Nipples hard and sore, why? Have you been experiencing nipple hardness and soreness? Do you want to find some remedy for it to cease and for you to be comfortable?
Nipple hardness and soreness is a common discomfort that women often experience when they are in the first phase of having a baby, or during menstruation period, or when there has been an allergic reaction that has been happening in that particular body part. It is your right to know how to solve it and make things easier for you to deal with.
This article is going to be of great help for you to overcome nipple hardness and soreness. With this help, you will be able to free yourself from the pain and suffering that these have caused you.
Top home remedies for sore nipples
These are the possible things that you should prepare in order to execute the steps on how to remedy nipple hardness and soreness.
1. Breast milk
If you have just entered the motherhood stage, you will need your own breast milk in order to remedy nipple hardness and soreness. This can definitely help you with healing yourself. It has properties which are antibacterial. These properties are going to help you treat your nipples and give you the comfort. In fact, you will be needing this before and after your baby has already breastfed.
2. Washcloth and warm water
You can also heal your nipple hardness and soreness using a washcloth and a warm water. The water’s temperature should be warm enough to have some effects on you. Make sure that you are still capable of holding it because you might just be inconsiderate and realize that it would be too hot when you get to use it.
The washcloth should be comfortable enough so that it would be effective in giving remedy to your problem.
3. Oil
The oil that has been referred to in here is the ones like olive or coconut. It may also be a sweet almond. These oils have moisturizers which could help reduce the dryness in the particular area.
Remember though that when you use oil, you should wash your nipples with warm water so that you could make sure that there are no remaining oils that your baby might just take too.
4. Aloe Vera
This is another material that you should take into consideration and prepare also. This has a lot of natural healing powers which is also effective and reliable. It can also relieve the pain that you may be feeling and enduring for quite a time already.
5. Basil leaves
These also have their healing powers within them. It has been known as one of the best assistance that you can have when you want to heal your nipples.
You shouldn’t underestimate the power of a basil leaf because you might just get disappointed for yourself. There is a lot of another thing that you would be able to do with this leaf that could also lead to healing.
6. Ice
If you want a temporary and short-time relief from the nipple hardness and soreness, you can just purchase an ice cube. This is one of the best methods of treating your discomfort and bother for what you are doing.
Ways to prevent and treat sore nipples
Here are the steps in which you can definitely make use of the mentioned materials and have yourself be free of the limitations that nipple hardness and soreness can bring you.
Method 1. Let your baby self-latch
As much as possible, give your baby the opportunity to find his own milk with little support. To do this, here are the steps.
- Step 1: Recline yourself in a 60-degree or 70-degree angle.
- Step 2: Place your baby’s head near your nipples so that he will have an easier time to fend for himself. Of course, he will also need a little help from you.
- Step 3: Let the gravity help you to keep him in place. Only a little help is allowed of you, thus, you will be needing the law of gravity for this.
- Step 4: With a little support, let your baby bob his head upwards to locate your nipples and have his milk.
Method 2: Prepare for your baby’s early hunger signals
It is only natural that you would want to take longer breaks when you are experiencing nipple hardness and soreness. However, your baby wouldn’t be able to wait much longer for you to be ready. To help you out in minimizing the possible pain, here are the steps.
- Step 1: Always be ready to have you baby latched on you at any time of the day.
- Step 2: Do not let your baby wait for you for too long to be fed. You would only have more pains if this happens because your baby is more likely to do it painfully since he is hungry.
- Step 3: Do the method 1 in breastfeeding. Just let your baby to self-latch for a decreased pain.
Method 3. Consult your doctor
- Step 1: Examine yourself. If you have white nipples right after breastfeeding, it would be painful when blood would rush back to that area. The whiteness may be caused by your baby feeding on you.
- Step 2: Check if you have a thrush or a bacterial infection of your milk ducts.
- Step 3: If you happen to have these, you need to consult your doctor. You will have to consult your doctor as soon as possible to somehow prevent any further complications.
Method 4. Use your own breast milk
- Step 1: Before you start breastfeeding, you have to apply some drops of your own breast milk on your affected nipple/s.
- Step 2: After your baby is done with his breast milk, apply your affected nipple/s with it again.
- Step 3: Before you get to fully close your shirt, let your nipples dry thoroughly with air and let the breast milk be absorbed.
- Step 4: You will have to repeat this method until such time that you will have no more nipple hardness and soreness.
Method 5. Warm compress
- Step 1: Prepare a basin with warm water.
- Step 2: Dip your washcloth in the warm water and wring it out until it doesn’t drip too much.
- Step 3: Place the washcloth on your affected nipple/s. Let it stay there for at least 10 minutes.
- Step 4: Repeat this method until such time that you are not anymore having nipple hardness and soreness.
Method 6. Oil treatment
- Step 1: Heat your oil, be it olive or coconut, in a microwave until such time when you are convinced that it is already warm.
- Step 2: Apply your oil on your nipples. Be careful that it is not too hot for your nipples, though.
- Step 3: Massage your breasts in a gentle manner with the warm oil on it.
- Step 4: Repeat this method in as much as possible in a day to help you combat nipple hardness and soreness.
Method 7. Aloe vera treatment
- Step 1: Cut an aloe vera leaf open so that you can have its gel extracted.
- Step 2: Use this extracted gel on the affected nipple/s and let it dry itself.
- Step 3: When you have made sure that it is already dry, you can clean it with the use of a lukewarm water. Get a soft towel to pat it dry.
- Step 4: Repeat this method for as much as possible in a day so that it could help you with your nipple hardness and soreness effectively.
Method 8. Basil leaves nipple hardness and soreness treatment
- Step 1: Get a handful of basil leaves and grind them up to make it a paste.
- Step 2: Use this paste and apply to your nipples and let it dry on its own.
- Step 3: After making sure that it has already dried up, you can clean it with a lukewarm and a soft towel.
- Step 4: Do this remedy for three to five times in a day for a week for effective treatment on nipple hardness and soreness.
Method 9. Ice treatment
- Step 1: Get your ice cubes and wrap them in a thin towel.
- Step 2: Place the towel with ice on it on the affected nipple. This will numb you from the pain when your baby is breastfeeding on you.
- Step 3: Repeat this in between your feeding time so that you wouldn’t feel much pain.
These are the methods in which you can counter the pain that nipple hardness and soreness are causing you. It is important that you learn these because having such pains can totally spoil your moment with your baby. You should be able to avoid it already and have an intimate time with your child.
Have you already tried these already? Share your thoughts with us and leave it in the comment section below.
