

How can you treat nipple blanching and vasospasms?īlanching itself is usually related to a poor latch, so working with a lactation consultant to fix that often solves the problem. Other factors can then exacerbate the problem - for example, trauma to the nipple due to poor latch, or finding yourself in a very cold environment. Women who get nipple vasospasms are more likely to have a family history of Raynaud’s phenomenon, to complain in general of cold fingers and feet or even to have an underlying autoimmune disorder such as rheumatoid arthritis, hypothyroidism or lupus. It’s not completely clear why some women get vasospasms and others don’t. (A tip off that this is the cause could be if your baby often chokes or sputters during feeds.) Your baby may also have tongue-tie or a palate problem that leads to trouble nursing. Other common causes are a too-fast milk flow, which leads to a baby clamping down in an effort to control it. If it’s too shallow, it will compress the nipple as baby nurses. The main reason women experience nipple blanching is poor latch. One way to tell nipple vasospasms apart from other types of nipple pain is that they're predictably triggered by cold while other causes of pain are not.

Some pain a few minutes later as circulation and blood flow returns.

A white or misshapen nipple as soon as it leaves your baby's mouth.With blanching, you might notice the following: What are the symptoms of nipple blanching? While nipple vasospasms usually first crop up when you begin nursing, they can occur occasionally during pregnancy as well. Women who have Raynaud’s phenomenon - a rare disorder that causes blood vessels in the fingers and toes to narrow when you’re cold or stressed - are often more susceptible. Almost a quarter of all new moms experience vasospasms within the first eight weeks of baby's birth, according to one study. What is a nipple vasospasm?Ī nipple vasospasm occurs when the blood vessels around your nipple contract abnormally, resulting in impaired blood flow to the area. As a result, the nipple becomes compressed. This usually happens because your baby bore down a little too hard on your nipple while he was feeding. If you finish nursing and your nipple pops out of your baby’s mouth whitened and in a funny shape - almost like the tip of a brand-new lipstick - you might have nipple blanching.
