Preparing the breasts and nipples Toughening up the nipples is NOT necessary Very little preparation is needed Checking if the nipples are inverted The first milk - Colostrum Back to the Getting ready page Toughening up the nipples is NOT necessary Pregnant women may be pleased to hear that all those stories about toughening up nipples by rubbing them with a towel, nail brush or toothbrush are just that – stories and advice from the past when we didn’t know about how babies actually suckled at the breast. About twenty-five years ago it was thought that nipples had to ‘toughen up’ to help cope with the baby’s strong sucking. Now we know a lot more about how a baby actually attaches to the breast and we know a lot about how to avoid nipple damage by using good latching and positioning techniques and by NOT using a toothbrush on those nipples! It’s good to remember that pregnant women do not need to do any nipple ‘toughening up’ exercises as advice may be received from women who did this themselves and still think it’s important and necessary. Back to top Very little preparation is needed So what preparation of the breasts and nipples do pregnant women actually need to do? Very little in fact. The hormonal changes during pregnancy will help prepare the breasts for breastfeeding. The nipples and areola (the area around the nipples) will darken which is part of the protective process and the little glands that women may notice on your areola (Montgomery’s glands) secrete protective lubrication. Pregnant women will not notice this but their body is quietly doing all this in preparation for breastfeeding. Avoid putting any creams or oils on the nipples and try not to use soap directly on them as this may cause dry skin. Back to top Checking if the nipples are inverted It can be helpful for pregnant women to look at their nipples and gently roll them between the thumb and first finger to see if they stick out more or flatten with this stimulation. It’s also a good way for a pregnant woman to get used to touching her breasts which will help when breastfeeding starts. Check nipple protractability (how much they extend outwards) towards the end of pregnancy, around the last six weeks approximately. If a nipple inverts (turns inwards) speak to a Lead Maternity Carer (LMC) midwife, mother to mother support counselors such as La Leche League or a lactation consultant about breastfeeding techniques that can help. View the Questions and Answers section for more advice. Some babies have difficulty latching on to the breast when nipples are inverted but with skilled help and assistance there are ways to help the baby latch and get breastfeeding going well. Inverted nipples may be one of the only indications for using a nipple shield. The LMC midwife will give advice. There is also more information on nipple shields on the La Leche League website - Nipple Shields. Back to top The first milk - Colostrum Pregnant women may notice that their breasts start to leak colostrum (the first milk) during pregnancy which is normal and not a problem. It’s also not a concern if breasts do not leak colostrum. Every mother is an individual with her hormone levels, breast development and experiences and there is a wide range of normal in terms of breast changes in pregnancy. Back to top Back to the Getting ready page Website feedback We welcome your feedback on this page.

Where to get help Midwives Healthline - 0800 611 116 Well Child La Leche League More information on these and other breastfeeding help providers...

Page last reviewed: 31 July 2009