I have been curious how pierced nipples affect breastfeeding. So I did some research, and if you have ever wondered about this too, then here’s the scoop.
Pierced nipples shouldn’t cause a problem with milk production, but they can cause the breast to leak a little more due to the extra holes. Each nipple has 15-20 tiny nipple pores that the milk comes out of so even if some were damaged there will still be plenty left in tact. [Source]
Areolar piercings can damage the nerves that affect milk ejection. Both nipple and areolar piercings can cause problems for milk ejection if scarring blocks the milk flow (The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, 2010).
Breastfeeding moms should not leave jewelry in during nursing as it is a choking hazard. As well, it can harm the inside of the baby’s mouth and affect latching. If your infant has trouble latching and your nipples crack or bleed, they could become extra painful and it will be more difficult to re-insert your jewelry.
You might want to consider changing your nipple jewelry to something that can come out and go back in with relative ease. Circular barbells, PFTE barbells, or straight barbells are good options. Use a lanolin based nipple ointment to make it easier to insert, or express some milk onto the end of the bar. This helps to keep the piercing healthy.
Pregnant and new moms should avoid getting a piercing as the jewelry cannot be removed until the breast tissue heals, which usually takes a year (you don’t want to get crusties in your baby’s mouth!).
Other considerations: Nursing in public may be more awkward if you need to expose your breast for a little longer than usual to remove the piercing. Nursing at night may be more difficult as it will require the extra effort to remove the piercing when you’re already half asleep.
Above photo courtesy of Oscar V.
If you have a nipple piercing and are breastfeeding or breastfed please tell me about it in the comments section. Have you had any problems with it? Moms who were considering getting one – was this useful? Moms who don’t have one and/or don’t want one, what do you think? Real mom advice and stories are always better than anything I can reproduce from internet findings. Thanks in advance!
To read CaroLyn from Breeder Brain’s personal story go here.
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Tags: milk production, Monday Musings, nipple pain, nipple piercings, Nursing In Public
I’m always curious to hear peoples accounts as a future breastfeeding mother who has had her pierced (and removed) and healed for some time.
This article was shared with my from a IBCLC. http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/c.....01/24/2550
Thanks for this post.
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Melodie Reply:
August 10th, 2010 at 1:00 am
Thank YOU for the extra info!
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One of my best friends from my breastfeeding group used to have both nipples pierced but took them out during pregnancy. She said it made absolutely no difference in her nursing experience and she’s still going strong at 17 months. I would hate for a woman to think a piercing meant she couldn’t breastfeed.
Suzanne´s last [type] ..Get Off My Lawn You Crazy Kids
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Melodie Reply:
August 10th, 2010 at 1:01 am
Yes, that was what I was afraid of too which is why I wanted to get this info out there. I was pretty sure it was okay but I actually had to look for myself for this article just to be sure.
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I had one nipple pierced for over 10 years, and took it out when I was pregnant. As my breasts started to swell the piercing became increasingly uncomfortable, plus I was planning on breastfeeding and wasn’t sure how the logistics would work out with the ring in place. My son is now 26 months old and still nursing.
One note, I did have an ob when I first moved into this city who told me he didn’t think I would be able to breastfeed because of the piercing. He also told me he likes to induce preganant women as a matter of course because it’s more convenient and he’s too old to go running around in the middle of the night. Yes, the ignorance of some practicing obs knows no bounds, and I assure you this person did not remain my ob for long.
Shana´s last [type] ..Quick and Easy Beans and Greens
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Melodie Reply:
August 10th, 2010 at 1:02 am
Ugh. OBs and breastfeeding = bad news.
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Aiyaieee! Nipple piercings make me squeamish and I certainly don’t have one. Blugaboo! Just thinking about it makes me want to go to church.
But my sis-in-law had one. She took it out while pregnant and nursing. She had leaking issues on the pierced side and had to wear numerous nursing pads. That nipple would gush milk as well so she didn’t use it much. She would hold a towel over the pierced one to sop up the milk while she nursed on the other side.
She could spray milk great distances with it, which baby didn’t like at all but sis-in-law was fond of as a party trick.
Aiyaiaeeee!
Betsy´s last [type] ..World Breastfeeding Week
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Melodie Reply:
August 10th, 2010 at 1:04 am
Thanks for the laugh Betsy. I lol’ed over here so I had to read to my 16 year old step son what you wrote:
” Blugaboo! Just thinking about it makes me want to go to church.”
Luckily he’s cool with this kind of thing knowing my history with breastfeeding and he had a good laugh too.
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No personal experience here, but anecdotally I have met a few moms with piercings who have been able to nurse without any trouble. Anybody who is told that they can’t nurse b/c of it should get a second opinion — just like with so many other situations where moms are told that breastfeeding won’t work when in reality it really will
St. Louis Smart Mama´s last [type] ..Why I Find The Stir Annoying As Hell – or My Response to the Giselle-Breastfeeding-Should-Be-A-Law Controversy
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Melodie, timely and wonderful as always. I’d been sitting on a post of my own about breastfeeding post-nipple piercing and you’ve prompted me to dust it off and hit post. Thank you!
In brief, I had mine pierced ages ago, took the rings out a while ago, no trouble with breastfeeding as far as the piercings well. I had symmetrical piercings and I’ve not noticed being especially leaky as a result… though they do trickle a bit I suppose, but generally when there’s milk coming out of the other holes too!
CaroLyn´s last [type] ..Nursing with Pierced Nips
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I have sometimes wondered about this issue, and I’m happy to know it does not interfere with breastfeeding!
Aorijia´s last [type] ..Formas de aprender chino
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REALLY wish I would have read this before I took my doctor’s advice and took my barbells out last month! They were finally completely healed and there is no way I’ll be able to put them back in now and have them recovered in time for Baby. Garbage!
I should have listened to my piercer, who at the time I got them actually told me they can sometimes increase ease of milk flow – According to her, she could squirt milk at a distance in three directions from each nip while breastfeeding!
Janine – Alternative Housewife´s last [type] ..Vacay in Florence- OR
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Well im 34 weeks pregnant and i ve had my nipples pierced for a little more than a year. I breastfed my first born with no problems and as far to this baby my ob has said there is no problem or reason for it to be different. Of course this was after i asked her if she could check my breasts and nipples since they were more tender then i remembered them being during my first pregnancy. But just remember to to pay attention to your body and if you feel somethings not right ask and make sure its taken care of.
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Some mommy and me groups that I attend, I do see other mothers with pierced nipples, but really haven’t gotten into how or what the experience they have had.
Your article has shed light on some of the experiences and now I may be able to converse a little about this subject.
Ruth J. Mcclendon´s last [type] ..Why Can’t I Get Pregnant
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I had mine pierced about 8 years ago. And I played a volleyball in college and with all the ground hitting, they were working themselves out so I ended up taking them out after about 4 years of constant wearing. Even though my piercings have not been in for over 4 years, the holes are still there. When I nursed with my first child. She always had a really hard time staying latched because the milk would basically fall uncontrollably out of the extra holes and she would gulp and couldnt keep up with it. She would constantly pull off my nipple and milk would run down the side of her cheek. That is the most frustrating part about it, your child cannot stay latched because they cant use their toung to stop flow if they were getting too much. I was constantly helping her get reattached to my nipple. About halfway through each feeding, she would finally be able to stay latched once she expressed most of the milk. But it would take us a good hour to nurse her because of the pulling off an reattaching. Just keep this in mind if you want to get piercings because I regret it 100%. I feel like had I not had the piercings I would have had a muich better experience in the year that I nursed her. I have a 4 week old now and he has the same problems. So frustrating. All my friends can sit there with their babies latched on the entire nursing and I am constantly trying to wipe my milk off their cheek so they can get a good suction and reattach.
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