Easing sore nipples
Cracked or bleeding nipples are extremely painful and can disrupt the nursing process. They occur most commonly when the baby nurses for extended periods of time - using the breast for comfort in addition to feeding. Moisture, first from the baby's mouth and then in a non-breathing brassiere, causes sore nipples to crack and then to bleed.
If your nipples are becoming sore, try to limit breast-feeding to ten to fifteen minutes per side. Let them air-dry after a feeding. Moms often feel guilty if they limit the nursing time, but if they don't, soreness can lead to cracking. Think of it this way: if the breast is very painful and bleeding, you may decide to stop nursing. By limiting the time until the soreness disappears, you are able to continue.
While the nipples are healing, talk to your health care provider about using a cream designed for breast-feeding moms. These creams are sold over-the-counter. After a feeding, apply the cream, and then rinse it off before the next feeding. Once breast-feeding is well-established, the nipples "toughen up," and cracking is less common.
Dehydration and jaundice
Your newborn requires about an ounce an hour of pumped milk or formula, or breast-feeding about every two hours. The output goal is six to eight wet diapers of clear/pale yellow urine in twenty-four hours. As the number of diapers drops below five, the urine tends to darken and may give the diaper a brownish hue. Orange spots indicating uric acid crystals may be seen in the diaper.
