Sore Nipples

One of the problems you would face when breastfeeding is sore nipples. Sometimes, the nipples may even be cracked.
Basically, it takes some time for your nipples to get used to your baby's suckling. Also, it could also be that your baby is not latched on right.

First, make sure your baby opens his mouth wide and gets you entire nipple, including the flat dark region, into his mouth. He should breastfeed and not nipple feed. If you have problem with this, while you are still in the hospital, try to get the hospital's breastfeeding consultant to help you. The consultant may be able to teach your child to suckle properly.

If your nipples are sore, after each feed, wash your nipples with a little water to get rid of the saliva. Then express a little milk after each feed and apply it on the sore nipples. Leave to dry. That works better than any cream in the market. Alternatively, you could apply a little calendula cream on the sore nipple. If you do that, then remember to wash it off thoroughly before each feed.

If your nipples are too painful, you could try limiting the duration of each feed to 15 minutes on each breast. For total breastfeeding, especially initially, it is advisable to let the baby suckle for as long as he wants to stimulate milk flow.

If breastfeeding directly hurts too much, then you could express your milk out for him instead.