Clicked once too often and lost 2 e-mails.  Oh well.  I hope I didn't miss
anything profound.  A comment on sore nipple care after delivery, latch or
positioning corrected, but nipples were traumatized early on.  I was hosp.
based LC from 86-91.  One day in sheer desperation  I had a mom use normal
saline for soaks on terribly macerated nipples.  (My mom always soaked all
our boo-boos in salt water and I had done the same with my 5 kids.  It
always worked.)  The next day the mom thought I walked on water, the
improvement was so dramatic.  Lauwers & Woesner have something about saline
soaks in their info/book that they got from Nursing Mothers in PA.  We went
on to develop a whole protocol for saline soaks.  If latch and position have
been checked and aren't causing the problem, saline soaks are easy and cheap
to do.  Frequently it seems to have been caused by poor latch or positioning
during the first few nursings.  (Why delivery room people need to be
cross-trained, so they can help moms get the baby on well at first
nursings!)  1/2 (level) teaspoon table salt in 1 cup warm water is normal
saline.  At the hospital it comes premixed.  We used to give moms a small
cup with salt, a spoon and cups to mix solution in, which is really cheap.
IF it stings, mom used too much salt or not enough water.  Easily remedied
with careful mixing.  We printed up little 3 x 5 direction cards.  IT IS
ESSENTIAL that latch and positioning be checked first.  No amount of soaking
will fix anything if baby and mom keep repeating positioning or latch
mistakes.  Mom came to see me last Sun with a friend.  Her baby was 3 weeks
old.  One nipple had healed, other looked awful.  Baby was regularly
spitting blood.  (I honestly don't know how this mom was continuing!)
Checked latch and positioning, which were fine.  Showed her advantage of
alternating positions and sent her home with my recipe.  Voila! two
days-cured.  Usually takes 24 hours to see very significant improvement.  I
think saline is easier than tea bags.  Less messy.
I tell moms to soak nipples (in tea cup) while sitting in the bathroom,
soaking the bottom in sitz.  (The very sore butt seems to go along with very
sore nipples, which makes me think positioning was cause because mom
couldn't get comfortable.)  Now I know some of you are going to say - was it
the saline, air drying, br milk or Eucerin?  I always wondered if was just
because we checked and corrected positioning, latch etc., or if it was just
because mom was DOING  SOMETHING, or were they just going to get better
anyway.  Anyone want to do a study?????????  P.S. Nowdays, I usually say
vegetable oil or olive oil, because most moms have some in the house.  And I
give out samples of Eucerin and Lansinoh.  Now you all know my best trick.

We passed these cards out to each BF mom.  Had my name & number and hosp. logo.

Normal Saline Soaks for Sore Nipples

1/2 (level) teaspoon of plain table salt.
1 cup warm water
*****************
Soak nipples or make compresses.
Soak for 10 minutes after each nursing or 4 times a day.
Rinse with plain water.
Air dry or blow-dry with hair dryer (set dryer on warm; hold 6-8" from nipples).
Use a few drops of breast milk or a dab of Eucerin cream for nipple lubrication.
Please call ---------------------, if you need help. Phone # ------------------
Pat Young in SNJ, USA