You know, I listened to the presentation at ILCA year before last, and
thought it sounded reasonable to put hydrogel packs on nipple fissures, but
in practice it is not working well for my clients.  Let me share their
common response:  it feels too moist, stays too tender, and doesn't feel as
good as if nipples air out.  Last time I tried it on a woman who had equally
sore nipples on both breasts. I asked her to use the hydrogel on one side
and lansinoh on the other.  The lansinoh side healed so much more quickly
that in 36 hrs she was unwilling to continue to use the hydrogel (that sided
was still sore.)  She was pumping the whole time, so we were just looking at
healing time, not re-traumatization.

I am curious to heal what other people's outcomes are with use of hydrogel
dressings.

Barbara Wilson-Clay BSEd., IBCLC
Private Practice, Austin Texas
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