Breastfeeding barriers: painful breastfeeding

Amongst the reasons to stop breastfeeding ‘’pain’’ is offer referred to in second place, right after doubting the sufficiency of milk. Sore and broken nipples in the early days are amongst the predictors for weaning within the first month in Graciete et al’s 2010 study. In lactation textbooks th main reasons for nipple soreness and trauma is failure to latch on and drink properly. Other causes include, but are not limited to thrush, eczema and other skin conditions. Tongue tie is another reason for nipples to crack. Knox shows in her 2010 review that clipping the frenum is safe and restores tongue functions. Abou-Dakn et al found that if other means of care (counselling for improved breastfeeding management and techniques) purified lanolin supports recovery of the nipple better than breast milk.

Abou-Dakn M, Fluhr JW, Gensch M, Wöckel A: Positive Effect of HPA Lanolin versus Expressed Breastmilk on Painful and Damaged Nipples during Lactation. Skin Pharmacol Physiol 2010;24:27-35

Knox I: Tongue Tie and Frenotomy in the Breastfeeding Newborn. NeoReviews 2010; 11 (9) : e513-e519

Graciete O. Vieira; Camilla da C. Martins; Tatiana de O. Vieira; Nelson F. de Oliveira; Luciana R. Silva: Factors predicting early discontinuation of exclusive breastfeeding in the first month of life. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2010;86(5)