Struggling with a painful breastfeeding journey?

Cracked and bleeding nipples?

Nipple pain and damage are commonly experienced by breastfeeding women and are associated with adverse breastfeeding outcomes.

There are specialised health professionals to help you, as pain often indicates something is not quite right with the baby's latch, especially if the issue continues.

In the meantime, topically applied ointments can be used to make breastfeeding more comfortable. Where do you start, you ask?

Traditionally lanolin has been used during breastfeeding and is still heavily marketed today.

Lanolin is a yellow fat obtained from sheep wool - not great if you are a vegan or allergic. Another safety consideration is the pesticide and detergent residues that can linger if the lanolin is not processed correctly. Due to the results of some studies, breastmilk is often recommended over lanolin as it is more effective at healing and more readily available without side effects (Mohammadzadeh et al., 2005). Other studies (Jackson & Dennis, 2017) have found lanolin ineffective in reducing nipple pain or improving breastfeeding outcomes. Others have found no significant difference between lanolin and no treatment (Oliveira et al., 2021).

Other topical ointments include beeswax, a known source of botulism risk in children under 1. When there are so many alternatives, why risk it?

Our solution? Our Nipple Nectar product steers clear of animal derivatives to remove possible risks, contaminants and allergy factors. We have combined all-natural ingredients including plant wax, butters and oils to provide emollience, as well as a herbal infusion in organic extra virgin olive oil. This infusion is packed full of marshmallow root, chamomile flower and calendula flower, all well-known for their nourishing traditional skin-soothing properties, which have been used for centuries. The slurry is left for over a month to infuse and then strained of all solid matter. The remaining oil is included in the final product. Good things take time, right?

If you intend to breastfeed, our Nipple Nectar is a must-have in your hospital bag arsenal to soothe and moisturise irritated, sensitive, and dry nipples, aiding with a more comfortable and stress-free feeding experience. Even if you don't plan on breastfeeding after birth, applying Nipple Nectar can help with the high sensitivity commonly experienced post-partum to add comfort and soothe irritation.

If you have some leftover balm, it also makes a handy lip balm in a pinch!

Our Nipple Nectar can be purchased individually or as part of our breastfeeding bundle.

References:
Jackson. K & Dennis, C. (2017) Lanolin for the treatment of nipple pain in breastfeeding women: a randomised controlled trial. Matern Child Nutr. 2017 Jul;13(3):e12357.

Mohammadzadeh A., Farhat A., Esmaeily H. (2005) The effect of breast milk and lanolin on sore nipples. Saudi Med J. 2005 Aug;26(8):1231-4.

Oliveira F.S., Vieira F., Guimarães J.V, Del'Angelo Aredes N., 1, Campbell S.H. (2021) Lanolin and prenatal health education for prevention of nipple pain and trauma: Randomised clinical trial. Enferm Clin (Engl Ed). 2021 Mar-Apr;31(2):82-90).