Cracked Nipples

Cracked nipples occur when the skin on your nipples is broken or cracked. It is similar to when your lips crack during cold, dry winters. A broken nipple is quite painful and will often bleed. The most likely cause of broken nipples is improper latch on. It is best to avoid cracked nipples by encouraging a proper latch on.

Once you have injured nipples, you will be in a continuous loop:
- your nipples feel terrible during a feeding session.
- They begin to heal and feel better in between feedings,
- but then they crack again during the next feeding.
It almost feels like the cycle will never end.

There is no real way to “fix” a cracked nipple; you need to wait and let your body repair itself. You can encourage healing by:

• Eat healthy food and take care of yourself. A nutritious diet will help your body repair itself. A good diet will provide you with the energy & nutrients to support the breastfeeding process.

• Do the same things as you do when you have sore nipples:
  - keep nipples dry in between feedings,
  - wear a breast shield (breast shells),
  - after feeding, rinse nipples with water and apply hand expressed breast milk,
  - hold baby in different positions,
  - apply lanolin for relief.
  

It is important to get a good latch on and allow your nipples to heal. An injured nipple may lead to a breast infection or an abscess.

• Engorged Breasts
• Blocked Milk Ducts
• Leaky Breasts
• Painful Let-Down
• Sore nipples
»» Cracked Nipples
• Breast Infection (Mastitis)
• Breast Abscess
• Postpartum Depression