Can you prepare nipples in advance!!

[Abigail]

My sister tells me that because I have fair skin and burn easily that I'm likely to suffer more from sore nipples. I really want to bf, but is there any way you can 'toughen' them up in advance?

Not really Abigail (I'd ignore those nasty old wives' tales about using a nail brush on them....) but I am very fairskinned too and although there was soreness, it did pass quite quickly. You can use things like a little breast milk on them, Kamillosan ointment etc. It is well worth the effort and unless you are very unlucky, any soreness will not be so bad that you feel driven to give up b/f. And you may not have the problem at all...
If you already suffer from dry skin you could use Kamillosan in advance to keep your nipple area well moisturised.

I've also got fair, sensitive skin and red hair and was warned that redheads never succeed in breastfeeding!! Luckily this was untrue, although it certainly wasn't a piece of cake. I agree with Marina that Kamillosan was excellent. Try to allow nipples to air dry after a feed and ensure that breast pads are changed regularly. IMO don't use the synthetic variety (the cloth ones you wash in the machine are much better). Good luck!

I agree with marina that there is not much you can do in advance and don't worry about it too much. it can be hard but it does pass quickly and I don't think it's too much to do with your skin type - more to do with how the baby latches on etc. I had 1-2 weeks of difficulty, really sore nipples, but it gets easier quite quickly.

NCT breastfeeding counsellors were really helpful too.

I never did anything to mine. I'd heard loads about it hurting and worried about it a lot before but it didn't hurt at all so I really wouldn't worry. It was tough for the first week but that was because we were both pretty crap at it - I was knackered and drugged up after a c section and so was poor baby. After that first week it was fine and I'd really recommend it. Good luck

Agree with the others - you can't toughen them up - and mine were sore for about three weeks (excruciating at times) but Caroline5's advice worked for me

Take up S&M for a while...

No seriously - I am also red haired, fair skinned, freckily, burn just by looking at a sunny day, and suffered not one jot - despite previously having very sensitive nipples and being very afraid of this... Now I can't feel a thing

Luckily DS1 latched on beautifully from the moment she was born so I do think I am one of the lucky ones and we did have our sore moments, but the best advice I was given was never to let a srop of soap near them whilst breastfeeding, as this is more likely to dry them up and make them sore.

BTW - did you sister breastfeed?

Just to echo the others - I breastfed both my children without problems. So nipple soreness, while a reality for some women is not a 100% painful reality by any means. Maybe your sister could try & keep these worries to herself - I know when I was pg, it didn't take much to get me worked up.

Focus on the positive - no point in worrying about what might never happen.

Oh, & good luck - I really enjoyed b/f both my 2 & look forward to it again.

How pg are you? If it's not too late, I wouldn't waste any money on maternity dresses, cos then you can't wear them after if you want to b/f. maternity tops are great for pg, breast feeding, and general 'fat' days, also for hipster trousers if you don't want to flash your knickers off to everyone every time you lean forward/bend over.

Thanks for all the advice - I really can't wait to breastfeed I've been having dreams about it since even before I was pregnant!

Just 6 1/2 weeks to go now - I'm so excited.

My sister did tell me this fact with great glee, just as she told me today that I had put on weight on my bum as well as bump (she confessed to my other sister that she was disappointed that I wasn't porkier) I'm still smaller than her so maybe it was said with a little sour grapes.

I've put Lansinoh and Kamilosan on my shopping list.

Thanks again

I dreamed about breastfeeding too before DD was born! It felt so real, and in fact was uncannily prophetic in how I felt breastfeeding in real life... So there you go - you've had a bit of practice already!

Bron - WINCE

I dreamt about b/feeding both times too, weird isn't it, my babies always had sharp pointy teeth etc, one night it was a litter of kittens I was b/feeding, sometimes it was triplets, bizarre.

Bron, I'm with you about the nipple thing, didn't lose one but was on the verge of it, there was one hanging half off when I was feeding DS1 and I used to say to the midwife that I expected it to be gone by the end of the next feed and she just laughed but your post has just proven that it can happen, ouch!!!

Abigail, you have exactly the right attitude and I'm sure that you will overcome any obstacles to b/f - and it is worth it in the end! But yes it does hurt, and not necessarily because of anything you may be doing wrong. I read in loads of books that it only hurts if you are latching on wrong, if you are doing right, it shouldn't be more than a little uncomfortable. Well I had my position and latching technique checked by lots of different midwives, and though I was doing everything right, it really did hurt! It can put you off thinking that something must be wrong, and I went through days of anxiety like this, everytime the HV or midwife came to visit I would be thrusting my breasts at them! I just wanted them to check again because I was convinced I must be doing it wrong.
However it DOES ease, it might take a while, but it does get better and it does come more naturally. Just perservere.
But saying all this you may not get any pain at all, the midwives said they had seen coloured women double up in pain at b/f, so the colour of your skin does not necessarily dictate how painful it will be. Think positive - and good luck!

Demented - you make me feel so much better, I can now admit that I too have dreamt about breast feedind kittens (giving birth to them as well!!). I think that earlier on in pregnancy that was all that I could imagine as being something I loved that was so little and helpless.

Since then my dreams have got gradually more real - I no longer abandon my wierd looking baby for a day before noticing it I'm glad to say. My last breast feeding dream seemed so real and vivid (and coincided with the first time that I noticed a tiny pearl of milk).

Thanks again for all the advice and support.

LOL Abigail, I haven't ever given birth to them, that must have been quite an experience!

In dreams I was always leaving the baby in the loft or in a drawer and going to my work.

There is no proven benefit to any preparation in advance. Your body takes care of nipple lubrication naturally. No need for creams really until perhaps post delivery if you do experience discomfort. I found the best thing was expressed milk on tender nipples. They were a bit sore with the first 2 babies but soon were fine. I absolutely adored breast feeding and looked forward to that the most throughout pregnancy. I have read reports of partners toughening up nipples which could be pleasant but only if you can be bothered IYKWIM

Is it me? Whenever I read the title of this thread I find myself thinking about marinades...

No it's not just you Janh. The mental image of trays of prepared nipples in the kitchen has been causing me considerable upset!.

I hated b/f the last time. For me it was excruciating for 30-60 seconds each time she latched on (and she would often 'fall' off so it multiplied the pain at each feed). Like Rhubarb I had multiple midwives check my positioning in the hospital but nothing helped. I have quite flat nipples and some of the midwives would pull, twist and tweak the nipple to make it pointier before latching on. As a result of never being comfortable with it I could not b/f in front of anyone except dh and as I went to stay with my mum a few weeks after dd was born I felt so secluded confined to the bedroom for half the day feeding and in pain. Anyhow - I gave up after 5 weeks and was soooooo happy to stop ! But, I thought next time that I could help my nipples in advance - I saw nipple shields or nipple trainers that you can wear to shape your nipples into more pointy nipples beforehand. I can't remember the brand name but I saw them in the local chemist. Did anyone ever use these and did they make any difference ?

You can buy breastshells - but the research shows they make no difference. Or there is the Niplette, which acts like a sort of syringe, but this has not been properly trialled either.

Midwives poking and fiddling.....oh dear. Not a help. Flat nipples can be a bit of a drawback but all it should mean is that the baby needs a bit more practice at the begining getting attached.

Hi Abigail! I had terribly sore nipples when feeding my first child - in the end it was sooo bad I had to give up! However it has been much better second time around and I followed a tip in the Gina Ford book which says to do no more than 5 mins at a time at the very beginning (ie first couple of days) - I did it this way and three months on everything is fine! Oh and I try never to feed lying down in bed at night because I always fall asleep and then my baby sucks on my nipple in her sleep which can make them a bit more sensitive the next day!

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