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Midwife tips for stressed or sore nipples

Sep 30, 2025

Sore nipples are a common problem in my daily work as a midwife. The skin around the nipples is very delicate and normally not subject to much stress. Due to constant mechanical friction and the softening and drying of the skin, it can quickly become sore.

In addition, the baby is very often at the breast, especially in the first few days. Often, latching on isn't easy, and the baby latches onto the nipple, loses it, latches on again, and so on, which puts a lot of strain on the nipples.

Over time, the skin of the nipples gets used to the strain and hardens.

Please check on your own and/or with the help of your midwife or lactation consultant whether your baby has latched onto the nipple correctly. If your baby doesn't take the nipple, including the areola, far enough into their mouth, this can be very painful for you and lead to sore, cracked nipples. These can even bleed, and the small injuries can become an entry point for germs, which can ultimately lead to mastitis.

If your baby makes clicking or other unusual noises, this could also be a sign that they aren't latched on correctly. If latching looks or sounds unusual, always stop the sucking process and re-latch the baby. This also applies if pain occurs.

To reattach, you can place your little finger in the corner of the baby's mouth to release the vacuum.

In general, you shouldn't wait until your baby is very hungry to breastfeed; otherwise, they'll be impatient and less likely to tolerate it if you need several attempts. It's best to put your baby to the less painful breast first, so they're a bit more relaxed and will cooperate better when you place them on the "worse" side.

Avoid prolonged sucking, even if you hear your baby stop swallowing. This will prevent additional strain on your nipples, especially in the early stages.

Other causes of sore nipples include a tongue tie in your baby or thrush or nipple vasospasm (Raynaud's phenomenon), which causes painful vascular spasms in the small blood vessels of the nipple.

It is important to quickly find the cause and initiate treatment so that sore nipples do not prematurely and unintentionally end breastfeeding.

Therefore, please have your midwife/lactation consultant examine you as soon as possible.

If irritation or sore nipples have occurred, black tea compresses can help. Brew a cup of tea with two tea bags and place them on your nipples, as warm as possible. (Caution: don't wear a bra, as the tea will stain!)

The best time to do this is after breastfeeding, after the remains of breast milk and the baby's saliva have dried.

Let the tea bags sit for about 15 minutes, then dry the nipple thoroughly. The tanning effect of the black tea will help the nipples heal quickly.

Another home remedy used by midwives is aloe vera.

You can purchase this remedy in various forms. Just make sure the cream or gel contains as much of the plant as possible.

You can also buy a large leaf of the plant online or from an organic store and cut it into slices and place it directly on the affected nipples.

Aloe Vera is known for its healing effects on the skin (among other things).

Wool pads made from medicinal wool

For subsequent nipple care, I recommend a nipple ointment. Make sure it contains only natural ingredients that have moisturizing and regenerating properties. With a natural formula, the ointment doesn't need to be removed before breastfeeding.

To further enhance the effect, you can also place wool pads (which also contain lanolin) on the irritated nipples between breastfeeding sessions or as a nursing pad.

To the product

Cooling breast gel pads

Another option for protecting sore nipples is ELANEE’s breast gel pads.

The breast gel pads provide a mechanical barrier between the nipple and the fabric, thus protecting sore nipples from external influences. The breast gel pads do not stick to the skin and feel pleasant and cool against the skin.

For an additional cooling feeling, the breast gel pads can be stored in the refrigerator before use.

To the product

Wool pads made from medicinal wool

For subsequent nipple care, I recommend a nipple ointment. Make sure it contains only natural ingredients that have moisturizing and regenerating properties. With a natural formula, the ointment doesn't need to be removed before breastfeeding.

To further enhance the effect, you can also place wool pads (which also contain lanolin) on the irritated nipples between breastfeeding sessions or as a nursing pad.

To the product

If your nipples are very sore and perhaps even bleeding, it may be a good idea to temporarily stop breastfeeding. During this short period, you will need to use a breast pump to maintain milk production.

You should DEFINITELY make this decision with your midwife/lactation consultant.
The same applies to the usually temporary use of nipple shields. These can be useful for you if, for example, you have severe nipple pain and cannot tolerate direct contact with your baby there.

Please seek professional support with this as well.
The nipple shields from different companies can vary greatly, for example, in terms of material thickness, cutouts, and shield size. However, this may be very relevant to you. Get proper advice on this matter.

Please also pay attention to meticulous hygiene throughout the entire healing process to avoid the risk of breast infection.

I hope I was able to give you some good tips from my daily work as a midwife in this blog post and wish you a speedy recovery and a wonderful breastfeeding period with your baby.

Midwife Ulrike H. / Berlin

Always seek medical advice

Important note: This article contains only general information and should not be used for self-diagnosis or treatment. It is not a substitute for a consultation with a doctor.

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