Ask Dr. Laura Markham > Cracked nipples during third trimester of Pregnancy
Corinne
Corinne-
Many women find that they produce less oil in their skin and hair during pregnancy, so they need extra moisturizing. You definitely want to use cream on your nipples to keep them from cracking now. And if you find that your nipples are spontaneously expressing colostrum, great! That's mother nature's way of giving your nipples what they need to stay soft. Just rub it in.
What cream should you use? Not one with any parabens, which are preservatives that can cause cancer (and yet they are in most commercial lotions)
And not a cream that uses lanolin, which is known for its ability to repel water. Your skin doesn’t need protection from moisture, it needs moisture to stay supple. Also, lanolin can contain whatever pesticides, antibiotics or growth hormones the sheep was exposed to.
I don't usually recommend products (and I get no kickbacks, and the advertising you see from this company is donated by me) but the company that I love for nipple cream is Earth Mama Angel Baby http://www.earthmamaangelbaby.com/ which has organic nipple butter with no lanolin. They also have other great pregnancy, birth and postpartumn tools, like teas and birth plans.
Good luck with your nipples, your birth, and your baby!
Laura Markham, Ph.D.