Nipple Bleb / Milk Blister
What is a Bleb?
A bleb is a small white spot on the nipple. It may look like a pimple or look like there is milk stuck inside the nipple's pore. A bleb is sometimes, but not always accompanied by a plugged duct. I bleb can cause discomfort while nursing. When the contents of a bleb are removed, it may come out as tiny granules that you can feel between your fingers, or it might look like a stringy toothpaste substance. Your baby can clear the pore, any bleb contents are harmless to your baby. Backed up milk should clear as soon as the bleb is opened up.
A bleb may form when some skin grows over the nipple opening, blocking the milk. It might also be caused by a plugged duct. If you have noticed a bleb and its not causing any pain or swelling, you can leave it.
Once the bleb has been cleared, it is advised to use a safe antibiotic ointment to prevent infection.
Bleb Treatments
- Soak a cotton ball in vinegar and leave on the nipple for a few hours. The vinegar dissolves the the calcium deposits in milk, which will decrease the size of the bleb.
- Soak your breasts in Epsom salts. Epson salts are wonderful for the skin. Add 1/2 cup to your bath water. After soaking in the bath, you can try gentle hand expression and breast massage to remove the bleb.
- If after the top two treatments, you still have the bleb, you can open the bleb with a sterilized needle. Allow your baby to nurse after opening it.
- If you still have pain, you can have a look for more treatments on our plugged ducts page.
- Lecithin supplements can be used to prevent milk blockages by helping the milk flow more easily.
Below you will find advice from other mothers in connection with nipple bleb prevention and treatment. Below the comments, we have a few extra, useful links, for dealing with a nipple bleb / nipple blister while breastfeeding.
Feel free to leave your own advice and tips below, or ask any questions.
My experience of a Bleb and how I treated itby Lucy "Hi, just to let other mothers know what it's like, I had a bleb and treated it successfully. |
Bleb prevention
"After breastfeeding for 6months, I started to get a reoccurring bleb on the same spot several times a month. |
Bleb remains after breastfeedingHello, "I have stopped breastfeeding about 3 months ago, I had a bleb while breastfeeding and managed to get rid of it through continued feeding, but it has slowly returned. How do I get rid of it, now that I am not breastfeeding?" -------------------------------------- Nipple Bleb Feb 14, 2011 "Is it still painful? Are you still producing milk? Usually if a bleb is getting smaller as time goes by you don't need to worry, they do sometimes take time to go away. If you are experiencing pain, you will need to see a doctor. They might need to use needle aspiration or needle biopsy to remove the blockage. Hope this helps, please let me know how things go." |