Written By: Debjani Arora | Published : March 1, 2018 9:10 PM IST
As opposed to the popular belief, new mothers don't adapt to breastfeeding naturally. It is a challenging process to establish a latch, position the baby the right way and feed her without any hurdles. But just positioning the baby right or helping the new member latch-on is just a part of the entire process. Breastfeeding brings with it certain functional problems that can make it difficult for the mother to continue with her nursing duties. New mothers, at one point or the other, will have experience cracked and sore nipples during the initial days of breastfeeding. It is nothing new or unnatural. As the baby learns to latch it is quite possible that she nibbles or bites at the breast that could lead to cracked and sore nipples.
However, this becomes a painful situation for the mother to deal. At times it could become so painful that a mother might want to stop nursing naturally or start using the bottle. Some try pumping milk and avoid the contact between the mouth and the breast, but for others using the pump could also become a painful affair. This is when they start contemplating to switch to formula. But there are simple and natural ways to treat sore and cracked nipples. One way to do it is to use aloe vera gel.
How to use it:
Aloe vera has numerous healing properties. Cut open a leaf and squeeze out a little amount of gel. Apply the gel generously over the cracked and sore nipples and allow it to dry. Before feeding your baby wash off your nipples with warm water and pat dry. Apply this gel for three to four times till your nipples heal. However, keep in mind that you need to wash off your breasts thoroughly before offering a feed to your child. If traces of aloe vera gets into the gastrointestinal tract of the child could cause problems in the gut. For the same reason, breastfeeding mothers should stay away from eating or drinking anything that contains aloe vera or its extracts.
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