Sore nipples/latching

My little girl is 3 days old, so I know it is still early, but I really want to get BFing right this time as my first was a challenge. I've been following all the latching advice, watching videos etc and the midwives say it looks fine, but my nipples are so sore and cracked already and it really hurts when she first latches. Is there anything else I should be doing or is this normal?

Show your support

i’m 2 weeks in to breastfeeding my first baby, this was exactly the same as me, midwife’s told me her latch was perfect and it all looks good, to be totally honest sometimes it is still a little sore but no where near as bad! mine were so cracked and also bled a little bit but i kept on top of the nipple cream and it’s much better now! i’ve heard it does take a good few weeks to get used to/adapt xx

Hey girl, so I’m 2 weeks into breast feeding and in the first week my nipples were so cracked and sore especially when he first latched on. My midwife said as long as the pain disappears a few seconds after the initial latch it is completely normal. However, I did take a break from breastfeeding for a couple of days and just pumped instead to give time for my nipples to heal. This seemed to help and they haven’t been sore at all since. It could also be that your breast milk hasn’t come in fully yet so there is minimal coming out which unfortunately makes them very sore xx

It is normal for a lot of people but some things you can try - nipple cream, nipple shields and/or silver nipple cups (I liked putting these in the fridge so they were cold and soothing and as your breast milk leaks into these it will also soothe the soreness) You could also try find a breast feeding support group with a lactation specialist for support and help - they probably have more knowledge about it overall and can advise you on the best course of action!

Thank you! Just glad to hear it's fairly normal, hopefully it'll settle soon 🤞🏻

Make sure you're using nipple cream religiously, I used multi-mam and will be using it again with my third as it was a total godsend! Got myself some compresses this time too, also heard putting breastpads in the freezer for immediately after a feed helps soothe :)

I had the same, don't worry it will get better! Use plenty of lanolin nipple cream and purchase some nipple shields, these were so helpful in healing. The soreness will go away

Super normal! I can’t recommend pure silver nipple shields enough.. they saved my BF journey last time around and are proving indispensable this time around too..

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌