I have found 2 articles on using peppermint on the nipples of breastfeeding
women. The intervention was used prophylactically, before any nipple pain
or damage occurred. I mention this in a lecture I give on nipples and
nipple pain as a possibility for use with new mothers. Peppermint was part
of a list of interventions that might have potential to better help mothers
with nipple issues, rather than relying only on medications. When I spoke
on this at the last ILCA conference, several lactation consultants from
Australia said they used peppermint with good success. Here are the 2
references. One used peppermint water and the other used peppermint gel.
The peppermint gel resulted in better outcomes because it adhered to the
nipple better and longer.

There is not much information on this type of treatment but I think we need
to broaden our horizons to help with one of the most common reasons for
mothers to wean prematurely. Have any of you used this intervention?

Effect of *peppermint* water on prevention of *nipple* cracks in lactating
primiparous women: a randomized controlled
trial.<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17442122>

Sayyah Melli M, Rashidi MR, Delazar A, Madarek E, Kargar Maher MH,
Ghasemzadeh A, Sadaghat K, Tahmasebi Z.

Int Breastfeed J. 2007 Apr 19;2:7.

http://www.internationalbreastfeedingjournal.com/content/2/1/7

A randomized trial of *peppermint* gel, lanolin ointment, and placebo gel
to prevent *nipple* crack in primiparous breastfeeding
women.<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17767120>

Melli MS, Rashidi MR, Nokhoodchi A, Tagavi S, Farzadi L, Sadaghat K,
Tahmasebi Z, Sheshvan MK.

Med Sci Monit. 2007 Sep;13(9):CR406-411.


Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC
Weston, MA

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