Cracked nipples

If a baby is not properly latched on to the breast, the nipple can be damaged. The problem then is that the baby does not have the areola but only the nipple in his mouth, that he does not use his tongue correctly or hangs from the breast. That is why it is very important to pay close attention to the latching from the first day.

If you are in doubt whether your baby is feeding properly at the breast, if you are in pain or if a cracked nipple occurs, it is important to immediately pay attention to improving the way the baby is latched. You can ask for help from the maternity nurse, the midwife, the nurse or the lactation consultant.

To prevent cracked nipples, it is important to tackle the cause of the problem and often that is the latching. If this is not corrected, the cracked nipple will remain. However, you can use certain products to speed up the recovery of the cracked nipples; hydrogel pads, nipple cream or heilwolle. You can also choose to give your nipples a rest by (temporarily) feeding with a nipple shield or (temporarily) expressing your feeds.