Sore Nipples While Breastfeeding: What's Normal, What Actually Helps, and When to Get Help

It is day four, your baby latches, and you brace for it. Many new parents end up dreading feeds they had looked forward to. You are not doing it wrong because it hurts, and you should not have to grit your teeth through it either.

Most sore nipples come from how the baby is attached at the breast, and most get better once that changes. Below: what is normal, how to check the latch, which remedies actually have evidence (fewer than the shelf of creams suggests), the other causes worth ruling out, and when to call someone today. We also correct a few things our own earlier version of this page got wrong.

Is some nipple pain normal when breastfeeding?

Some is. The NHS says "Nipple pain is common in the first few days of feeding your baby." In a Cochrane review of four trials and 656 women, nipple pain dropped to mild levels about seven to ten days after birth for most women, whatever treatment they used.

What is not normal, per the same NHS page: pain in one or both nipples at every feed, or nipples that crack or bleed. Both are reasons to get help early rather than wait it out. Pain that keeps coming back after it had settled also deserves a second look.

The usual cause: how your baby is attached

The NHS puts it plainly: when nipples are sore, "it's usually because your baby is not positioned and attached properly at the breast." With a deep latch, your nipple sits back against the soft palate. With a shallow one, it sits near the front of the mouth and gets pinched against the hard palate.

Two checks you can do at the end of any feed:

• The shape of your nipple. The US Office on Women's Health says "Your nipple should not look flat or compressed when it comes out of your baby's mouth." The NHS adds that "Flattened, wedged or white nipples at the end of a feed are a sign your baby may not be properly attached."
• Your baby's mouth during the feed. You should see more of the darker skin above the top lip than below the bottom lip, with full, rounded cheeks. There is more on this in our guide to signs of a good breastfeeding latch.

How to fix the latch, step by step

These steps follow the NHS guide to positioning and attachment, with the Office on Women's Health on unlatching.

1. Get comfortable first. Use pillows so your shoulders and arms are relaxed.
2. Line your baby up. Head and body in a straight line, held close, facing your breast.
3. Nose to nipple. Start with your baby's nose level with your nipple. This encourages a wide-open mouth.
4. Support the neck and shoulders, not the back of the head. The NHS says "Try not to hold the back of your baby's head, so that they can tip their head back." That tilt lets the nipple slide past the hard palate.
5. Bring your baby to the breast, chin first, rather than leaning your breast into their mouth. "Your baby needs to get a big mouthful of breast."
6. If it pinches, start again. Slip a clean finger into the corner of your baby's mouth to break the suction, then re-latch. Pulling off without breaking suction hurts more.
7. Change positions between feeds (cradle, cross-cradle, football or laid-back) so the pressure lands differently.

One thing not to do: put off feeds because they hurt. The Office on Women's Health warns that "Delaying feedings can cause more pain and harm your milk supply." Fuller breasts are harder to latch onto, and engorgement can flatten the nipple. Hand expressing a little first can soften the breast (see how to hand express).

The honest limit of everything in the next section: the NHS says "self-help tips will not be effective if your baby is poorly attached during breastfeeds." If the latch still looks shallow after a day or two of trying, the fastest fix is someone watching a real feed. That might be a midwife, a pediatric nurse or an IBCLC lactation consultant.

What actually helps sore or cracked nipples heal

This is where advice disagrees most, so here it is side by side. Our verdict: start with the latch and a little expressed milk on the nipple after feeds. Lanolin is fine if it feels good, but do not expect it to work faster. Ask before using shields or shells.

Remedy	What national guidance says	What the Cochrane review (2014) found
Expressed breast milk dabbed on after feeds (our pick)	NHS and Office on Women's Health both suggest it	Cochrane 2014: applying nothing or expressed milk "may be equally or more beneficial" short-term than lanolin
Purified lanolin	Office on Women's Health lists it as an option	Cochrane 2014: insufficient evidence it improved pain
Hydrogel or glycerine gel pads	Office on Women's Health: ask your doctor or lactation consultant first	Cochrane 2014: insufficient evidence it improved pain
Breast shells between feeds	NHS: avoid if you can, as they "can affect how your baby attaches to the breast"	Cochrane 2014: shells with lanolin, insufficient evidence
Nipple shield during feeds	NHS: avoid if you can. Office on Women's Health: ask first	Not tested in the review's four trials
Air drying, soft cotton, loose bra	Office on Women's Health and NHS (no underwire)	Not tested
Changing breast pads each feed	NHS, ideally pads without plastic backing	Not tested
Pain relief	NHS: paracetamol (acetaminophen) or ibuprofen at the recommended dose are safe while breastfeeding. Office on Women's Health: ask your doctor about non-aspirin pain relievers	Not tested for nipple pain

Two small things that make a difference: wash with plain water only (the Office on Women's Health says "Washing with clean water is all that is needed"), and skip soaps or astringents on the nipple.

When the latch looks right and it still hurts

The NHS says that if your baby is well attached and you are still sore, "There may also be an underlying problem, such as an infection." Things a clinician will look for:

• Tongue-tie. The NHS says "If your baby has tongue-tie and you're breastfeeding, you may have sore nipples or painful and swollen breasts." Clicking, long feeds and dribbling are other clues. See tongue-tie in babies.
• Infection. "Breast and nipple pain can sometimes be caused by a bacterial, viral or fungal infection," says the NHS, sometimes with itching or a change in how the nipple looks. Cracks raise the risk.
• Mastitis. A hot, tender or swollen area of the breast, often with flu-like aches and a temperature.
• Engorgement or a blocked duct, which make a deep latch harder.

If you need a break from one side

The NHS advice is to "carry on breastfeeding or express milk by hand if you can, and ask for help early," and it notes that "you could try pumping if you need a break." That milk can be given by cup or spoon, or by bottle. If you use a bottle, slow it down: hold it nearly level and let your baby pause, which is paced bottle feeding. For a baby who goes back and forth, we also have a guide to introducing a bottle to a breastfed baby.

Expressed milk can keep your baby fed while a cracked nipple rests for a feed or two.

If a bottle is how your family does it, the slowest flow is the one to start with. Our RealFeel nipples fit the BuubiBottle Mini and Max only and come in four flows:

RealFeel flow	Labelled age
Slow (our pick for a breastfed baby)	0M+
Medium	3M+
Fast	6M+
Flex	9M+ (variable flow)

Pair Slow with the 5 oz BuubiBottle Mini so you offer a small amount at a time. We will not tell you this protects breastfeeding or prevents a bottle preference; no bottle can promise that, and our product page says so too. For more on the flows, see our nipple flow rate guide.

When to get help today

Call your doctor, midwife or a lactation consultant soon if:

• Your nipples are cracked or bleeding. The NHS says this "increases your risk of getting an infection in your nipple."
• It hurts at every feed, or the pain is getting worse after you have worked on the latch.
• You are putting off feeds because of the pain.
• Your baby has fewer wet diapers or does not seem satisfied after feeds.

Call your doctor the same day if you have a fever, red streaks or a hot, painful area on the breast, pus, or flu-like aches. HealthLink BC advises calling right away for a fever of 38.3°C (101°F) or higher. For suspected mastitis, the NHS says to get medical advice "if you feel worse at any time, or if you're no better within 12 to 24 hours."

What we corrected from our earlier version

• We said to hold your baby's head "behind the ears." The NHS advises not holding the back of the head, so the baby can tip it back. Now: support the neck and shoulders.
• We recommended breast shells. The NHS says to avoid them if you can.
• We said hydrogel dressings "speed healing." The Cochrane review found no remedy clearly better than expressed milk or nothing. Now stated with the evidence.
• We said "Do not continue with a feeding if you experience pain." Better: break the suction and re-latch, and do not skip feeds.
• We cited a "140-degree" mouth angle we could not find in national guidance. Removed.
• We said our bottle could "reduce nipple confusion." We have no evidence for that. Removed.

Common questions about sore nipples

Should I stop breastfeeding until my nipples heal?
No, not usually. The NHS says "It's important not to stop breastfeeding." If one side is too sore, express from it and get latch help early.

Do I need nipple cream?
No. In the Cochrane review, expressed milk or nothing did as well as or better than lanolin in the short term. Use lanolin if it feels soothing; ask before using other creams.

Is it okay to breastfeed with cracked or bleeding nipples?
Yes, according to HealthLink BC, and the NHS urges getting help early because cracks raise infection risk.

Which breastfeeding position is best for sore nipples?
It depends on you and your baby. No one position is best. What matters is a deep latch, so try cradle, cross-cradle, football or laid-back, and switch between feeds to move the pressure.

How long do sore nipples last?
For most women in the Cochrane review, pain was mild by about seven to ten days after birth. Pain beyond that, or pain that returns, needs a check.

Sources

• NHS: Sore or cracked nipples when breastfeeding (page last reviewed June 16, 2026)
• NHS: Breastfeeding: positioning and attachment (page last reviewed June 23, 2026)
• NHS: Breast pain and breastfeeding (page last reviewed March 11, 2026)
• NHS: Tongue-tie (page last reviewed March 20, 2024)
• US Office on Women's Health: Common breastfeeding challenges (page last updated October 23, 2025)
• HealthLink BC: Breastfeeding: Sore Nipples (Healthwise, current as of November 9, 2022)
• Dennis C-L, Jackson K, Watson J. Interventions for treating painful nipples among breastfeeding women. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2014, Issue 12. CD007366. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007366.pub2 (plain-language summary)

Written by the Quark Editorial Team. Medically reviewed by: Dr. Yang. Last reviewed: October 20, 2026.

This article is general parenting guidance and is not a substitute for advice from your own doctor, midwife or lactation consultant. Talk to them about any pain, fever or concerns about your baby's feeding and weight gain.