Breastfeeding Story: Crack Nipple

I met Sonia the other day at Harith's besday party and she said 'tak sangka skin breastfeed sami, xsangka la skin jadi 'mami' mcm nih. Sonia respek..'

Sonia is Amir's gf. She's cun, soft spoken, baik ati and mcm asik kena buli aje ngan amir. hehehehe. And i'm still remembered when she bising at me at Deb & Nan's wedding when i said i do not want children. She bebel 'skin, xbuleh ckp mcm tu. anak2 la yg akan sambung keturunan kite. skin patut consider utk dpt baby and so on.. ' huyuh terus i replied 'ok. skin janji skin akan beranak' hahahahaha xlarat nk dgr bebelan Sonia and infact if we got baby girl we are going to call her Sonia.. sempena makcik Sonia yg baik ati tu hehehehe.

And, after we attended the antenal class i was so determined to breastfeed BUT felt so foolish (till now) coz i didnt get full info on BF. So, i was not aware and not prepared for the side effect for not doing the right way. My breast was engorged and my nip crack like hell. Thanks to Papi for giving me full support and feed me with info, suggestion, solutions, time & money spending and we managed to get thru it.

BUT as i became expert. i MIGHT be over confident and on last October i suffered the same. CRACK. wat the hell. Tak lama around 2 days aje tapi sakit okkk. Then for the past 3 weeks i noticed that my both nipp pink sket. Aiseh.. nak kena lagik ke?

What are they?

Breastfeeding may make your nipples sore. But cracked and bleeding nipples are not a normal side effect of breastfeeding. Nursing isn't meant to be painful — in fact, pain is a warning sign that you have a problem that needs correcting.

I dont think i've done any wrong.

What causes the condition?

The main cause of cracked or bleeding nipples is improper positioning of the baby at the breast. This also causes severe nipple pain. Correcting your nursing technique can substantially soothe or cure cracked nipples. Sometimes just the slightest correction of positioning will make a world of difference.

If your baby has thrush, you may get cracked nipples and shooting pains in the breast during or after a feeding. Thrush is a yeast infection of the mouth that results when yeast naturally present in the body grows and spreads out of control.

Your nipples could also crack or bleed because of severe dry skin, or if you have eczema. You can get an eczema-like condition on the nipples or breasts as a result of very dry air, laundry detergent residue, ointment or lotion applied to the breast, bath soap or antibacterial cleanser, powder, hair spray, deodorant, perfume, or cologne.

Using a breast pump wrong can also hurt your nipples, and make them crack or bleed. Be especially careful when you pump, as certain machines and handling your breasts too roughly can injure delicate breast tissue, breaking the capillaries. Excessive suction from a breast pump has caused hemorrhages under the skin in some women.

Ok. Kadang mmg sami tergigit sbb dia dh tertido. He never bite me on purpose. Good boy but i have to agree with the use of breastpump coz sometimes my nipp feels a bit sore after using it.

And semalam my nipp start crack ala sakit menci.. eeii mintak2 arr cpt baik.. amin amin

What should I do?

If your nipples bleed or crack, try the following:

• Check your baby's positioning. A poor latch-on technique is the most common reason for this condition. Your baby should face your nipple, tummy to tummy with you. Your baby needs to open wide to take in a good mouthful of both the nipple and the areola. The best latch-on position is off-centered, with more of the areola below the nipple in your baby's mouth. Line up his nose with your nipple so that his bottom gum is far away from the base of your nipple when he opens. Your nipple should be far back in your baby's mouth.• Change positions at every feeding. This focuses the pressure of the baby's gums on a different area of the breast each time.

• Nurse more frequently, but for shorter periods. Remember, the longer you go between feedings, the hungrier your baby will be — and the harder he will nurse.

• Rub a little breast milk on your nipples after each feeding and let it air dry. The milk actually helps heal them.

• Don't use soap, alcohol, lotions, or perfumes on the nipples. Bathing with clear water is all it takes to keep your breasts and nipples clean.

• Take painkillers. If the pain is severe, you can take a mild painkiller (acetaminophen or ibuprofen) about 30 minutes before nursing.

• For deep, painful cracks, try medical-grade modified lanolin (such as Lansinoh ) made specifically for breastfeeding mothers. Rub a small amount of the ointment on your nipples. This treatment, called "moist wound healing," relieves pain and allows the wounds to heal much faster without forming a scab. It does not need to be washed off before feedings.If a crack or wound shows no sign of healing, check with your doctor or healthcare professional.

Will the condition affect my baby?

Babies are generally unfazed by cracked or otherwise injured nipples. Blood in the milk doesn't hurt them, and breastfeeding can continue. The main concern here is to correct the problem and allow the nipple to heal, so that nursing is once again a pleasurable experience for both you and the baby.

Can I still nurse?

Yes. Nothing in the world is more wonderful than breastfeeding your baby — but convincing a mother with cracked, bleeding nipples of this is near impossible. Getting help from a lactation consultant right away can make all the difference.

Duhh nothing can stop me from nursing. I totally enjoy BF. Not all mothers can BF their baby and i know i'm the lucky one. Peps keep telling me Sami so lucky even papi always say the same thing. Nah.. i'm the lucky one. Thank you Allah. Syukur Alhamdulillah.