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With my first child, I was prepared for pregnancy to be uncomfortable<\/a> at times. I expected labor and delivery to be\u00a0intense. I figured I\u2019d be emotional after having a baby. What I didn\u2019t expect (or really prepare for) is that breastfeeding can be difficult the first few days as well!<\/p>\n Don\u2019t get me wrong. It is worth it. The pain isn\u2019t that bad and a lot can be helped by making sure baby has a good latch from the very beginning. However, this certainly didn\u2019t make it completely painless for me as many claim. Instead, I found that for the first week or so of nursing a baby, I had to take a deep breath and mentally prepare because it was quite uncomfortable.<\/p>\n Perhaps you can empathize if you\u2019ve also breastfed a baby. And my apologies to anyone who hasn\u2019t yet but plans to, I wish someone had warned me!<\/p>\n A few days after I had my first baby when I was in the trenches of learning to breastfeed, the lactation consultant suggested lanolin cream. I tried it and proceeded to get much, much worse. Turns out I was allergic to lanolin!<\/p>\n Needless to say, I didn\u2019t use it again after that. It did make me wonder though if there was something I could use that might offer some relief.<\/p>\n For me, the answer was because I was allergic. As I started researching to make my own homemade nipple balm cream recipe, I realized lanolin wasn\u2019t an ingredient I wanted to use, even if I could without a reaction.<\/p>\n Lanolin is an oil from sheep\u2019s wool<\/a>. The sebum (oil) is extracted from the wool and it undergoes another process to create the finished lanolin. This is obviously problematic for anyone allergic to wool (raises hand). There are also concerns about pesticide residue found in wool and the potential for this to build up in fatty tissue or in breast milk.<\/p>\n Many sheep are sprayed with pesticides to treat various mites and pests. Additionally, most sheep are fed non-organic and GMO feed, and traces of this can be found in the wool as well. There are some sources of organic lanolin <\/a>from healthy sheep, but it\u2019s hard to find.<\/p>\n Sources disagree about the safety of lanolin and some claim it\u2019s perfectly safe. It wasn\u2019t a risk I wanted to take with my newborn babies just in case. Most popular brands of nipple cream have concentrated lanolin. While these may help mom heal more quickly, they also become part of little ones\u2019 first food and more natural skincare options can be effective as well.<\/p>\n I was determined to have an easier time with those first days of nursing with my last two babies. I started experimenting with making a natural nipple cream or nursing balm that would help ease the discomfort of sore nipples. It\u2019s also important to check for oral ties and other things that can affect a baby\u2019s latch<\/a>!<\/p>\n There are some really good pre-made nipple creams and salves available now if you don\u2019t feel like making a DIY version. I still opted to make my own nipple cream for breastfeeding since I had the supplies on hand. If you want to buy one, here are some good brands:<\/p>\n Since this cream is essentially ingested by a nursing baby, I made sure to use ingredients that are safe, natural, and have a low chance of allergic reaction. For this reason, I decided not to use almond oil, beeswax, or coconut oil. As much as I love these ingredients they have a small chance of an allergic reaction. <\/p>\n I also didn\u2019t use any essential oils in this recipe. While they\u2019re great for skin care (when used properly), I never gave them to my babies internally.<\/p>\n Instead of using any ingredients that could cause an allergic reaction or be harmful, I used the following:<\/p>\n This nipple cream is a slightly softer salve and I found it easier to apply that way. If you want it firmer, then increase the cocoa butter to 1\/3 cup (or more). You could add some beeswax to thicken, but there is a rare chance baby could have an allergic reaction.<\/p>\n There is some evidence though that the pesticides in inorganic beeswax<\/a> could be to blame for beeswax allergies. While I always use organic beeswax in my recipes, I opted to skip it here just in case.<\/p>\n First, you\u2019ll want to infuse the herbs into the olive oil. This helps maintain their beneficial properties in the balm without leaving residue or grittiness. You can do this in three ways:<\/p>\n No matter which method you use, at the end of the process, carefully strain out the herbs and keep the finished oil. I do this with a metal strainer lined with cheesecloth. This makes extra infused oil, but you can use the extra for lotion or other recipes.<\/p>\n If you want to make just enough for one batch of DIY nipple cream, then use the following ratios:<\/p>\n This moisturizing nursing balm helps soothe sore, cracked nipples. Plus it\u2019s safe for baby to ingest.<\/p>\nNipple Cream<\/h2>\n
Why Not Lanolin?<\/h2>\n
What is Lanolin?<\/h3>\n
A Natural\u00a0Nipple Cream<\/h2>\n
Choosing Safe Ingredients<\/h2>\n
Nipple Cream Ingredients<\/h3>\n
A Note on Consistency<\/h3>\n
Nipple Cream Instructions<\/h3>\n
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DIY Nipple Cream<\/h2>\n