The nipple skin of new mothers is relatively delicate and cannot withstand the stimulation of the baby when sucking. Especially if the milk supply is insufficient or the nipple is too small or inverted, the baby will suck and bite the nipple hard, causing the nipple skin to be soaked with saliva. It becomes soft, peels off, and erodes, forming cracks of varying sizes. In addition, the baby's posture when latching on the nipple is incorrect, and the nipple and most of the areola are not latched on, or the wet nurse excessively cleans the nipple with soap, alcohol and other irritants, causing the nipple to be too dry, which can easily cause the nipple skin to become cracked and cracked. When the injury is severe, the nipple may ulcerate and become infected. Usually, the yellow liquid that oozes from the crack will often form a scab after drying, which is dry and painful. Especially when the baby is breastfeeding, a knife-like pain will occur, which is unbearable. Once bacteria enter through the crack, they can also invade the breast and cause mastitis or breast abscess, forcing breastfeeding to be interrupted. Methods to prevent nipple rupture Nipple rupture often recurs after recovery. In order to avoid recurrence, it is very important to take preventive measures—— 1. Gently wipe the nipple with a dry and soft towel frequently to increase the toughness of the nipple skin and avoid breakage during sucking. 2. Sunken or flat nipples will greatly affect breastfeeding and should be actively corrected. Every time you scrub the nipple, gently pinch the nipple outward with your hands; or use your fingers to gently pull the nipple outward while twisting the nipple, and then wipe the nipple with 70% alcohol. Once the nipple skin becomes tough, it will no longer be prone to inversion. 3. Develop good breastfeeding habits and breastfeed regularly every day. Each breastfeeding time should not be too long, 15-20 minutes is enough, once every 4 hours. 4． Before and after each feeding, the nipples and areola, including the hard scabs on the nipples, should be washed with warm water and kept dry and clean to prevent cracks in the nipple and areola skin. How to deal with cracked nipples 1. When nipples become chapped, apply hot and moist compresses before each feeding, massage the breasts to stimulate the milk ejection reflex, and then squeeze out a small amount of milk to soften the areola, making it easier for the nipple to connect with the baby's mouth. 2. When feeding, suck the healthy side of the breast first. If both breasts are chapped, suck the lighter side first. Be sure to let the baby hold the nipple and most of the areola, and change the feeding position frequently to reduce the stimulation of the nipple when sucking hard. 3. After feeding, gently press the baby's chin with your index finger. When the baby opens his mouth, take the opportunity to pull the nipple out. Do not pull the nipple out of the baby's mouth abruptly. 4． After each feeding, squeeze out a little milk and smear it on the nipple and areola to keep the nipple dry and at the same time allow the protein in the milk to promote the repair of nipple damage. 5. When the pain in the tear is severe, do not allow the baby to suck. Use a breast pump to suck out the milk in time, or express milk by hand to feed the baby to reduce the inflammatory reaction and promote the healing of the tear. But don’t give up breastfeeding easily, otherwise the milk supply will decrease or milk boils or mastitis may easily occur.