Types of nipple to breastfeed

Sometimes the newly released mother despairs because her son does not manage to hold on to the breast and suck properly. Breastfeeding is not without complications. One of them is the shape of the mother's nipple. There are circumstances that make breastfeeding a complicated and painful option. The

Sometimes the newly released mother despairs because her son does not manage to hold on to the breast and suck properly. Breastfeeding is not without complications. One of them is the shape of the mother's nipple. There are circumstances that make breastfeeding a complicated and painful option.

The nipple types in women

There are five types of nipple:

1. The normal nipple: It is said that the nipple is normal when protrudes a few millimeters from the areola in its normal state and increases without problems for example before a temperature change or tactile manipulation.

2. The flat nipple: sometimes they are confused with the areola, but they do react to the stimulation and can become normal during breastfeeding. Its unique peculiarity is that it is shorter than usual.

3. The inverted nipple: these nipples have a dimple appearance, since they are sunken. They can be removed through surgery. However, if the milk ducts are restricted, it will make breastfeeding impossible. There are different degrees of inverted nipples. In the first degree the obstruction of the milk ducts is very small, which makes it possible to breastfeed the baby. These cases are known as pseudo-inverted nipples. The second grade creates difficulties when it comes to choosing breastfeeding. And there is talk of a third degree inverted nipple when breastfeeding is impossible.

4. Puffy nipples: They are very similar to flat nipples. They are nipples that can protrude with manipulation but that immediately retract, which presents problems during breastfeeding.

5. Unilateral nipples: occurs when one of the nipples is inverted and the other is not.

How to know if a woman has an inverted nipple

If you have doubts about whether you have an inverted or pseudo inverted nipple, you can do this test: press the area of ​​the areola with your fingers gently about 3 cm behind the nipple. If the nipple is still sunken, it is an inverted nipple in the first degree. If when pressing the area of ​​the areola increases slightly, stays on the same line of the areola or protrudes a little above it, you have a pseudo-inverted nipple.

Nipple types and breastfeeding problems

The type of nipple does not have to be a determining factor when breastfeeding the baby, although it can create problems and in certain cases make breastfeeding very complicated. For example, in the case of large nipple (from 12 to 23 mm), it may rub against the child's palate and cause gagging. Or in the case of a pseudo-inverted or flat nipple, the baby may have serious difficulties in latching onto the breast. For this, the liners are used, which are also used when the mother suffers from the pain of cracks in the nipples, although many children reject them.