After giving birth, your body goes through a lot of changes. Even if they’re small and unassuming, your nipples go through a lot when lactating and feeding your baby. Without proper care, your nipples can become dry and cracked, leading to pain and itching. Luckily, it’s easy to prevent this from happening. Here are some ways you can protect your nipples after breastfeeding so that you don’t have to suffer in the future.
Eat Well & Stay Hydrated
Your nipples are made up of many parts, including your skin. When breastfeeding, it’s important to remember that your body is literally breaking down to provide food for your baby. If you aren’t eating well enough, you won’t have the nutrients needed to produce the best possible milk. Similarly, when breastfeeding you lose a lot of water and minerals through your breasts. This means that your skin is less hydrated and more prone to dryness and cracks. To protect your nipples, make sure you’re drinking plenty of water and eating a balanced diet.
Use a Nipple Cream
As we’ve mentioned, breastfeeding can quickly dry out your skin. This can include your nipples, too. If your breasts or nipples become dry or cracked, they can lead to pain and infection. Nipple cream can help to prevent these issues and protect your nipples after breastfeeding. Make sure to choose a nipple cream that is free of any harmful chemicals or ingredients, like lanolin. It’s also important to remember that your nipples will change throughout breastfeeding and your baby’s age. For example, while breastfeeding you may have to protect against thrush, a fungal infection.
Wear a Quality Bra
As you might expect, breastfeeding puts a lot of strain on your breasts. Due to this, many women find that their breasts become smaller after breastfeeding as the tissue is used up. Even if your breasts change in size, your nipples likely won’t. You may want to invest in a good quality bra that can support your breasts and prevent your nipples from rubbing against clothing. While it might seem obvious to protect your nipples from clothing, you may be surprised how quickly you forget.
Exfoliate Your Nipples
It might sound strange, but exfoliating your nipples is an easy way to prevent against dryness and cracking. A gentle, natural exfoliant, like baking soda, can help to remove dead skin and encourage the growth of new cells and skin. Many health experts recommend that you exfoliate your nipples every two weeks while breastfeeding. This can help to prevent dryness and keep your nipples as healthy as possible. If you’re not sure where to start, try out this Baking Soda Nipple Exfoliant.
Try Probiotic Treatments
If you find that your nipples are dry, try applying a probiotic treatment to them. A probiotic treatment is a milk-like substance that you can apply to your nipples. It contains good bacteria that can help to protect against infection and encourage the growth of healthy skin cells. Probiotic treatments are especially useful if you’ve been breastfeeding for a long time and your nipples are becoming increasingly dry. They can also be used if you’ve experienced damage to your nipples, like cracked skin or an infection.
Get Comfortable With Touching Your Nipples
As we’ve already mentioned, breastfeeding can damage your nipples. While this may be painful, it can also be very embarrassing to talk about. If your nipples are damaged and had a nipple injury while breastfeeding, you may prefer to wait until you’re done to visit a doctor. Although it might seem odd, try to get comfortable with touching and looking after your nipples. By being more comfortable with the process of healing, you’re less likely to experience any embarrassment or shame. You might find it helpful to refer to these steps for healing damaged nipples.
Conclusion
Breastfeeding is one of the most natural things in the world. However, it can also be incredibly painful for some mothers. If you want to breastfeed, but you’re worried about the pain it will cause, there are a few things you can do to protect your nipples and make the process easier. Eat well and stay hydrated, use a nipple cream, wear a quality bra, exfoliate your nipples and try a probiotic treatment. These easy tips can help protect your nipples and make breastfeeding a more comfortable and enjoyable experience. That being said, f95zoneusa.org it’s important to remember that breastfeeding isn’t the only time when your nipples will be in pain. If you’ve ever had a baby, you may be familiar with the fact that they can be very curious. Babies often want to touch, feel and taste everything, including your nipples. If you have a curious baby, there are ways to protect your nipples and keep your little one happy and healthy.
