Cracked Nipples Since My Son Got a Tooth

My inclination is that his latch has changed due to the tooth coming in. I'd talk to a lactation consultant or La Leche League Leader to see if they can help you out. My friend found out that WIC offers free breastfeeding consultations even if you're not receiving benefits, so that could be another way to get advice.

I found that when my daughter had one top front tooth it left quite a divot in my breast - since it poked out further than her gums it tended to leave a good mark on my soft breast tissue and it was at times painful. As soon as she got additional upper teeth in it resolved, and now (at 14 months) she's got 12 teeth and it's rarely an issue. Every once in a while she's lazy about how she latches on and will bite down a little hard, but I just detach her and either leave her alone in her crib or a safe room for about a minute if I think it was her fault she bit, or just reattach her if it was my fault. So get some help, stick with it, and hang in there!

HP

Your nipple will toughen up after a few weeks. For me personally, the pumping made them worse. Alot worse. The dry air made the skin crack farther while pumping. When you nurse, the breastmilk has healing properties and helps it to heal. Also, your nipple will take longer to toughen up if you aren't nursing at every feeding. I know it is painful, but after nursing two kids, I really found this way to work best. You can also pick up a breast shield at target and put that over it while healing. Once again this won't help to toughen it up, but is less painful. It's a nice option when the pain is unbearable.

I haven't gone through this, but my first thought was to call a lactation consultant and like busymom said, use your own breastmilk on your nipples.

My guess is your son had changed his latch because of the new tooth in his mouth and the tooth itself is rubbing you. You'll need to retrain him to latch on correctly.
Meanwhile, try a nipple shield to keep nursing and allow your skin to heal so you don't have to be a slave to your breastpump.

Unless your son is biting on your nipple, it doesn't sound like the tooth is the issue. Usually, cracked and/or sore nipples are the result of a poor latch. Make sure you are getting a good latch with your son!

For the sore nipples, you can keep up with the lanolin (very small amount), express breastmilk on your nipples after each feeding and allow them to air dry, use gel soothies for in between feedings, and try cold cabbage leaves (wear them in your bra until the start to wilt and are no longer helping). The cabbage leaves can decrease milk supply if used over a long period of time, so try to only use them for a couple days.

Feel free to use Nursing Mothers Counsel as a resource when you have a question about breastfeeding! I'm a peer counselor with the organization, and we provide FREE support & education to nursing mamas. You can visit our website at http://www.nursingmothers.org, call our warmline at (650) 327-MILK, or just email me at ____@____.com :)

Are you sure its the tooth that is causing the pain? maybe its just a coincidence. You can safely use a triple antibiotic cream (and or an anti-fungal cream and/or anti-itch cream) and continue nursing. Hopefully something will help.

I didn't have this problem but it sounds to me like perhaps his latch is not as good with the tooth and he is sucking just on your nipple. Try making sure that when he latches on he gets a good amount of your breast in his mouth. Also, make sure if he bites you that you say no and unlatch him. If you continue to have problems i would suggest seeing a lactation consultant so they can observe how he is latching on or talking with someone from La Leche League.

Good luck!