Breastfeeding is challenging. It just is. Yes, breastfeeding is the most natural thing in the world, and you might have midwives encouraging you to give it a try, quoting all health benefits it brings to mum and baby, but just prepare yourself, beginnings can be really difficult. Heavy engorged breasts when milk comes in, problems with correct latching, tongue tie, all can make breastfeeding uncomfortable. Newborns are likely to feed little and often or even cluster feed for hours which takes its toll on the sensitive nipples making them sore, painful and cracked. I still remember my first baby cluster feeding all night – a surreal experience, one you can’t prepare yourself for. And it’s not the lack of sleep I’m talking about. Nipple creams can be a life saver during the time your breasts get used to feeding and can make feeding that little bit easier.
The most common ingredient in nipple creams is lanolin. Lanolin is a substance derived from sheep, known as wool wax or wool grease. Due to sheer amount of lanolin based nipple creams available, they will be reviewed separately, in another blog post. More and more often, women choose to use skin care products that are lanolin free due to the rising risk of allergic reactions, and the simple fact that they are not vegan. There are many alternatives to lanolin nipple creams on the market with popular ingredients being beeswax, coconut oil, olive oil and shea butter. If you have decided to breastfeed below are some of the lanolin free nipple care products, you can choose from:
- Green People Organic Babies Mum & Baby Rescue Balm, 100ml for £15
91% certified organic ingredients in this rich cream with organic shea butter, hemp, beeswax & calendula being the key plant actives. It provides a good moisturising effect and is scent free.
- Motherlove Breastfeeding Nipple Cream, 29.5ml for £15.71
Well regarded herbal balm with organic ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, beeswax, shea butter, marshmallow root, calendula flower. It’s close in texture to vaseline, rich and easy to apply.
- Tommee Tippee Made For Me Nipple Cream, 40ml for £9.49
A best seller from mum and baby brand, Tommee Tippe, a nipple cream which contains just three ingredients - avocado oil, beeswax and shea butter. It’s highly moisturising, quick to absorb, doesn’t leave greasy marks and is scent free.
- Mama Mio Keep Calm Nipple Balm, 30ml for £12
A blend of 100% natural nourishing oils and butters, with shea butter, coconut oil and vitamin E being the main active ingredients. It has a light, quick to absorb texture and smells really fresh.
- Naydaya Breast Saviour Soothing Balm, 30ml for £19
A cream that can be used for the whole breast area not only nipple, packed with oils and butters (cocoa, coconut, and mango butters being main actives) with a purpose of not only to hydrate but to give that pampering sensation.
Of course, there are many more nipple creams, nipple balms and nipple butters available, Mummy’s Organics Nipple Balm, Earth Mama Organic Nipple butter, The Honest Company Calm Your Nip Balm being just a few. You will just have to decide on the price tag, texture and scent they come with. Some women also decide to start using nipple creams during later stages of pregnancy to prepare nipples for breastfeeding. However, it definitely is a must-have item in your hospital bag.
*Prices correct at March 2023