingesting all that blood doing my baby any harm? I have to say that the possets in different shades of bright red and brown are VERY shocking

must have hada bad position- just one would do it but it settles quickly. Try kamillosan
blood won't harm baby

Blood shouldn't upset your baby (though might startle you!). I've had to readjust DS's latch recently - he'd got lazy about it (he's nearly eight months) and was tucking his chin to his chest which meant his bottom jaw and tongue weren't working properly to get the milk.

Try something like Lansinoh or Kamillosan cream on your nipple, or use breastmilk and let it dry (unless you have any of the symptoms for thrush - thrushy milk isn't a good way to heal a thrushy nipple!).

Thnaks, have Lansinoh so will use that.No symptoms of thrush, thanks goodness

I used Jelonet (Jellonet/Jellnet) which is a sterile gauze available from the pharmacy which you cut a stamp size piece and then put on nipple after feeding. When you next go to breast - four hours later - there is an improvement. Keep doing this - for 2 days - and you should be healed. Agree with earlier post - have you changed the baby's position?

Been there KristinaM - well done for keeping going with bf - I seem to remember your thread from ages ago when you were struggling to find a reason to carry on! Cracked nipples (and blocked ducts which I've had on and off all the way through with ds2 - now 10mths) are a total pain, but won't harm baby. Just keep the area soft with Lanisoh or Kamillosan and it should heal fairly quickly.

Message withdrawn

Just read your thread about the probs you had at the beginning - you're amazing

Go back to basics with the latch - like I said, I've had to do that (felt weird, I can tell you, especially with a big easily-distracted baby!) and it really has made a HUGE difference. Mind you, it's harder to take DS off the boob to readjust now - he just grabs hold either side (fistfuls of flesh - ow!) and flings himself at me, mouth-first! Eek!

Thanks HM .
Will check the latch . I guess I don't really pay attention to the latch now as the baby just hurls himself at me as well . Not aware of having changed position....

On the other hand, baby pulls on and off the nipple a lot as he's SSSOOOO nosey.You know how they are at this age

I'm kind of used to the pain as baby has clampdown bite reflex, so it was MUCH sorer than this for the first 14 weeks. And that was on both sides obviously.

Thanks for the info on jellnet, chicpea - will try to get this tomorrow

Hi KristinaM - what a bore after 6 months - poor you. I was prone to this too - though in my case I think it's due to me having eczema and dry skin, so prone to getting irritated and cracked. I found Kamillosan or equivalent creams brilliant, to keep the skin supple .

Also changing feeding position can really help - I did rugby hold for a few days when I got sore and that seemed to help me heal.

And of course being strict about making sure the baby is latched on well - it gets a bit harder as they get older and start wriggling about! Or if they're distracted and popping on and off all the time.

I ended up happily feeding dd till she was 2, and didn't really get any problems with soreness beyond about 8 months.

Oh and definitely don't worry about the blood from the baby's point of view - I remember expressing and getting a bottle of pale pink milk. Yuk. But it's horrible for you, even if the baby doesn't seem to mind.

Kristina M, I had huge problems with this with my first child. With my second I had a brilliant HV who advised me to put vaseline on both nipples straight after a feed. Worked a treat. HTH

Thanks for all the advice. Used lansinoh last night and have been expressing off that breast rather than feeding as baby is very hard on the nipple. Baby obviously ingested a lot of blood yesterday. He drools pale pink, then possets bright red, then dark red/maroon. Then a couple of hours later he pukes up dark brown. VERY upsetting
Suspect the problem was caused by baby constantly turning his head (with nipple still in mouth of course) to see what else is happening!! Oh listen mum, the radiators are making a noise/the birds are singing/there's a car outside........