Pain in the nipples of the chest

Often after delivery, the newly mummy realizes that breastfeeding brings her pain in her nipples. Deciding that it should be so, Mom shows heroic patience. But to suffer pain in the nipples of the breast when feeding is in no case impossible.

First of all, putting the baby to the breast should bring pleasure and tranquility to both participants of this process - such is the idea of nature, without this the human race could hardly survive for a long time. But what joy can there be if the mother, offering the breast to the baby, literally grasps the teeth from the pain in the nipples of the chest.

In addition, pain during feeding almost always signals that the organization of feeding occurs with errors. The child is threatened with a shortage of food (and as a result - the transition to artificial feeding), and my mother - health problems (cracks in the nipples and mastitis, which may result in incomplete emptying of the breast). Diseases that cause pain in the nipples of the breast:

In order to continue full-fledged breastfeeding, you need to determine the cause of the pain in the nipples of the breast and remove it. That's what is often found in the first weeks after the birth of a mother, for whom the process of feeding is painful.

1. Incorrect attachment to the breast and / or irregularity of the posture taken during feeding. Probable variants: - the lips of the baby are drawn inwards, and do not lie on the chest; - the breast and / or head of the baby is poorly maintained in the first days after childbirth, as a result of which the child can not hold the nipple in the desired position; - the posture of the "cross cradle", which is used later 1-2 weeks after childbirth (the head of the child is not near the elbow of the arm, but on the palm of the opposite hand of the mother, which can lead to a slip on the nipple, since the increasing head is already hard to hold in the palm ); - the baby periodically slips on the nipple and begins to suck it only after the initial good application; - Mom's finger makes a kind of "dimple" on the chest for the baby's nose - thus the nipple in the baby's mouth shifts from the necessary position and gets a big vulnerability; - poor support of the chest from below, as a result of which it exerts its weight on the lower lip of the baby, - so the nipple in the child's mouth is located incorrectly.
2. The technique of sucking changes as a result of using an artificial pacifier (in particular a pacifier).
3. Milk, which flows out of the chest, lingers near the skin of the nipple (for example, if you use wet pads for the chest) and is able to soften the skin.

If you notice something like this, try to make adjustments to the application (refusal of the nipple substitutes, change in breast care). If you can not do it yourself - it's best to ask a breastfeeding counselor for help.

There is, perhaps, a single case where the pain in the nipples of the breast during feeding is normal. As a rule, she appears on the second day in the hospital. Painful sensations are felt when the baby suffices breasts, but if you correctly apply it to the chest, the pain goes away during sucking. The cause of pain in the nipples of the breast is that they undergo a change in the epithelial layer - thickened skin is formed, after which the pain disappears. As a rule, it happens a maximum of a week.

But it may be that the pain in the nipples of the breast does not disappear and after making corrections to the attachment to the chest or appears suddenly, after several months of normal feeding. The reasons for this can be found both in the child and in the mother.

[1], [2]

Causes of pain in the nipples of the breast from the side of the mother

1. Lactostasis or mastitis. The breast is rough, which makes it hard to grab it properly.
2. Abnormal nipples (retraction, indentation, with deep folding fold, outgrowth of skin on the nipple, wart in the nipple area).
3. Very sensitive nipples (usually seen before pregnancy).
4. Dry skin of nipples and areoles due to too frequent washing them with tap water and soap. Moreover, still there are tips to smear nipples "green". This can not be done in any case! It is also likely that there are very few Montgomery glands on the areolas, which give off natural nipple lubrication.
5. Mom combed the dry or itchy skin of the nipple, as a result of which it damaged her.
6. Damage to the skin with a very hard towel or too zealous rubbing during washing, diligent drawing of the nipples during pregnancy.
7. Very strong tide of milk (can be painful for some moms).
8. Sleep in the position on the abdomen, as a result of which the chest strongly wrinkles.
9. Postponed surgery on the chest or in the nipple (even if the mother was at that time still a child).
10. Injured nipple or chest (baby's elbow, kick of the ball, squeegee handles and the like).
11. The use of an uncontrolled or not completely breast-sucking breast pump (a very strong vacuum, for pear models - a prolonged suction to the breast).

[3], [4], [5]

Other causes of pain in the nipples of the breast

1. Unsuccessfully selected and unsuitable under the size of underwear - the seam of a bra (especially a new one) or lace trim can irritate the nipples; very tight bra or too small size of its cups.
2. Allergy: on the finish or paint fabric (you need to wash new things before you start wearing them); on the change of washing means (powder, rinse, bleach and so on); on the rest of detergents (badly rinsed clothes); on the change of products for personal hygiene (in particular, aerosol type deodorants); on creams, ointments or other means that my mother used to treat the nipples, or a reaction to flushing / wiping them from the breast before starting the feeding; irritation from soap, shower gels, powders, aromatic sprays, perfumes and so on.
3. The milk bubble is a small bubble on the nipple, which is formed due to the fact that the discharge hole on the nipple is plugged.
4. Candidiasis - in this case the pain in the nipples of the breast does not pass a long time. Treatment can be prescribed only by a doctor. Similar to fungal infection, lesions in such diseases as dermatitis, eczema, Reynolds disease (narrowing of blood vessels in the hands and feet due to stress or cold).
5. Vasospasm of the nipple (a violation in the blood supply of the nipple due to spasm of blood vessels).
6. Damaged nipple nerve - due to injury or incision.
7. Psoriasis.
8. Herpes.
9. Impetigo.
10. Fibromyalgia (chronic pain in the muscles and soft tissues surrounding the joints).
11. Paget's disease is a type of cancer whose symptoms are similar to eczema, but there are spotting spots from the nipple. If you suspect this, you need to see a doctor immediately.

If you have a pain in the nipples of the breast, first of all, you should seek advice from a mammalogist, dermatologist and oncologist. They will be able to provide you with qualified help and give the necessary recommendations.