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anyone have issues with this and recommendations. I was thinking of using a nipple shield to help. also having pain from the pain meds needed for a c-section

oh, I'm so sorry! Ouch... I had a few cracked nipples in the beginning.... Personally I wouldn't try the nipple shield because I was afraid that my little one would get used to the strange feeling and then stop feeding on my breasts. Your own milk is the BEST for healing them. Keep feeding (yes, I know it still hurts! :( - but it's important) on the breasts, and then after you're done with one side, just rub some of your milk over the nipple and don't cover up your breast - Let it air dry. Then after you're done feeding, rub some of the Lanolin (sp?) over it. That is what I did. Eventually your nipples will stop cracking. I think it took me about 3 days. It is not bad for your baby to suck on them - it's only a bit uncomfortable for you. :( I'm not sure what to do about your pain from c-section. Poor thing!

I'm so sorry you are in pain. I've heard that if you have cracked nipples, lanolin is a good treatment. It is okay for baby and you. It heals it quickly. You can apply it right before baby is about to nurse and/or after as well. Hope this helps. Take care of yourself : )

Applying your on milk on the crack is heard to be helpful but did not work for me. Also heard that pure cocunut oil (extract coconut milk by squeezing grated coconut with a little water and boil it until the clear oil separate from the sediment) will help healing (i did not try because lot of work). What helped me: If it cracked too much with unbearable pain apply some neosporin ointment and use smoothie (silica gel) for quick recovery.....but you will have to clean very well before nursing. then to prevent it happening again use lanolin and the smoothie. For pain from c-sec i used Motrin because vicodin didn't work for me. but 1 problem with motrin it will prolong the wound recovery. hope it is helpful

I feel your pain. I've had a horrible case of cracked nipples because I started with flat nipples so I had quite a bit of stretching to go through. Everyone always told me to use the breastmilk, but it just wasn't enough. I now keep the cracks away by applying lanolin at least 2 times a day. I also healed them by getting my OB to prescribe xxxxxx. It has small traces of antibacterial and antifungal components in it. They can also blend some pain meds in there if you ask. And, most importantly, make sure you are keeping your nipples moisturized, but not moist. If you leak at all and have soaked clothes or pads rubbing against them, it can make matters worse. I give a huge endorsement to Medela breast pads. They hold a lot of milk, but the top layer always feels dry on your skin (and soft). They provide a great healing environment!

I was told to use Neosporin when I was nursing my son but luckily mine never got bad enough that I really had to use it. I am worried though because I am pregnant with my second child and barely past the half way mark. Unfortunately, I have already started experiencing a lot of the wonderful things that go along with breastfeeding. I started leaking...just small drops at a time, and not every day. But the worst is the cracked nipples. That started this week. I didn't even realize that that was something that could happen until you actually started to breastfeed, by my ob told me that it was perfectly natural to start before the baby is actually born. Lucky for me, I am not quite so limited in what I can use right now because I don't have to worry about cleaning it off to nurse. Does anyone know...if I am having these problems now, does that mean I will automatically go through it while breastfeeding...or strange as it sounds, will I be "used to it" by then so that it won't bother me as much.

I don't know for certain if you will still have the same problems when your baby arrives. However, most of the challenges of breastfeeding happen early after you give birth, so chances are that your situation may continue during that stage. With that in mind, I would suggest is that you start to develop a habit of moisturizing your nipples daily. If you can keep them more conditioned, then it will most definitely help when baby arrives. You should plan to be vigilant about nipple care once your baby starts to nurse. Besides moisturizing, try to make sure that you have the best environment for your nipples. First, getting a good cotton bra for sleep and day use is a good idea (you may want to do this now). Synthetic fabrics don't let as much air in and seem to be abrasive at a micro level. Also, get some Medela nursing pads. I've tried them all and they are the best. They hold the most and wisk the leakage away from the surface. It's critical that you don't have wetness against the nipples (it weakens the skin and then anything can be abrasive against them). Be careful when you take showers. I always put lanolin on before the shower to keep the wetness and soap from drying out the nipples. And lastly, try to make sure you can let your nipples breathe every now and then. Just letting them air dry for 5 minutes would be great. Both the air and light will help keep fungus and bacteria away. Don't forget after showers and air drying, be sure to moisturize! I used lanolin and I also had Dr. Newman's All Purpose Nipple Ointment on hand. If you do get a crack, it seems to help with faster healing. Your OB has to give you an Rx for it, and if you can get some before the baby arrives, then you will be prepared. Good luck!