During pregnancy, the nipples and areola may become darker due to hormonal changes. Bumps on the areola—which are glands called Montgomery’s tubercles — may also grow more noticeable or otherwise change. Pfaus, J. G., et al. (2016). The whole versus the sum of some of the parts: Toward resolving the apparent controversy of clitoral versus vaginal orgasms.

Make light circles around the outside of your nipples, called the areola. It may help if your fingers are wet – with lube, for example.Maister, L., et al. (2020). The erogenous mirror: Intersubjective and multisensory maps of arousal in men and women.

As you navigate through and interact with our Platform, we use automatic data collection technologies, if available in your jurisdiction, to collect Platform activity data.Goren, A., et al. (2020). Topical alpha-1 adrenergic receptor agonist applied to the nipple/areola complex improves female orgasmic function [Abstract]. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), certain nipple-related changes can be warning symptoms of breast cancer: Inverted nipples: Some people’s nipples cave inward. They may protrude when they are stimulated by cold or sexual arousal, or they may stay inverted.

Let your baby nurse for as long as they need to. A common belief is that short feedings can prevent sore nipples, but this is not true. Don't wipe off your nipples after nursing. After each feeding, allow your nipples to air dry naturally for 10-15 minutes. Bear in mind that self-help tips will not be effective if your baby is poorly attached during breastfeeds. A tongue-tie. Your baby may not get a good latch if they have a tongue tie, which happens when the frenulum, or the string of tissue under the tongue, is short and restricts the movement of the tongue. Meston, C. M., et al. (2019). Understanding sexual arousal and subjective–genital arousal desynchrony in women.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/14416617_An_anatomical_study_of_the_nerve_supply_of_the_breast_including_the_nipple_and_areola De Sanctis V, Elhakim IZ, Soliman AT, Elsedfy H, Soliman N, Elalaily R. Cross-sectional observational study of nipple and areola changes during pubertal development and after menarche in 313 Italian girls. Acta Biomed. 2016;87(2):177-183. avoid using nipple shields (a thin, protective cover worn over your nipple as you breastfeed) or breast shells (a hard, protective cover worn inside your bra) – these will not improve your baby's attachment to the breast Breastfeeding shouldn't hurt, so if you find that one or both of your nipples are sore after a feeding, that's a sign that your baby might not be latching correctly. This is the most common cause of nipple soreness while nursing. You might have to try a few different positions while holding your baby to find the correct one.

Instead, take a deep breath. You can calmly say something such as "no biting" or "ouch, biting hurts mommy" as you remove your breast.

If you're curious about what having long nipples means, there are three important things for you to know.

If you get sore nipples when breastfeeding, it's usually because your baby is not positioned and attached properly at the breast. Apart from issues with latching, soreness can also be caused by a number of different factors, including: García-Acosta JM, San Juan-Valdivia RM, Fernández-Martínez AD, Lorenzo-Rocha ND, Castro-Peraza ME. Trans* pregnancy and lactation: a literature review from a nursing perspective. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;17(1):44. doi:10.3390/ijerph17010044 https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/sex-pleasure-and-sexual-dysfunction/sex-and-pleasure/orgasms