Has anyone successfully healed a cracked nipple?

[dashnbohemian]

The title says it all, really. I had a cracked nipple with ds#1 on the same side I have it this time. Last time I wasn't very well educated about bfing so I stopped early. I'm determined to bf for at least a year this time.
I have been expressing BM on it after every feeding & using lanolin, i feel like it's all slowly working but I just want to know how long it has taken other women to heal theirs. Also I would love any other healing tips.
Thanks, mommas!

 

[veganmama]

i guess healing time would depend of how severe the crack is

i had a small crack like 2 weeks ago healed in 3 days

 

[Button#]

I had a crack at about 3 days and I just kept putting breast milk on it. I readjusted LO's latch and it healed within a few days

 

[TigerLady]

I agree about it depending on the severity. I get cracks all the time right now and they heal differently. Some seem to heal in less than a day and some take 3-4 days. Lots of Lansinoh is key.

 

[Weezie123]

Jelonet gauze and lansinoh sandwich! You can get jelonet gauze from the pharmacy and cut up a generous portion to cover the nipple and areola. Put the gauze straight on the nipple then smother some more lansinoh over the top then put on a breast pad x the jelonet is used for treating burns it's safe to use as recommended by a breastfeeding councillor, just wipe the excess off before feeding. Hope you can get it in the states. It promotes wet healing so you don't get more cracks as it keeps the skin soft.

 

[jenniferttc1]

I got a cracked nipple once in the very begining like day 2 or 3. I just put breast milk on it, and rubbed nipple cream on it before and after feeds and in the shower put hot wash clothes over them and ran the hot water over it also with the cloth on. It healed in 2-3 days. But It was not as serious as others I have seen.
I never even asked you this before and just curious. How long did you breastfeed magnus?

 

[Jellybaby100]

I had a massive one that took 2 weeks to heal- I didn't let LO feed off that boob the entire time and expressed with a hospital grade pump for the duration. Lactation consultant said crack was exceptionally deep-it bloody hurt!
Good luck!

 

[Casey3]

I had a super severe crack that I got in the first few weeks, didn't get help til week 5 and it was finally healed by week 8, so a long time lol. The lansinoh didn't help, I had to change positions so his tongue covered the crack instead of his top gums and I used a prescription cream called all purpose nipple ointment.. After I started the apno the pain was gone within a day, it just took a while longer to scab over and not re-open. I never pumped, I just grit my teeth (and sometimes cried) at each feed but the apno saved me, I was so happy when it worked!

Good luck

 

[hanelei]

I also had deep painful cracks- two on the left and one on the right. After 3 weeks of suffering (there was nothing wrong with LO's latch but he had a small mouth and I have sensitive skin) I pumped every second feed from the left side to give it a break and the cracks started to heal from then. By 5 weeks I was pain free

 

[Ashley2189]

I also had a severe crack and ended up pumping that side for an entire day instead of feeding off it to give it a rest. The pain peaked about week 2 (I literally screamed in pain when LO would latch on) and subsided by week 10. I would always have to protect my nipples in the shower because they hurt so bad and wore a bikini top in the shower for a very long time lol

 

[sun]

I got a bad cracked nipple with DS and it took about 4 weeks to heal. I used tons of lansinoh which helped, but in the end I had to change his nursing position to get it to heal. In the end I realized that my right nipple would continuously develop that crack if I nursed in a cradle hold, so I always nurse football hold on the right side. x

 

[wiggy]

I had a cracked nipple for weeks. (Had a poor latch, that was eventually fixed). It was painful and many many times I was ready to give up. I used lasinoh and a version of apno that lactation consultant recommended. Also would soak in salt water. Ice packs right before feeding helped too. Some days, I would feed from only the non-cracked side and pump from the painful one since it hurt less to pump. When I did that though, I was feeding nonstop from the good boob because I pumped so much less than baby actually got. After the nipple itself healed, I had vasospasms for a few weeks from the trauma. Ouch ouch ouch! I am glad I stuck it out because now everything is great, and I love BF so much. I had no idea now painful it could be though.

 

[dashnbohemian]

Thank you, ladies- you give me hope!
Nikki-only for a couple of months.