Severe Nipple Pain

I remember with my second child how every time she latched I would have severe nipple pain to the point of tears. This was due to her having a tiny mouth, bubble palate and small lips. Made a deep latch difficult and it just took time for her tiny little mouth to grow. 6 weeks to be exact. Yes, this lactation consultant had severe breastfeeding pain for 6 weeks, YIKES. So, sometimes you are doing everything right and breastfeeding still hurts.

If you are having a painful latch , my first recommendation is to ASK FOR HELP. Breastfeeding does not hurt for MOST women and pain is always a signal that an evaluation is in order. Many, many times nipple pain can be resolved by correcting latch or position. A well trained IBCLC can quickly assess and provide assistance when there is discomfort.

Do not use ANY ointments on your nipple until you have been assessed by a lactation specialist. No lanolin, no calendula, no nipple butter, NOTHING! If you have yeast, the ointments will make it worse.

If injury or infection is not dealt with in a timely manner, a lactating mom can develop what is called nipple vasospasms or raynaud’s phenomenon. Women who experience this describe sharp shooting pains in the nipple or breast. I often hear something like this “It feels like I am being stabbed in the breast”. Now that is descriptive. Often these moms also experience blanching (whitening) of the nipple just after a feeding as well. What are these breast vasospasms? Basically, they are over stressed blood vessels that are overstimulated from the injury or infection.

What if I have not had an infection but still have these symptoms? It would be wise to see your primary care doctor to make sure you do not have yeast or a bacterial infection. But I have seen vaso spasms occur from a baby biting mom, a shallow latch, tongue tie, nipple shield usage and more. It is not always limited to an infection, but infection is the leading cause.

What can you do about Raynaud’s syndrome?
1. See a doctor for proper diagnosis.Make sure you do not have a current infection, if you do this must be addressed first before going any further.

2. You can try applying a cold back to the breast after the feeds and when you are having the spasms to see if it provides some relief. Cold usually works BUT I have had moms who found more relief from warm heat. Either can be done by filling a disposable diaper with cold or warm water and applying to the breast.
3. Apply some mild pressure to the nipple immediately after the feed.
4. Avoid nicotene and caffeine. They cause vasoconstriction, which worsens the pain.
5. Take calcium, magnesium and B6 supplements.
5..Arginine (an amino acid) you can find at a health food store will often provide relief. It will help to dilate the blood vessels and help to reduce the spasms.
6. If all that does not work, see your primary care doctor and discuss possible treatment with Nifedipine. It is a calcium channel blocker and works by relaxing blood vessels. It is usually prescribed for people with high blood pressure and may only be prescribed by a doctor.

I hope this article on severe nipple pain helped you. If you still have questions please submit them to me here: Click here to chat with a lactation consultant.

Back from Nipple Pain to Nipples page (no giggles)

Back from Nipple Pain to askthelactationconsultant.com