What? Don't give me that look. Have you ever experienced the first few days of nursing post baby? They can be rough. So when I attended by sister's baby shower this weekend, I was eager to mix up this breastfeeding nipple cream recipe to help a girl out.
Nipples need help. It ain't all fun and games, post-baby.
And since this is her first, I decided it was all the more reason to pull out the big guns. You see, the big guns (ie: this breastfeeding nipple cream recipe) help to eliminate soreness, tenderness, inflammation, infection, and that horrible thing that happens when your sticky, sweet colostrum causes your nipples to stick to your breast pads because they don't have any lubrication.
What? I'm just being honest here. It happens. And unless you have a good friend like me to tell you about what happens, you may never know until you fold down your shirt to nurse your first baby and find yourself adhered to the inside of your bra and sore as… well… as sore as a new breastfeeding Mama.
Having breastfed both of my children exclusively, I've learned a thing or two about nipple pads, nipple care, and nipple cream. It's important! Especially if you're going to be successful in the long run.
New Mamas: Please, be willing to push past the discomfort of the first few days! Yes, your nipples will likely feel like they've been put in a small blender of sorts. And yes, it'll make your toes curl in pain when baby is first learning how to latch on. And yes, you'll want to cry when you get your milk supply in and feel that oh-so-horrible-and-indescribable feeling of engorgement for the first time. But hear me: You can do it! You can push past the discomfort and the tenderness. You can make it through that first week – I PROMISE!
This breastfeeding nipple cream recipe will help.
Keep your ladies slathered up. It'll help to keep them clean, stick-free, and will really help in relieving some of that initial discomfort. I use it until I've built up enough of a callous so that tender and sore nipples are no longer an issue. Of course, working with a lactation consultant or experienced Mama who can help you ensure your baby is getting a good latch is essential. A bad latch will tear. you. to. shreds. Don't let that happen. Focus, work hard at it, and you'll do great!
Breastfeeding Nipple Cream Recipe
You will need:
– 4 tablespoons cocoa butter (purchase here)
– 2 tablespoons olive oil
– 2 tablespoons sweet almond oil (purchase here)
– 1 tablespoon coconut oil (purchase here)
– 2 drops lavender essential oil (purchase here)
Note: I would only recommend using the highest quality of oils for this cream. You can purchase our favorites here or read more about them here. Because baby will make direct contact with it's mouth, it's important that the oils be safe for internal use and I wouldn't ever use an oil I wasn't 110% comfortable with.
1. Melt the cocoa butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add in the olive oil, sweet almond oil, and coconut oil. Remove from heat once it's all melted and stir to combine.
2. Gently stir in the lavender oil.
3. Pour into a container and store at room temperature. I use these small little tins which are easy to transport to-and-from the hospital, bathroom, or even carry in your purse! Small mason jars like these or glass jars like these (or recycled baby food jars!) would also work wonderfully.
When I'm initially beginning a new breastfeeding “journey,” I like to use this breastfeeding nipple cream recipe between every feeding, which is every two to three hours on average. The lubrication of it helps baby to latch and us Mamas to feel far less friction from the breastfeeding process. In a few weeks time, you'll likely be ready to stop using the cream all together. However, until then, it's a wonderful idea to tuck into your natural post-partum healing kit.
By the way, I'm sorry I said nipple so many times in this post. Frankly, there's no other way to say it. Because that's exactly where this homemade cream goes.
Just so we're clear on that.
And if you've read this far – good for you! I'm thankful there are other Mamas out there who are willing to put in the effort to breastfeed their children. There ain't no denying it's incredible health benefits. So fight the good fight! Work for it! Enjoy it!
And slather your nipples.
Oh my! Nobody told me about any of this! My mom didn’t breastfeed, so she had no idea. 🙁 Lansinoh became my best friend!! I had twins at 35 wks and their mouths were sooo tiny, but they felt like those giant bear clamp traps. I would hold my breath to keep from startling them when they latched on. Almost 18 years and 6 kids later, I wouldn’t change a thing! Except making my own ;). Thank you!
Eek! Bear clamp. Perfect description.
I agree!! My twins were teeny but MAN OH MAN DID THEY HAVE A GRIP!! I would not change a thing. I successfully nursed 5 until 12-18 months for all. I used the lanolin but I am making all natural for a friend!! I hope it works for her!!
Oh my! Nobody told me about any of this! My mom didn’t breastfeed, so she had no idea. 🙁 Lansinoh became my best friend!! I had twins at 35 wks and their mouths were sooo tiny, but they felt like those giant bear clamp traps. I would hold my breath to keep from startling them when they latched on. Almost 18 years and 6 kids later, I wouldn’t change a thing! Except making my own ;). Thank you!
You are so right! Nobody tell you what ‘fun’ those first few days are! Wish I had something like this when I had my babies!
You are so right! With my first it was a good two weeks of learning. She had such a hard time latching on – I would literally double over in pain everytime she tried to latch – but I was so determined that we made it through and she was exclusively breastfed for a year. With the second kid it was so much easier – he had a great latch from the start and it was only a few days of being sore. I used a very similar recipe to yours and it worked great. Can’t recommend it enough!
I love your descriptions! haha! Breastfeeding is so wonderful- yet terrifying all at the same time! IF I have another baby- I would be worried about using sweet almond oil, as baby #3 has a sensitivity to almonds. Would you suggest a replacement, or would you just leave it out? I’ll be pinning this for (hopefully) future use! 🙂
Jojoba oil would work well!
Well…as a no child women who is oh so slightly terrified of being pregnant and having a baby already lets just say this one didn’t exactly make me feel any more ready to have kids 😉 BUT I really really do appreciate the honesty! I would much rather have someone lay it all out, the good, the bad, the ugly and the painful, then have it not be said at all.
I feel the same way 🙂 Though admitting it often results in sideways evil-eyes directed at me with laser-like intensity, for some reason.
In part due to that fearful apprehension, I’m very interested in learning about natural childbearing and rearing and find it’s actually a bit difficult to come across such issues as “bear clamp” latching and nipple pain, yeast infections, tearing, constipation, post-partum depression, etc… Asking around, I’ve never been told anything but the glorious magic of pregnancy and caring for baby. Information on how to care for your baby is all over, which is wonderful. However, information relating to the mum and how to care for her own body and mind is much less available, at least from what I’ve seen.
To sum up, it’s very helpful to read such a post!
Can I substitute Shea Butter for the Cocoa Butter?
You bet!
Hi! Thanks so much for this recipe! I whipped up a batch for myself and my girlfriend who are expecting any day now. Just wondering if it should solidify to a cream consistency, or remain more like an oil? 🙂
It depends on the temperature. The cocoa butter helps it to firm up – even if you like a harder cream, utilize more cocoa butter.
Can I use beeswax to make it solid?
Coz I have shea butter instead of cocoa butter, so solidifying it might be an issue.
You don’t really really want to solidify it… the creamier the better, I say! It makes it easy for spreading 😉
How much of a quantity does this make? How many or how big a bottle would I need to store this
A small one… maybe 4 ounces?
Thanks 🙂
And here I come with a question again!! Can i substitute olive oil with coconut oil as the olive oil I have is used for cooking, not too sure I should use it here or not??
Cooking olive oil is fine – but coconut oil is great too! 🙂
How safe is the lavender essential oil for newborns?
What can be used instead of Lavender? (I’m allergic to Lavender and some other scents)
I’d just leave it out!
Hi Shaye,
I just made a batch of this nipple cream yesterday and I have it on the counter. It’s been sitting there am entire 23 hrs but is still in liquid form looking like an olive. Will it harden up to a cream? Or did it go wrong some where? I followed instructions exactly. Thanks!
If it’s still in liquid form, that’s okay! Just use it like that. If you want it to set harder, just stick it in the fridge. It’s hard to say why that happened, but it’s no big deal!
Did you use solid coconut oil or fractionated (liquid) coconut oil? If you used liquid type it will not firm up.
Looking forward to more natural ways of doing things! How do I know if an oil is a good brand? I am skeptical of going to certain stores and not being educated.
Gayle – email me ([email protected]) and we can talk about oil testing, etc.
LOVE. love. love this recipe. I experienced the same as many of you ladies with the oil not solidifying. I found that it just takes a while. Mine took almost 3-4 days to completely turn to a nice soft cream. Like Shaye said the creamier the better!
Put it in the fridge till it starts to set then whip it up and put it in the containers. That’s how I make my body butter. I also use 50% butter and 50% oil. 🙂
Thank you for this post :-D. I am currently pregnant with my first. When I tell people I am going to breastfeed I get funny looks and the “we’ll see how long it last” line. I always ignore them though it is nice to hear the truth of what happens. I am much more confident than i was.
I just made some of this for myself, I’m due next week, and to share with my cousin, due 2 weeks later. I doubled the recipe by using ounces instead of tbsp, which I found easier as I have a food scale. The double batch filled 6 of those 2 oz tins perfectly! And they look so professional 😉 I also put in the fridge for a few hours to solidify. Excited to try when baby arrives!
This was lovely in those first weeks of nursing. I used lanolin with my first and this was much better! I did have to add. Tablespoon or so of beeswax to get it to firm up.
The recipe makes a large batch – much more than I needed this time around. So now I am using it on my super dry elbows and feet and they are amazingly soft! I have even used it as Lip balm.
A word of warning: it doesn’t take much heat to melt it so be very careful if you carry it in your bag or leave it in the car!!
Do you have to wash it off before breastfeeding your baby or is it safe to feed with the remains of it on? thanks 🙂
It’s safe to feed with remains of this on.
I made a batch of this for my wife, and we talked to our breastfeeding consultant about it, and she warned us about lavendar poisoning. I did a double batch so it was 4 drops between 8 oz… I can’t imagine that would be enough to induce lavendar poisoning?
Hi Ricky,
I have a friend who is the owner of a very well know essential oil company, and extremely well versed in essential oils and their uses. He says to never use essential oils for newborn to at least 6 months old, and then to only use a very select few after that age. I am only about natural organic ways to heal, so coming at it from that perspective, but I think your gut is correct. Make a batch without the lavender.
These oils are more potent than we realise, and our babies bodies are so sensitive.
Otherwise, this is a great recipe!
Hello, Do you have to wash this off before breast-feeding, or is it safe for baby?
It’s safe for baby. 🙂
Would the almond oil be a concern for ingestion as it is a nut product?
Olive oil would be a fine alternative if that concerns you!
I am sorry, but just to be safe, I would not use Lavender e.o. at all, especially if not wiping it first, since it has estrogenic activity and could be a hormone disruptor factor. Essential Oils are very powerful and should be used very carefully.
How long can this nipple recipe last for?
Hi, just made this balm for myself and a few expecting friends to try! Just wondering though…how long should it take to ‘set’? I realise it’s probably temperature dependent but it’s only a mild day (18 degrees C, or 65 F), and it’s still completely liquid after about 3 hours..?
My goodness, use it now pre-baby it’ll do nothing but good!
Hi! Loving this recipe! How long will this be safe to use for? Also, because there is no preservatives added, won’t it grow bacteria?
Is this a balm or cream? If it’s a balm, how hard is it to get out to use
Would you use this on cow teats? Do you have a bag balm recipe I missed. Thank you, LOVE everything you create!