Breastfeeding is a natural process that is laid down by nature. Every young mother thinks so, especially for the first time. But when the baby is born and the time comes for the first application to the breast, problems that the woman is unprepared for are often found: difficulties with applying and grabbing, weak or, on the contrary, too strong milk flows, lactostasis and the inevitable problem are cracks in the nipples. Often a young mother is not able to cope with pain and discomfort during feeding. This process becomes so painful that a woman simply quits feeding. However, there are many ways to deal with cracks, minimize pain and establish breastfeeding, which will bring joy to both mother and baby.
The most effective treatment for cracks is local therapy, that is, a cream or ointment for nipples that heal wounds, heal delicate skin and prevent the appearance of new lesions.
How do cracks appear
The skin of the nipple is delicate and thin, but in the process of feeding it undergoes serious tests - the gums of the baby are very firm and during the sucking he makes serious efforts. All this can not affect the nipples - the skin is under stress, cracks appear. They cause sharp, sometimes unbearable pain when feeding, blood oozes from the wounds, which can get the baby in the mouth with milk.
It is necessary that the so-called corns appear on the nipple, similar to the one that appears on the fingers of the guitarists - at first it is very painful to touch the strings, but pretty soon the pads of the fingers become coarse and do not notice the tension. It is the same with the tender area of the chest - the skin there becomes a little rougher, and it becomes painless to feed.
To form this callus, someone needs a week, and someone much more. If you do not heal the wounds at the very beginning of the process, do not use ointment from cracks in the nipples, inflammation can form during feeding, during which white blisters and redness appear on the injured area. If you do not start the problem, it will be solved quickly, and treatment minimizes the pain of the process.
Causes of Cracks
Incorrect capture of the nipple by the baby - the mouth should capture not only the nipple itself, but also the perigastric region, then the child will not pull the skin onto itself, thereby injuring it.
Wrong weaning - if you take it away from a sucking baby, it will instinctively compress the gums even more and will pull on the nipple, injuring the skin. Be sure to wait until the baby releases the breast or stops sucking.
Excessive hygiene is a relic of Soviet medicine, which advised young mothers to wash their breasts with water and always soap before and after each feeding. Such frequent exposure to aggressive environments dries delicate skin, which becomes even easier to injure.
Incorrect treatment of the nipples - follows from the previous paragraph: until now, in many maternity hospitals, doctors of the old school recommend treating cracks with green paint. Meanwhile, an alcoholic solution dries the skin even stronger than water and soap.
The use of absorbent pads for breasts - such means, of course, is a lifesaver for young mothers who have periodic flashes of milk. However, if the pads are not changed too often, a warm, moist environment in them will be an ideal place for inflammation to appear in existing cracks. Use such devices on an exit or only in the afternoon, regularly changing them.
Why is it important to treat nipple cracks?
Cracks are actually open sores from which oocyte and blood oozes during feeding. Naturally, such wounds are the gateway to any infection. If you start the problem, then mastitis - inflammation of the mammary gland - will join the cracks very soon. This disease often requires surgical intervention and is dangerous for life-long complications.
What you can not smear cracks
Never apply or smear injured nipples with the following drugs:
Ointment for nipples with an antibiotic - it is prescribed only by a doctor in the presence of a serious infection and, as a rule, is incompatible with breastfeeding.
Iodine or zelenka is alcohol-containing solutions, and alcohol dries the epidermis - not the best solution for delicate injured skin.
Lotions of alcohol or vodka - for the same reason.
How and what to smear injured nipples
Cracks, if they are shallow and are not accompanied by purulent compartments, ulcers, blisters, can be treated independently, although it is always better to show the breast to a doctor or breastfeeding consultant. They will help to fix the grip, which will prevent the cracks from appearing again.
In the treatment of such injuries, local therapy works best, and in the pharmacy you can buy many different ointments, creams or gels. In such a variety, it is easy to get confused, especially if you do not know which ointment for nipples is better. First of all, you need to deal with the active substance in these drugs.
Dexpanthenol Ointment
These are the most common and popular drugs. They are based on dexpanthenol - a substance derived from pantothenic acid, in fact, is a vitamin of group B. The most popular representatives are Panthenol and Bepanten (cream or ointment).
The well-known Panthenol, which is available in the form of ointments or creams of 25 and 50 grams, is perfect for nipples. It is allowed during pregnancy and is safe during breastfeeding. It is convenient that the drug can not be washed off the nipples before feeding, since there are practically no allergic reactions to it in children. Panthenol is also available in spray form. The cost of the drug is 200-350 p. depending on the shape and volume. Also note that there is a means of domestic and German production.
Bepanten ointment for nipples is a very popular product specifically for treating cracks, as well as diaper rash in a child. Launches it by the German company Bayer. The product also goes on sale in the form of a cream with a volume of 30 and 100 grams. There is also an ointment marked “plus,” in which chlorhexidine is added to dexpanthenol for disinfection. The drug is applied to the nipples after each feeding. The price of Bepanten starts from 380 rubles for a small volume and up to 800 rubles. per tube of 100 grams.
You can also ask the pharmacy ointment "Dexpanthenol" Russian-made - this is the most budget option, only 130 p. for a 25-gram tube, and the active substance is the same as that of analogues.
Zinc oxide nipple ointment
Zinc oxide has excellent wound healing astringent properties, in addition, it dries the wound and resists its infection. Based on zinc oxide, both specialized preparations for breastfeeding and general spectrum products are produced. An important feature of them is the need to necessarily wash off the ointment before feeding.
The most popular product is Sudokrem, it can be found in American and Irish production. They have an identical composition and they are produced in jars of 60 and 125 grams. By the way, Sudokrem, as well as panthenol, is also suitable for the treatment of diaper dermatitis. The price of the cream is 350-500 p.
You can also try the Desitin Nipple Ointment from Johnson and Johnson. A 50-gram pack will cost 260 rubles. A characteristic feature of Desitin is the content of cod liver oil, which gives it a specific smell.
If you want to save, then take zinc ointment or paste, they are usually Russian-made and cost around 100 rubles.
Lanolin for the treatment of cracks
Lanolin is a natural animal fat, it is also called wool wax and is obtained by digesting sheep’s wool. Ointment from cracks on the nipples with lanolin allows you to create a protective film on the skin, under which the wounds heal faster and dry skin becomes more hydrated. However, such creams are more suitable for prevention.
The most popular nipple cream with lanolin is Purelan from the Swiss company Medela. It is produced in tubes of 37 grams, the cost is about 500 rubles. "Purelan" is 100% lanolin, and this allows you not to rinse it off before feeding. Apply the cream with a thin layer without rubbing it into the skin.
Other manufacturers of baby cosmetics and products for mothers have similar creams - Avent, Baby line, Sanosan, Pigeon.
Retinol Nipple Ointment
Retinol is Vitamin A, a dermatoprotector that effectively repairs damaged epidermis. Treatment should be done twice a day, always washing off the drug before feeding. Look for products with retinol in a pharmacy - for example, ointment for cracked nipples “Wedestim” made in Russia (100-200 rubles depending on volume) or “Ralevit”, fortified with vitamins E and D2 (350 rubles). However, it is better to use these ointments as prescribed by the doctor and not to combine with vitamin A intake so as not to get an overdose.
Natural oils and plant extracts
Natural components with excellent moisturizing and healing properties are sold both in pure form and in combination, in the form of creams and ointments. For example, a cream from Mama Comfort with aloe vera, oils of buckwheat, wheat germ and peach.
The ointment for healing Vulnuzan nipples from the Bulgarian concern Sopharma is made from the extract of mother liquors of Pomorie salt lakes and perfectly heals even deep cracks. Also, the ointment has an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effect.
Natural oils also possess excellent properties - olive, sea-buckthorn, and cedar. They are completely harmless and may not be washed off before feeding.
Folk recipes
Cracks in the nipples tormented nursing women at all times, even before the advent of so many drugs. Our mothers and grandmothers successfully dealt with injuries in folk ways. First of all, their own milk helped them in this. It has good antiseptic properties and helps in healing wounds, so after feeding it is recommended to leave a little of your milk on the nipples and let it dry in the open air.
Cabbage, rich in riboflavin, which accelerates tissue regeneration, helps fight cracks, mastitis, and lactostasis. Fight off the cold cabbage leaf until juice is obtained and attach to the sore chest, which will relieve pain and help in healing the skin.
You can also treat nipples with infusion of birch leaves - it helps to heal wounds.
Crack Prevention
Using any of the listed tools (or several at once), you can quickly heal cracks, but if you do not do maintenance, they will appear again. Therefore, in the very first days it is necessary to establish the correct baby grip on the nipple, and in the following weeks and months of breastfeeding, it is important to observe hygiene without overdoing it, but not starting it. It is also important not to injure the nipple with manual pumping or a breast pump - you need to express the milk carefully. Also, one should not forget about moisturizing the delicate skin of the nipples and protecting them, then breastfeeding will last as long as mom and baby want it.