{"id":"69561db328bb98c1387e54c3492ae1f6","slug":"sore-nipples-breastfeeding","question":"sore nipples breastfeeding","answer":"Sore nipples during breastfeeding almost always comes down to latch—how your baby's mouth attaches to your breast. When the latch isn't quite right, your baby's mouth stretches your nipple unevenly, causing damage and pain. The good news is that fixing latch solves most cases.\n\nWhat helps right now: let your nipples air-dry between feeds, use lanolin cream from the pharmacy, and skip soap on your breasts since it strips away natural oils that protect them. As you feed, listen for your baby's swallowing sounds to deepen—that's a sign they're getting milk and feeding effectively.\n\nIf soreness persists after you've worked on positioning, or if your nipples are cracked and painful beyond normal tenderness, reach out to a lactation consultant or your GP. They can check for other causes like vasospasm, blocked ducts, or infection—all treatable—and help you dial in the latch even better.\n\nYou don't need to tough this out alone; these are genuinely common, fixable problems.","sources":"[{\"title\":\"Breast and Nipple Dermatoses During Lactation.\",\"journal\":\"The Australasian journal of dermatology\",\"year\":\"2025\",\"url\":\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40817612/\",\"label\":\"HIGHLY RELEVANT\",\"score\":0.859},{\"title\":\"CPS — Breastfeeding and Skin-to-Skin Care (Part 3 of 8)\",\"journal\":\"CPS Clinical Guidelines\",\"year\":\"2023\",\"url\":\"https://caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/pregnancy-and-babies/breastfeeding\",\"label\":\"HIGHLY RELEVANT\",\"score\":0.828},{\"title\":\"Overcoming challenges faced by breastfeeding mothers.\",\"journal\":\"Australian family physician\",\"year\":\"2016\",\"url\":\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27610443/\",\"label\":\"HIGHLY RELEVANT\",\"score\":0.799},{\"title\":\"A prospective study identifying breast-feeding problems in lactating mothers in a tertiary care hospital.\",\"journal\":\"Journal of family medicine and primary care\",\"year\":\"2025\",\"url\":\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40115592/\",\"label\":\"HIGHLY RELEVANT\",\"score\":0.799},{\"title\":\"Re-thinking lactation-related nipple pain and damage.\",\"journal\":\"Women's health (London, England)\",\"year\":\"2022\",\"url\":\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35343816/\",\"label\":\"HIGHLY RELEVANT\",\"score\":0.786}]","view_count":0,"created_at":"2026-07-18T10:06:22.810Z"}