Sore and Cracked Nipples While Breastfeeding: Causes and How to Heal
Key takeaways
- Sore and cracked nipples are usually a symptom of a shallow latch, so fixing the latch is the first and most important step, not creams.
- Once the cause is fixed, nipples usually heal within a few days; a little expressed breast milk rubbed in, lanolin, and letting nipples air-dry all help.
- Keep the area clean and watch for signs of infection: spreading redness, yellow crusting, pus, or worsening pain rather than improvement.
- Persistent burning or stinging pain in both nipples, especially after antibiotics, may be thrush rather than simple damage and needs different treatment.
- Cracks that do not heal, look infected, or come with a hot painful breast and feeling unwell need medical review; do not just push through.
Sore and cracked nipples while breastfeeding are usually a symptom of a shallow latch, which means the most important treatment is fixing the latch, not reaching for a cream. Once the cause is corrected, the skin heals quickly, and breast milk, lanolin, and air all help it along.
With my first baby I had cracked, bleeding nipples by the end of the first week, and I tried every nipple balm in the chemist before anyone thought to watch me actually feed. The creams soothed for a minute, but the cracks kept reopening because the latch was shallow and the damage was happening fresh at every single feed. The moment the latch was fixed, the healing finally started. Here is what works, in order, checked by a lactation consultant.
What causes sore and cracked nipples
The most common cause is a shallow latch, where the baby takes mostly the nipple instead of a large mouthful of breast. When the nipple is compressed and rubbed against the hard palate, the skin gets sore, then grazed, then cracked. A nipple that comes out pinched, flattened, or lipstick-shaped after a feed is a strong clue the latch is shallow.
Other causes include a tongue-tie that keeps the latch shallow no matter what you try, thrush (burning, stinging pain rather than rubbing damage), an ill-fitting breast pump flange, or simply taking the baby off without breaking the suction first. Because pain is feedback, our guide to why breastfeeding hurts helps you trace yours to the right cause.
Fix the latch first
No cream heals a nipple that is being re-injured at every feed, so the first step is always to correct the latch. Aim for a deep latch: wide-open mouth, lips flanged outward, chin pressed into the breast, and a large mouthful of breast rather than just the nipple. When you need to take the baby off, slide a clean finger into the corner of the mouth to break the suction gently rather than pulling.
Our full guides cover how to get a good latch step by step and the breastfeeding positions that make it easier, such as the laid-back and rugby holds. If you cannot get it comfortable yourself, this is exactly what a midwife, health visitor, or IBCLC lactation consultant is for, and getting help early can spare you days of pain.
How to heal sore and cracked nipples
Once the latch is corrected, simple care helps the skin recover, usually within a few days:
- Breast milk: rub a few drops of your own expressed milk into the nipple after a feed; it is soothing and protective.
- Air-dry: let nipples dry in the air after feeds rather than trapping moisture against the skin.
- Lanolin: a thin layer of purified lanolin can soothe and protect, and you do not need to wash it off before feeding.
- Gentle care: avoid harsh soaps, alcohol-based products, and over-washing, all of which dry and irritate.
- Start on the less sore side: the first latch is the strongest, so beginning on the comfier breast can ease the painful one.
You can almost always keep feeding through this, which protects your supply and avoids engorgement and blocked ducts. A little blood from a crack is not harmful to your baby.
Preventing infection
A break in the skin is a route for bacteria, so keep the area clean and watch for signs the crack is getting worse rather than better. Most cracks heal cleanly once the latch is fixed, but a nipple crack that becomes infected can be a doorway to mastitis. Warning signs include spreading redness, yellow crusting or pus, increasing pain, swelling, or a crack that will not heal over several days despite a good latch.
Keeping nipples clean and dry, changing breast pads when damp, and not letting milk sit on broken skin all reduce the risk. If you think a crack is infected, it is worth being seen, because the right treatment clears it quickly.
When cracks need medical review
See a healthcare professional if a crack will not heal, looks infected, or comes with deeper pain, and seek medical help promptly if you develop a hot, painful, red area on the breast with flu-like symptoms or a fever. That combination can be mastitis, which needs prompt attention and may require antibiotics if it does not settle within 24 hours or you feel unwell.
Burning or stinging pain in both nipples that lingers between feeds, especially after antibiotics, may be thrush rather than simple damage and needs its own treatment. Either way, persistent nipple pain is worth getting checked. This is general information and not a substitute for advice about your own situation, and you should not have to feed in pain for weeks the way I did before someone simply watched a feed.
References
- Breastfeeding, NHS.
- Breastfeeding, World Health Organization.
- Breastfeeding, American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org).
Frequently asked questions
How do I heal cracked nipples fast?
The fastest way to heal cracked nipples is to fix what is causing them, which is usually a shallow latch, because the damage cannot heal while it is being re-injured at every feed. Once the latch is corrected, rub a few drops of your own expressed breast milk into the nipple after feeds, let it air-dry, and you can use a thin layer of purified lanolin if it helps. Most nipples heal within a few days once the underlying cause is sorted. If cracks are deep, painful, or not improving, get your latch checked and see someone.
Can I keep breastfeeding with cracked nipples?
In most cases yes, and continuing to feed or express keeps your milk supply up and avoids engorgement and blocked ducts. Once the latch is corrected, feeding usually becomes much more comfortable straight away. If one side is too painful, you can start the feed on the less sore side and gently express the other by hand for comfort while it heals. A little blood from a crack is not harmful to your baby. If feeding is unbearable on a side, get help quickly rather than pushing through.
What can I put on sore nipples?
A few drops of your own expressed breast milk rubbed into the nipple after a feed and allowed to air-dry is simple and effective. Purified lanolin can soothe and protect the skin, and you do not need to wash it off before feeding. Avoid harsh soaps, alcohol-based products, and over-washing, which dry and irritate the skin. The most important treatment, though, is correcting the latch, because creams soothe but do not address why the damage is happening.
How do I know if my cracked nipple is infected?
Signs that a cracked nipple may be infected include spreading redness, yellow crusting or pus, increasing rather than easing pain, swelling, or a crack that will not heal over several days despite a good latch. A bacterial infection of a nipple crack can also be a route to mastitis. If you notice these signs, or if you develop a hot painful area on the breast with flu-like symptoms or a fever, seek medical help, as you may need treatment.
Why do my nipples still hurt with a good latch?
If the latch looks good and the nipples still hurt, especially with deep burning or stinging pain in both nipples that lingers between feeds, the cause may be thrush rather than latch damage, particularly after a course of antibiotics. Other possibilities are vasospasm, where the nipple blanches white and stings after feeds, or an undiagnosed tongue-tie keeping the latch shallow in a way that is hard to see. These need different approaches, so it is worth being seen rather than assuming it is just slow healing.
Written by Sophie Bennett. Medically reviewed byMegan Foster, IBCLC.
Our guides are written from personal experience and reviewed by a qualified clinician for accuracy. Read our editorial policy.