Inverted nipple is of great concern for women who are breastfeeding. Nipples differ widely in shape and size. They are the organs given for nursing the babies shortly after childbirth. If the nipples protrude properly then it becomes easy for the infant to grasp it and hold it in his mouth. Flat nipples and inverted nipples make it difficult for the baby to feed on mother’s milk.
Many women (around 25-35%) of women who are pregnant will not have their nipples protruding properly. However this problem will settle as pregnancy progresses or while breastfeeding. Many times, the nipples will get straightened once the mother starts feeding her child. This problem is caused by inheritance and will automatically cure. Again the inverted nipples will not interfere for any woman who wishes to nurse her baby since the baby can latch out into the areola of the nipple for getting milk. Actually speaking, an infant can cure the inverted nipple of the mother if he is able to latch out well. However in rare cases, a suction device is used for breastfeeding.
Causes :
Inverted nipple or flat nipple is not medically harmful and is quite common to have them. Medically it is termed as “shy” nipples which are seen often pulled “inward”. Hereditary is the major cause for inverted nipple since for many women it is inherited by birth. However this kind of shy nipple can be pulled out through stimulation or proper massage when she becomes pregnant. Actual reason for inheriting inverted nipple is the underlying tissues and ligaments of the breast.
These ligaments are really short and they pull the nipple inwards towards the breast tissue making it fully inverted. It is believed to be caused by adhesions found at the base of the breast that pulls the nipple inward. For some women, (in case they have not inherited inverted nipple) the skin can become loose which would eventually relax the nipples making it inverted.