Some breastfeeding women suffer from nipples that are not only sore, but cracked and bleeding. Many are so committed to giving their baby the best, that they continue nursing, despite the pain. The usual prevention advice relates to proper positioning and latch-on, which is excellent advice. However, by that point the baby has already been born. There is an important measure to take during pregnancy, to prepare your body for breastfeeding.
When I was pregnant, a woman I had known only briefly gave me this intimate advice. She was the mother of a colleague who was pitching in, helping in the office during a crunch time. I was about seven months pregnant, and as the hours crept into the evening, we got to know each other over the photocopiers.
Naturally, we spoke about breastfeeding… which led to speaking about breasts and nipples. I had already heard about nipples soreness – the gift package from the breastfeeding class even came equipped with nipple cream and a reusable ice pack for this very situation.
The breastfeeding class covered the classic advice: The baby needs to be in a good position, such as the “cradle hold”, “the football hold”, and the “cross cradle”. It is also important that the baby, has good “latch-on.” If you search these terms on the internet, you will find many helpful descriptions, photos, and video.
I would add that when following the advice to “feed on demand”, take care not to allow the baby to stay on the breast too long (such as 45 minutes at a time). This will also cause sore nipples. Notice when you baby has gone from feeding vigorously to sucking periodically – he may be finished eating, or sleeping.
My new friend and I discussed these tips, and I was feeling very knowledgeable and prepared. Then, this elder, spunky woman gave me some advice which I am grateful for, and hadn’t heard elsewhere. She said that the trick to preventing sore nipples lies in what you do when you are pregnant. “You have to toughen them up!” she said.
“Toughen them?” “Yeah, you know, rough them up a bit. You can use something like a scratchy washcloth. Press them, squeeze, them, roll them between your fingers. Your husband can help!” I blushed. I speak pretty straightforwardly with my close friends, but this was a woman I had just met. And here I am, telling people I have not even met yet, who will read this article.
I went home, looked at the awaiting ice pack from the breastfeeding class, and decided that taking her advice was worth trying, to avoid sore, cracked, bleeding nipples. For the remainder of my pregnancy I “toughened them up”, following what felt natural for me. Once the baby was born, I appreciated even more that I was prepared, because the strength of the baby’s suction was much stronger than I anticipated.
My breastfeeding experience has been wholly positive, with only slight and occasional nipple soreness. I am still breastfeeding at 11 months, and have never needed to use nipple ointment or ice packs. Some of this is probably genetic, but I attribute a great deal to the “toughening up” preparation during pregnancy and then following the classic positioning and latch-on advice once the baby was born.
No comments:
Post a Comment