Bonnie:  Regarding sore nipples, I attended a wonderful presentation at a
CERP session at the LLLI conference (Chicago 95) entitled "Sore Nipples:
Looking at an old problem a new way."  In this presentation she states that
75-95% of moms will have sore nipples.  Even moms who position correctly
(including many IBCLCs) will have what she calls "transient soreness" that
usually appears by day 3 and disappears sometime in the second week.  In the
presention, she went over many of the "traditional" sore nipple tx including
tea bags, expressed brst milk, vit E., lanolin, war, water, antifungals,
steriods, crisco, prenatal nipple prep, etc.  Wound care and moist wound
healing were discussed.  In her presentation, pretty much nothing except
warm water helped--and some things made it worse.   Tea bags and lanolin
were not found to be helpful.   In the  next presentation by Sue Huml (same
title for presentatoin)  purified, anhydrous lanolin was effective at both
speeding the healing process and reducing pain.  There is a lengthy
bibliography, but here are some relevant refs:

Kearney, MH, Cronenwett, LR, and Barrett, JA:  Breastfeeding problems in the
first week postpartum, Nurs REs 39:90-95, 1990.

mann-Mertz, P.  Intervention:  Dressing Effects on Wound healing.  New
Directions in Wound Healing, 1990 Conva Tec.

Nicholson, WL:  Cracked nipples in breastfeeding mothers:  a randomised
trial of three methods of management, Breastfeeding Rev 9:25-27, 1986.

Riordan, J:  The effectiveness of topical agents in reducing nipples
soreness of bf mothers, J Hum Lact 1:36-41, 1985.

Riordan, J and Countryman, BA: Basics of Bf, Part IV: Preparation of bf and
early optimal function, JOBGNN 9:273-83, 1980.

Sharp, D.  Moist wound healthing for cracked nipples.  Breastfeeding
Abstracts LLLI 1992, 12(2)19, 1992.

Storr, GB:  Preventoin of niplle tenderness and breast engorgement in the
postparal period, JOGNN 17:203-8, 1988.

Walker, M.  and Driscoll, JW. Sore nipples: the new mother's nemesis.  MCH
14:260-65. 1989.

Ziemer, MM, Paone, JP, and Schupay, J. et al:  Methods to prevent and manage
nipple pain in bf women, Western J. Nurs Res 12: 732-44. 1990.

I hope you find this helpful.

Chris Hafner-Eaton, PhD, MPH, CHES, IBCLC    [log in to unmask]
mom, wife, educator, lactation consultant, researcher, scientist, author,
organic gardener, photographer, lapidary creator, lousy cleaner.

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