How to treat nipple ulcers

Nipple ulcers are not common. Most of the time, they only occur in postpartum women. This is mainly caused by not paying attention to the personal hygiene of themselves and their babies when breastfeeding. This will not only affect their own health, but also affect normal breastfeeding. Therefore, it is best to take appropriate measures when you first discover it. In fact, nipple ulcers are very simple to treat, but most of the time, Western medicine should not be used for treatment, otherwise it will make the situation worse, and you will not be able to breastfeed your baby, which will prevent the baby from developing normally. Therefore, it is best to adopt traditional Chinese medicine treatment methods to avoid secondary damage.

Inverted or flat nipples will greatly affect breastfeeding and should be actively corrected. Every time you scrub the nipple, gently pinch the nipple outward with your hands; or gently pull the nipple outward with your fingers while twisting it, and then wipe the nipple with 70% alcohol. Once the nipple skin becomes tough, it is no longer prone to inversion.

Treatment:

1. When the nipples are cracked, apply hot and wet compresses before each feeding, massage the breasts to stimulate the milk ejection reflex, and then squeeze out a little milk to soften the areola, making it easier for the nipple to connect with the baby's mouth.

2. When feeding, suck the healthy breast first. If both breasts are cracked, suck the lighter side first. Make sure the baby holds the nipple and most of the areola in his mouth, and change the feeding position frequently to reduce the stimulation to the nipple when sucking hard.

3. After feeding, press the baby's lower jaw lightly with your index finger, and when the baby opens his mouth, take the opportunity to pull out the nipple. Do not pull the nipple out of the baby's mouth abruptly.

4. After each breastfeeding, squeeze out a little milk and apply it on the nipples and areola to keep the nipples dry. At the same time, the protein in the milk promotes the repair of damaged nipples.

5. When the fissure is very painful, do not let the baby suck. Use a breast pump to extract the milk in time, or squeeze out the milk by hand to feed the baby to reduce the inflammatory response and promote healing of the fissure. But do not give up breastfeeding easily, otherwise it will easily lead to a decrease in milk supply or the occurrence of milk boils and mastitis.

6. If the fissure does not heal for a long time or recurs, you should see a doctor as soon as possible and you can also receive traditional Chinese medicine treatment. For mild cases, you can apply cod liver oil drops for children, but the medicine must be washed off before breastfeeding. For severe cases, you should ask a doctor for treatment.