Completely anecdotally, I have recommended virgin coconut oil recently, and
moms report fantastic results on sore nipples.  And chapped skin.  And a
bunch of other things I can't remember at the moment.

I'd love some research back up on this (not a lot out there) because when I
have my LLL hat on, I shouldn't recommend coconut oil - there's nothing in
LLL-approved sources about it.

I do recommend that moms try a bit on their own skin (not nipple) first. If
there's no reaction after a while, try a bit on baby's skin.  No reaction -
on nipples.  But just a little bit - moms shouldn't feel they need to wipe
it off before nursing to prevent their baby from sliding right off the
nipple.

Even so, the only real advantage I can see over using human milk for healing
is when there is scabbing - the coconut oil would support moist-wound
healing/prevent scabbing better than milk.

On a related subject, does anyone have a source for peppermint water?
Research indicates this works very well as a soreness preventative (although
so does baby-led latching).


Ingrid 
Ingrid Tilstra
La Leche League Canada Leader
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant

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