What You Need to Know About Nipple Piercing and Breastfeeding

As a former newborn hospital pediatrician, I helped many new mothers to establish breastfeeding during the newborn hospital stay. Frequently, I saw new mothers who had tattoos and piercings who desired to breastfeed their babies. Often, these mothers did not have any specific questions about nipple piercings, but my hunch is that many of them did not want to ask those questions.

Nipple piercing and breastfeeding present unique considerations.

You don’t need to skip breastfeeding just because you have a nipple piercing or a history of nipple piercings. However, there are important things that you need to consider when you have piercing holes in your nipples as a breastfeeding mother.

In this article, we will look at ways that mothers with a history of body piercing can have a successful breastfeeding relationship with their babies. As well as what to take into consideration before you get a new piercing as a breastfeeding mother.

What to Consider

Nipple piercings can pose challenges for women who wish to breastfeed, as they can impact the nursing process. However, it is still possible to nurse your baby despite the presence of these additional piercings.

It is recommended that pierced nipples are fully healed before pregnancy and breastfeeding. Fully healed piercings have a lower risk of infection compared to fresh piercings. Considering the sensitivity of breast tissue, it is important to take into account appropriate healing times before breastfeeding.

During breastfeeding, it is important to properly care for your nipples, whether they are pierced or not, in order to prevent infections or complications. It is recommended to keep the nipples clean with warm water and mild soap if needed, and to monitor them for any signs of infection.

Any abrasions, scabs or other breaks in the skin of the nipples should be reported to your lactation consultant. Often, these lesions are signs of an improper latch.

Remove Nipple Jewelry

Throughout the duration of breastfeeding, your flow of breast milk can vary due to your piercing holes. Milk may come out of those holes as well as your milk pores which can make for a messy breastfeeding experience for you and your baby. In addition, there may be some scar tissue that developed during the healing process that can change your flow of breast milk.

If you fail to remove your nipple jewelry prior to a feeding session, you put your baby at risk for choking on the jewelry if it comes loose.

Hygiene is Important

To ensure a safe and successful breastfeeding session, remove your jewelry in a hygienic way before feeding your baby.

• Maintain proper hygiene by washing your hands thoroughly with unscented soap before handling the jewelry and your breasts.
• Carefully and slowly remove the jewelry from both nipples to prevent any discomfort or injury.
• Jewelry should be stored in a clean and safe place to avoid any potential damage or loss.
• Use warm water and a mild soap to clean the nipple area for hygiene purposes.

I recommend that you remove your nipple jewelry prior to nursing sessions to protect your baby from choking on the jewelry as well as allow for the free flow of milk.

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Piercing and Milk Production

Whether you have pierced nipples or not should not impact your milk production. Your body will undergo the same process as any other woman who has given birth to a new baby. While you may experience milk leakage from your piercing site, your milk supply should not be any different.

While you may need to consider trying different breastfeeding positions, your piercing holes should not impact your baby’s latch. If you find that the extra openings increase your milk flow, you can slow things down by adopting the laid back or side lying feeding position.

In addition, if leakage happens outside of feedings, breast pads are useful to keep your shirt dry.

New Nipple Piercing And Breastfeeding

If you are considering getting your nipples pierced while you are breastfeeding your baby, there are many things that you need to consider first.

Piercing your nipples can affect both you and your baby during breastfeeding. In the early days of exclusive breastfeeding, your baby is totally reliant on you for their nutrition. For this reason, It is best to wait until your baby is a few months old before getting any body modifications like piercing.

In addition to your baby being less dependent on breast milk as their sole source of nutrition, your body should be fully healed from delivery. This will decrease the risks to you and your baby just in case any complications arise.

Another thing to keep in mind when considering a new nipple piercing during breastfeeding is safety. It is imperative that you choose a reputable piercer who practices sterile technique to reduce your risk of infection. You also need to be diligent about caring for your new piercing.

Lastly, it is important to choose the correct material for the nipple jewelry to decrease complications. Professional piercers should prioritize the use of suitable materials like stainless steel.

Potential Complications

Intimate body piercings, like nipple piercings, can have potential complications for breastfeeding mothers. Here are some of the common risks:

• Abnormal milk flow
• Risk for infection
• Damage to milk ducts
• Breast infection

Additionally, it is important to be aware that nipples can be highly sensitive during pregnancy and breastfeeding. This nipple sensitivity can increase your pain with nipple piercing.

For concerns about the impact of a piercing on breastfeeding, it is advisable to seek guidance from a lactation consultant based on your specific situation.

When to Seek Medical Attention

Although it is technically possible to safely get a body piercing while breastfeeding, it is generally recommended to wait until after this phase of motherhood is complete. Before you consider getting your nipples pierced during breastfeeding consider the potential complications.

Potential complications of a nipple piercing that require medical intervention include:

• Persistent bleeding
• Pus
• Persistent itching
• Prolonged swelling
• Extensive redness

Other symptoms that are more serious may include tenderness or pain around the piercing site, flu-like symptoms, nipple pain, or fever. You should seek medical attention for any of these symptoms or if you are worried about anything else.

How Can 127 Pediatrics Help Your Breastfeeding Journey?

At 127 Pediatrics, we address the common concerns of breastfeeding such as the associate of nipple piercing and breastfeeding, abnormal milk production and nursing positions. We do this through virtual or in person lactation consults, free resources such as this blog or our YouTube Channel as well as online breastfeeding education.

Stay up to date and sign up for our breastfeeding newsletter by clicking on the link below.

© 127 Pediatrics, May 2024

This article is for information purposes only. Please consult your personal physician for medical advice.