Ideal Bite

Nipple Creams for Nursing

Pain from nursing no laughing matter?

08.14.2009

Submitted by alara on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 11:00pm.

The Bite:

No joke. The first days of nursing can lead to aching, cracked nipples - baby's strong latch and suck is necessary, but ouch - so try relieving sore nipples with organic, plant-based balms. These soothers are food safe (no need to wipe off before nursing), planet-friendly, and deliver the goods without any funny business.

The Benefits:

(Comic) relief from CO2. Purchasing organic products helps Mama Earth too: Research shows that soil managed organically can store carbon dioxide - more than 1,000 pounds of CO2 per acre.
No risible remedies. Some conventional nipple creams contain phenoxyethanol (a preservative) and chlorophenesin (a muscle relaxant and antifungal agent); neither's FDA-approved for babies or nursing moms.
Laughing with nature. Plant-based ingredients like moisturizing shea nut butter and skin-strengthening calendula flower soothe and repair skin without harsh chems.
Skipping stupid animal tricks. These creams are also free of lanolin (derived from sheep's wool and dipped in pesticides), which often still contains toxic pesticide residue after refining.

Personally Speaking:

Wanna Try:

VedaMAMA Nurture Nipple Cream - the Rolls Royce of organic creams contains rich jojoba and grape-seed oils ($51/3 ounces).
Earth Mama Angel Baby Nipple Butter - organic and vegan, plant-based balm made with cocoa, shea, and mango butters ($10/1 ounce).
Motherlove Nipple Cream - thick organic salve contains marshmallow root, calendula, olive oil, shea butter, and beeswax; doubles as diaper rash ointment ($10/1 ounce).
DIY Bite - in a pinch, head to the kitchen and dab on some olive oil; also try keeping damp fabric nursing pads in the fridge for cooling comfort.

Timeout

Shanan Gloff knows well the damage wrought by a hungry new baby. The CA mom of two (here with Tyler, 1 month) says Motherlove's cream lets her live to nurse another day.

Bang For The Bite

If 10,000 Mama Biters choose an organic nipple cream instead of one made from synthetic ingredients, we'll keep the weight of 625 breast pumps in toxin-laden products away from nursing babies.

3 comments

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Jen Mcd on August 14, 2009 at 04:54 AM 1

I swear by the mother love! It is so good I have tons left - only had to use it for a week or so. which I proudly did despite the hospital lactation consultant telling me that it was "unfamiliar" to and "unapproved" by her field. She tried to push a synthetic on me but I smiled and said, we'll let Kieran decide!

Silvia on August 14, 2009 at 05:59 AM 2

Here's a natural tip: banana and papaya peels. You just need to cut it so that the size suffices to cover the nipple and leave it there until the next nursing time or whenever you feel like it's enough. To clean it up before nursing, just use - guess what? - breastmilk! Which, by the way, is also great for curing nipple cracks. Just remember to let it dry before you cover up again, because moisture will only add to the crack. That's all I used with my two daughters: breastmilk, banana peels and papaya peels.

TomB on November 12, 2009 at 04:04 AM 3

(Comic) relief from CO2. Purchasing organic products helps Mama Earth too: Research shows that soil managed organically can store carbon dioxide - more than 1,000 pounds of CO2 per acre.free games

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Pain from nursing no laughing matter?

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Bang For The Bite

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