The soreness women often feel during the early weeks of breastfeeding may be partly due to chapping of the skin because of the constant moisture, says Paul M. Fleiss, M.D., a Los Angeles pediatrician and a lecturer at the School of Public Health at the University of California at Los Angeles and an advisor on the board of the LaLeche League International. Allow your nipples to dry in the air, or use a hair dryer to dry them before you close the flaps of your nursing bra. If you have a sunny place by the window, expose them to sunlight for a few minutes daily. Don't soap up . Use only water when washing your nipples, says Dr. Herman.
Soaps can dry out the natural oils and promote chapping.
Use your milk to moisturize . If your nipples are sore after feeding, try rubbing a small amount of milk into the nipple, suggests Dr. Herman. You can also use moisturizing creams or ointments, such as Mass Cream, A and D Ointment or a cream containing lanolin, but the milk usually works just as well. Keep baby cool . Be sure your newborn is not too warmly dressed at feeding time.