Many experts agree that there’s no special way to prepare your nipples for breastfeeding before your babies arrive.
However, this isn’t necessarily true.
You may need to ‘prepare’ your nipples before the birth of your baby or at the very least take proper care of your breasts and nipples before you go into labor.
In this post, I’ll highlight who needs to prepare their nipples for breastfeeding during pregnancy and how to go about it.
You may enjoy reading this popular guide on how to prepare for nursing before your baby arrives.
Please note that this article may contain affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure at the bottom of this page.
How To Prepare Nipples For Breastfeeding
Making sure your nipples can extend outward is the most important way to prepare your nipples for breastfeeding before your baby arrives.
Your baby may be unable to latch unto your breasts if your nipples do not bulge out enough.
So, you must check your nipples. Are they flat, retracted, inverted?
Having flat, retracted or inverted nipples doesn’t mean you won’t be able to breastfeed. Many women with such nipples do.
But the early discovery of severely inverted nipples will help you know to reshape them to achieve breastfeeding success.
How To Check For Flat, Inverted Or Retracted Nipples
To check if you’ve got flat, inverted or retracted nipples, you’ll need to perform the “Nipple Pinch Test”.
It’s a simple procedure you can do by yourself by following these steps (as quoted from the Arkansas Department of Health):
- Make a “C” shape with your right hand.
- Place your thumb and the first finger around the areola.
- Push your finger and thumb back into your chest.
- Gently squeeze the thumb and finger together.
- Use a mirror to look at a side view of both nipples as you do the pinch test.
- When you do the pinch test:
– A normal nipple will move forward.
– A flat nipple will not move forward or backwards.
– An inverted or retracted nipple will move backwards into the breast.
Also, if your nipples don’t become erect when cold or stimulated you most likely have flat or inverted nipples.
How To Reshape Your Nipples Before Birth
If you found that your nipples do not protrude forward or they move back into the breasts, that means they’ve adhered to the inner breasts tissues.
Fortunately, there are ways to correct these. And it helps if you start to correct this while still pregnant.
Here are 4 ways to correct flat or inverted nipples:
#1. Use Breast Shells.
Breast shells are worn inside bras much like breast pads.
They exert gentle pressure on the areola that causes the nipple to protrude through the hole in the breast shell.
They should be worn immediately after you’ve discovered that you need them. Anytime from halfway through your pregnancy is fine.
Make sure to wash the breast shells daily.
#2. Stretch The Skin Of The Areola To Allow The Affected Nipple To Protrude
Place two forefingers on either side of your nipple and gently push those fingers apart. Doing this will pull the adhesions loose.
Daily repeat the procedure all-around your nipples till you see a difference.
#3. Use A Disposable Syringe
This is a highly effective method of pulling out your nipples. To do this you’ll need a 10ml plastic syringe, or 20ml if you have bigger nipples.
Remove the plunger and cut off the nozzle. Push the plunger into the syringe through the cut end and place the smooth end over your inverted nipple.
Gently pull the plunger to extend your nipple for some seconds. Once, you notice any loosened adhesions, rub your nipples between your thumb and forefinger and stretch it outward.
#4. Get An Evert-It-Nipple Enhancer
This is a device similar to the DIY disposable syringe. It is a product designed to lengthen and evert nipples.
You can buy an Evert-It-Nipple Enhancer online here.
Toughening Nipples For Breastfeeding: Yes Or No?
This is a question a lot of moms-to-be ask. They get told to “toughen up their nipples” by older moms.
Toughening your nipples involves rubbing a towel hard on your nipples to make them tough for nursing.
This is outdated advice. The simple answer is NO, you do not need to toughen your nipples for breastfeeding.
Doing this can remove the natural protective antimicrobial layer covering the nipples. (I talk more about this later on in this post).
When you think about it, your nipples are usually so tender and sensitive during pregnancy that using a towel to “toughen them up” will only bruise them and cause a lot of pain.
Besides, with a good latch, your baby sucks the areola and not the nipple.
So, ideally, your nipples should not be sore or cracked after breastfeeding.
Except for the initial soreness when a newborn latches. This usually lasts for a few minutes and never throughout the entire feed.
Toughening your nipples is not recommended and is unnecessary.
How To Care For Your Nipples While Pregnant
1 – Don’t Wash Your Breasts And Nipples With Soap
As your pregnancy progresses, you’ll notice that your nipples get extra sensitive and your breasts get fuller and your areola will darken in color.
At the same time, small nodules will appear on your areola. These bumps are called Montgomery’s Tubercles.
They produce an antibacterial lubricant that keeps the nipples moist and protects them during pregnancy and later on while breastfeeding.
Washing your breasts and nipples with soap will remove this natural lubricant, thus reducing or even removing its antibacterial properties altogether.
2 – Avoid Using Different Creams Or Ointments On Your Nipple
You may have been told that you need to clean your nipple to prepare for nursing but that’s not true.
I was told to as well. In my case, I was told to use olive or coconut oil to clean the debris off my nipples so as not to pass hidden germs to my son.
Some expecting moms may be told to apply witch hazel or tincture of benzoin onto their nipples. These substances can dry your skin and make it crack.
So, avoid using any ointments on your nipple.
3 – Keep Your Nipples As Dry As Possible
If you leak colostrum while pregnant and find it accumulates on your nipples, gently wipe it off without scratching your nipples.
Also, use breast pads to keep your nipples dry while leaking.
4 – Practice Nipple Conditioning
Nipple conditioning involves you air-drying your nipples, exposing them to air and especially sunlight. Go bra-less, this will allow for slight friction between your nipples and your cloth. Or use a towel to gently dab your nipples.
According to this research, nursing moms who practised nipple conditioning 6 weeks before birth, experienced much less nipple pain while breastfeeding.
Please Note: This is NOT the same as toughening your nipples.
5 – Avoid Tight And Restrictive Clothes
Steer clear of tight outfits if your nipples are sensitive, as they’ll irritate your nipples more.
Try to go bra-less at night. This ensures that there is no restrictive pressure on your body while you sleep.
6 – Remove Any Nipple Jewelry Before Birth
If you’ve had your nipple pierced, it’s necessary to remove any nipple jewelry before your baby is born and throughout your breastfeeding journey.
Breastfeeding with a piece of nipple jewelry is dangerous.
It poses a choking hazard for your baby, can damage his gums, palate or tongue and also increase your baby’s risk of infection.
Your milk may leak milk from the pierced holes. And for some women, the holes will close up after a while.
However, you should be able to breastfeed just fine.
7 – Enjoy Breast Stimulation During Sex
Massaging your nipples during sexual activity can help your nipples develop a protective layer to sensitivity.
Note that there’s no solid evidence that stimulation of your nipples during sex can cause early onset of labor.
However, if you’ve had preterm labor in the past, it’s best to avoid any breast stimulation until your baby is due.
FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:
These resources will help you prepare for breastfeeding before your baby arrives.
The first two are books that provided much of the background knowledge for this post.
The third is an easy-to-watch breastfeeding course that I recommend to all new moms.
- Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding
- The Nursing Mother’s Companion
- Milkology Breastfeeding Course taught by Stacey, a certified lactation consultant (IBCLC).
The Takeaway
Your body does everything to prepare for breastfeeding.
However, there are several ways to care for your nipples in preparation for your baby’s arrival which have been mentioned above.
Also, one important way to prepare your nipples for breastfeeding before your baby arrives is to make sure your nipples can extend outward.
All the steps needed to ensure that your nipples are extendable are listed in this article. Plus how to correct a flat, retracted or inverted nipple.
Other related posts: How to prepare for breastfeeding before your baby arrives How to successfully breastfeed a tongue-tied baby 10 important breastfeeding essentials What to put in a breastfeeding hamper
I wish you a successful breastfeeding journey!