It is not at all uncommon for a woman to have sore nipples during breastfeeding. This is due to several factors. For one, the changing levels of hormones in a woman’s body that occur after a baby is born and when she starts to breastfeed tend to affect the sensitivity of a woman’s nipples. In addition, the very presence of milk in a woman’s breasts can cause her to have sore nipples. Even if a woman is not engorged, her nipples may still become sore during breastfeeding. The good news for the woman who has sore nipples during breastfeeding is that there are a variety of ways to soothe those sore nipples.

There are many different topical creams and lotions that can be used to help your sore nipples during breastfeeding. Some of these lotions may be all natural, while others may contain artificial ingredients like lanolin. There is a concern from some women about lanolin that it may contain traces of pesticides, which could be transferred to your baby during the process of breastfeeding. The research in this area is not entirely conclusive, but many women wish to err on the side of caution. Natural creams and lotions that you can use to soothe your sore nipples during breastfeeding will tend to be based on shea butter, mango butter, cocoa butter, or other natural sorts of ingredients. They may, like the herbal breast compress, also contain calendula as well as a variety of other herbs.

A breast compress is another way you can treat your sore nipples during breastfeeding. The old wives’ tale about using cabbage leaves or tea bags to soothe sore nipples actually has some merit to it. A herbal breast compress that contains cabbage leaves, black tea, and other herbs, such as calendula, might help to ease the pain and soreness of breastfeeding. In many cases, an herbal compress can be used either hot or cold, depending on which feels better to you. There are also breast compresses that are more like an ice pack or a heating pad and, while they don’t use herbs to help out the process of dealing with sore nipples, may offer some soothing for your sore breasts.

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