The nursing product ‘mums in Italy swear by’
A common struggle when breastfeeding for the first time is the damage that can be done to your nipples.
This was the case for Anh, who says she would have given up breastfeeding if she hadn’t discovered silver breastfeeding cups.
“By day 6, I was truly in a sorry state. My nipples were cracked, bleeding, and blistering and I was caught between the physical pain of my nipples and the emotional agony of wanting to give up,” she writes on the Silverette Australia website.
“It wasn’t until I had a postpartum check-up with a midwife who witnessed my agony and simply said, ‘look into silver cups, the mums in Italy swear by them’.
“After researching silver’s natural ability to repair damaged skin and reading several research papers confirming it was safe on mum and bubs, I manage to locate a manufacturer in Italy. They kindly sent me a pair of Silverette and the results were nothing short of a miracle.
“In just a few short hours of using the nursing cups, not only could I feel the pain subside, but I could see a visible difference in my nipples too. Painful feeds soon became bearable and eventually breastfeeding became a pleasant and wonderful experience for me to connect with my baby girl.”
Anh believes in Silverette so strongly that she now sells the breastfeeding cups to Aussie mums.
How does it work?
Crafted out of pure 925 sterling silver and 100% nickel-free, these medical-grade nursing cups fit over the nipple to help soothe and heal the skin.
In fact, a small 2015 study found treatment with Silver Cap was more effective than standard care of nipple fissure treatment in terms of resolution of painful symptoms.
Silver is a natural antimicrobial, antifungal, and antibacterial metal that also contains anti-inflammatory agents. Mums can pop these silver cups on in between feeds – they fit underneath a nursing bra and can be used with a nursing pad too.
How to clean your Silverette
Because silver is naturally antibacterial, cleaning your Silverette breastfeeding cups is a breeze. A video on the Silverette Australia Instagram page says you can use water or baking soda paste to clean your cups.
“Rinse them under the tap – room temp water is fine (just don’t use boiling water). Gently rinse and dry them after each feed (or you could get away with once a day like I did cause I was too lazy 😅). Best to remove any dried milk residues when you notice them,” the post says. “Or gently scrub the cups with a baking soda paste to make the cups sparkle again”.
Just make sure you don’t boil your cups, pop them in the dishwasher, or sterilise them.
Sizing and price
The Silverette breastfeeding cups come in two sizes, regular ($80) and XL ($91).
Regular is designed for women with a current breast cup size that is a C cup or below and an areola diameter below or equal to 4.5cm.
XL is for women with a current breast cup size that is above a C cup and an areola diameter above 4.5cm.
For more information and to see a sizing chart, visit the Silverette website.
