Dear Lactnet Friends: Here's a personal opinion, based on years of experience and evidence. The Cochrane Collaborative has reviewed the evidence. Here's what they say: " Currently, there is not enough evidence to recommend any specific type of treatment for painful nipples among breastfeeding women. These results suggest that applying nothing or expressed breast milk may be equally or more beneficial in the short-term experience of nipple pain than the application of an ointment such as lanolin. One important finding in this review was that regardless of the treatment used, for most women, nipple pain reduced to mild levels approximately seven to 10 days' after giving birth (postpartum). " http://www.cochrane.org/CD007366/PREG_interventions-for-treating-painful-nipples-among-breastfeeding-women In my private practice, I have found that when women are given product in the hospital, they become attached to the idea of product as the cure for sore nipples. They never fully understand that product is a bandaid, a temporary relief measure while the cause of the sore nipples (positioning, something not right in the baby's mouth, inflammation or infection of the nipple skin) is needs to be addressed. Having to use a nipple product after every feed is an absolute marker for needing breastfeeding help. Using her own milk is: free, safe for baby to ingest, antimicrobial, ecological, and always available. Reading the ingredients on the packet of nipple cream is always interesting. Would you put any of them on your toast? It defeats the purpose if the cream must be washed off prior to feeding. What do you all think? warmly, -- Nikki Lee RN, BSN, Mother of 2, MS, IBCLC, CCE, CIMI, ANLC, CKC Reviews Editor,* Clinical Lactation* www.nikkileehealth.com https://www.facebook.com/nikkileehealth *Communications are confidential and meant only for whom they are addressed.* *********************************************** Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html To reach list owners: [log in to unmask] Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask] COMMANDS: 1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome