Incredibly Painful Nursing

You may also want to try nipple shields. I have had to use those because I was having problems with her latching on. They sell them just about everywhere for about 6 or 7 dollars, it is worth it!!

Get a lactation specialist. La Leche League around here will help or call St E's. They have consultants too

Hi T.,
I had the same problem with my first child - I've nursed all three of my kids. Here are some suggestions - though you may have already tried some of them... do you have a lactation consultant? If not, see if you can find one near you. They can be incredibly helpful in making sure your baby is latching on correctly, helping you find different postions, and suggesting remedies. I know Hillcrest Hospital in Mayfield Hts. (east side of Cleveland) has a nursing support group (or at least they did a few years ago). Look to see if there is a local La Leche League group near you - they too will have helpful support. If your pediatrician is supportive, ask for some referrals or suggestions.

Okay, here's what worked for me (all this came from an amazing lactation consultant who helped me get through the pain and enjoy the nursing experience)

After determining that my son was latched on properly (he was), she noticed that he had an incredibly strong nursing reflex and strong suckle. She showed me a couple different positions which alleviated some of the pull (one was the "football hold").

1) Get some Lansinoh or any other PURE lanolin and smother your nipple area with it. It is perfectly safe for your baby to continue nursing with it on - though I usually would try to put it on just after nursing to allow it time to soak in and be absorbed. If you're not familiar with it, it is VERY sticky, so it's also better to be able to lay around bare breasted for a bit, if possible.

2) saline solution and breast shields -- I don't remember if I put the saline on first and then the Lansinoh or the other way around. The saline helps to dry up the blisters, (if I remember correctly)and actually soothes and lessens the sting. The breast shields allow your nipples to air out and prevent the rubbing and chafing from a bra or shirt (so, you look a bit like Madonna in her early days).

3) warm washcloth over the Lansinoh - helps the Lansinoh "melt" in a bit and is very soothing. You can also try an ice pack to numb the pain, but I could never stand it!

I hope some of these suggestions help, and that they are new ideas because I know its incredibly frustrating getting suggestions for things you've already tried!

Where in Cleveland are you? I'm on the east side (live in Pepper Pike, work in Solon) - I may have the breast shields packed away somewhere that I'd be happy to send you. Feel free to e-mail me directly if you want.

Good Luck!!
W.

I am so sorry. This is the reason why a lot of moms give up. I'm sad when I hear these 18 and 20 year old moms give up beacuse "it hurts too bad" or "it takes too long to nurse" So I'm glad you are asking for advice. I got several blisters on my nipples and believe it or not I popped them. I don't know if that is reccomended but it worked. It hurt and then it worked. I just didn't want them getting all blocked up for too long. A doula I know says to nurse through the pain so it can get flowing again.

T.,

I had the same problem with my son. Not only were my nipples blistered, they were bleeding too. Part of it was his latch. I learned how to nurse him lying down. I woul dlike on my side with one hand supporting my head and the other holding my breast so that is was the right shape for him to latch on. That helped. But, it still hurt and it still hurt quite a bit when I experienced a let down.

So, the pain with the let-down - will eventually subside. Taking a warm shower before pumping/nursing will help the let-down pain. It will take a few weeks before the let-down pain subsides.

The blisters are another matter. I recommend rubbing breast milk on them (or using lansinoh) to help them heal. Also, you might want to pump and feed her from a bottle until your nipples have healed (or just nurse her every other time). If you want to increase your milk supply, have her nurse after you have pumped. She can get milk out better than the pump. Now, to prevent the blisters from forming again, make sure she is latched on well. Another technique that worked well for me was to hold my breast while nursing. (I am fairly large breasted and holding my breast puts it in a position that is easier for latching.

I hope this helps a bit... I admire your committment to breastfeeding (I share it). The pain WILL go away!

S. (mother of 2 - 3 year old boy and 7 month old girl)

I wouldn't see your dr or nurse. You would see a dermatologist if you had a problem with your skin. With Breastfeeding you need to see a specialist too.
The Elizabeth Blackwell Center in Columbus has many great Lacation Consultants. The $60 you might spend on an LC (many times insurance will cover it if you submit it) is well worth the investment compared to over $1,000/year on formula.
If you are more interested in an independent LC, Allison Hazelbaker is in central ohio too. You can google her.
The local LLLs are wonderful here. The leaders there are definitely qualified to look at how your baby is latched and giving some basic suggestions. You can always send me a private message if you need to find the closest one to you. But they have great hot-line number that works too.
Best wishes. It does sound like a latch problem. Go get it checked out by the professionals.

T.,

It sounds like what you could be experiencing is yeast, better known as thrush. Does the baby have any white patches on her tongue or inside her gums and cheeks? The pain you described sounds very much how thrush becomes when Mom gets it. Although it may not bother baby, it can become very painful for mom. Typically when I had it, my nipples became red, blistered, cracked and it was excruciating to nurse or pump.

First of all, you can mix up a tablespoon of white vinegar and a quart of warm water. Wip your nipples off after each nursing - this will help change the PH on your skin. Most likely though, you will need to get a prescription from your doctor - an oral anti-fungal for the baby and a creme for you to use. Thrush isn't serious, it's just painful and more of a nuisance.

My thought is if the nursing has been going along well up to this point, that yep, you probably have thrush.

You may want to check with La Leche League to see if it could be from positioning issues, but it sounds like if you had been nursing fine up until now, it might be something else.

Hope that helps and please, keep us posted. Hang in there though with the nursing - it'll get better.

Hi T.:
It's so great that you're committed to this. It can be so challenging at times, but it's rewarding when you see your little one growing on milk that you've produced! It's great that you're working on the latch. My baby has nipple confusion sometimes because she's on the bottle most of the day, but I won't let her nurse if she insists on a shallow latch. It's not worth it to get into bad habits. I sometimes need to relatch her 15 times before she gets it right! I had to give up on the laying down position too because it just doesn't work for us. Occassionally we'll try it if I'm really, really tired, but usually I need to be sitting up and the both of us need to be focused to do it right -- even now, at 17 weeks. Keep working at it and good luck!

Unfortunately when I had my first child, nobody was able to give me any advice nor was I warned that that could happen. Try using lanolin cream(I think that is what it is called). You can find it at the store in the feeding supplies, usually by the nursing pads. Also, check with you doctor about the blisters.

When I had my twins, at the end I had a hard time with cracking and bleeding unlike with my first child. It turned out they had thrush and I had gotten it. I would check with your pediatrician to make sure your daughter doesnt have it. If that is the case you can use some of her thrush medicine on your nipples to help soothe them and clear it up. Plus your obgyn can prescribe a prescription for you. Hope this helps.

They have an over-the-counter product which comes in a purple tube, I can't really remember the name of it, but it's a cream to keep the nipple area from cracking and is fine for the baby...ask your pharmacist about it or just look in the baby isle at your local drug store...The sucking action can actually dry out the area - also, check for milk residue after the baby finishes eating...try using a warm wet washcloth on the area, both before and after feedings.

I had the same problem with both of my girls. The lactation consultant told me I should try to squeaze some milk out of my breast and spread it over top of the nipple. But it wasn't working as fast as I would like so I used Lansinol (SP), its in a purple tube. you don't have to wipe it off when you are ready to breastfeed. I used that stuff on everything! it seems to make everything heal quickly...diaper rash, broken skin. I LOVE that stuff.

I too had thrush and it is exactly as you describe. I would almost be crying when it was time for me to feed my son. Dealing with the sleep dreprivation is hard enough and then knowing how much it was going to hurt really made it hard to continue! The good knews is the medicine works fast. You have to give your son an oral medication and put a cream on yourself.

I agree with one of the other posters that if she's already 3 months old then the skin would be condioned by now. You should contact the Dr. or nurse right away before your baby will start to reject the breast after getting used to the bottle. Make sure you air out the skin after every time you pump or nurse to avoid trapping moisture. Do not cover it right away.
Good luck

T.,
I do agree with the others that you should probably make sure you are not experiencing thrush symptoms. However, it could just be that you have the blistered nipples due to incorrect positioning during nursing. What position are you nursing her in? I have found that lying on my side to nurse has been the easiest and it also helps the infant not to ingest as much air, preventing gas. My friend went through something very similiar to what you are going through and her doctor recommended some kind of breast shield. She said it was a lifesaver for her and it allowed her to continue to nurse with minimum pain while her nipples healed. I am really surprised no one else has mentioned this. I had never heard of it until she told me about it. If you want more information, I can get a hold of her for you and she can answer any questions you would have. I hope this helps you and I congratulate you on sticking with it, I know it is tough in the beginning, but it gets so much easier.

God Bless
J. F.

Hi T.
I too nursed my babies and had blisters and pain during nursing as you described. Mine would even bleed at times. Make sure the baby is latched on correctly. I found that it does take time but with the help of A&D ointment and letting them air dry after nursing helped tremendously. It seem to last only a week to 10 days. Good Luck
D.

I had the same problem the first couple months when nursing my son. I wore a nipple shield - try the one by Medela (sp?) - the nursing consultant at the hosp. recommended it - I know you can find it at Target. It doesn't create nipple confusion and it really helped a lot. Also, Lansinoh makes a "cream" (don't know what else to call it) made of lanolin that you can leave on while nursing - doesn't harm baby or interfere with milk flow. Also, there are gel pads that you can get that help soothe sore nipples - I think they're made by Lansinoh too. Great company - I also recommend their nursing pads - they were the only ones that I could wear b/c they didn't get soggy if you leak! If you need more info, feel free to email me - I have the names of the products, they're just in my son's room and he's napping right now. Never wake a sleeping baby, right? lol good luck!

I was thinking maybe it was a blocked milk duct or clogged!

I had the same problem with nursing my daughter. I was usually in tears while I nursed. Don't worry it got a lot better! Try using nipple sheilds, Medela makes them my daughter wasn't too fond of them but it gave me a little relief. I also used a lot of lanolin! I hate to tell you this but you just have to get through it and not give up. Just know that it is the best thing you can do for your baby. If nothing helps find a lactation consultant or contact the La Leche league for help. Your daughter may be having latching problems. Good Luck..and I know your pain!

I don't know if you've heard this already but it sounds like you have yeast going around. It is extremely painful and hard to get rid of. Call your La Leche League and they will give you good advice on how t get rid of it. Best of luck.
C.

Hi T.,

Hang in there with the nursing! Checdk the inside of your daughter's mouth. It could possibly be a yeast infection. Baby may have a white coating on her tongue, gums or inside of her mouth.

It shows up on mom with sore, broken or blistered nipples.
It's passed back and forth. You may call a lactation consultant @ the hospital, or some other breast feeding support. Usually all it takes is medication most of the time both are treated.

If you see the white coating on baby's tongue, call the baby's Dr. they'll probably want to see her. If that's what it is sometimes they may even write you a script. Otherwise call your OB/Midwife.

I hope you feel better soon.

Happy Holidays!

K. :)

If you haven't gone to see a doctor, I would recommend that you go. There are things that are like bottle nipples that you can put over your own to try and lighten up the irritation a bit. There is also cream that you can get to help your breasts recover from irritation a little better. If you have not gone to your doctor about this, it may be possible that you have a yeast infection on your breasts, which is common. Hang in there, it will get better.

T.,
Congratulations for nursing! You can do it!!I nursed my daughter during her entire first year, and about 3 mos in (then a few more times on a off till she was 11 mos) the same thing happened to me. Luckily I figured it out. When I got comfortable with nursing, I realized I would get lazy... therefore allow my daughter to get lazy with latching on.
Just express a bit of breast milk to rub on your nipples let it air dry, apply some Lanolinafter nursing. STAY focused while nursing. Be sure to get your daughter latched on correctly and keep her latched on correctly. Also be sure to hold her close to you. I would get tired or distracted after bit and find myself loosening my hold on her (and my breast) which made it more difficult for her to stay latched properly - especially at night. If all this doesn't work look into the Le Leche League. Good Luck!

First and for most you poor women!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would get a breastfeeding consultant to help you to make sure everything is okay and then to help you get back on track! I know they have a few at st. john west shore hospital if you call they can set you up with an appointment I'm pretty sure it is free but I would make sure to ask! The one i spoke with her name was Pat and for the life of me i can't recall her last name all i can think of is B something sorry. If you call they will know who she is she's been doing it foe like 30 some years and has 4 or 5 kids of her own and she nursed them all! Good luck and try some lanolin to help the healing!!!

Hi T.,

I had a heck of time with nursing too when my son was that age. It turns out I had a yeast infection that developed in a crack in my nipple. Part of the problem was that my son was not latching on correctly. You may want to experiment with different positions to see if that offers any relief. I would also contact the lactation specialist at Riverside. They went through a list of symptoms with me to determine that I did in fact have a yeast infection. It was treated with a topical ointment and a one time pill that I took that is also used to treat vaginal yeast infections. I also had to give my son some oral medication which he liked! If you do have a yeast infection, contact your daughters doc. and insist they treat her as well. She may have yeast in her mouth with no visible symptoms. It's pointless to just treat one of you. I too felt very strong about nursing and fought through all of that and eventually it got less and less painful. Hang in there! Hope this helps.

C.

Don't feel too guilty about the bottle. I have nursed all 4 of my boys and each time brought a new challange. Sometimes the baby isn't sucking on the nipple just right, and like one of my kids they are just viscious eaters. And watch out when they start breaking teeth in. That hurts more than a blister ever would. If- they bite you.
Anyways there is a lanolin cream that hepls keep the nipple moisturized and going without a bra really helps too. Other than that, you might just ahve to grin and bear it.
Kathi

You should definitely see someone about this. Your daughter is already 3 1/2 months. See a lactation consultant or get help at a La Leche League meeting. Usually, the problem can be corrected by good positioning. Make sure that when you nurse, the baby's head, neck, and spine are aligned. Make sure your baby's nose can touch the breast. Change positions frequently to get the sore part into a different part of the baby's mouth. If this doesn't work, have the baby checked for a short frenulum by your pediatrician. It can be snipped and make a world of difference. I've heard the pain is like getting ears pierced and not that traumatic.

I agree with the other moms- definately ask the Dr. I breastfeed both of my kids and after about a month my nipples "toughened up" There is a cream - I think it is put out by the LeLeche league- I know they have it at Wal-mart and it comes in a purple tube- it is wonderful- and all natural so if there is some on your nipple it won't hurt the baby (she may not like the taste though) The other hint I was given was from my nurse mid-wife she said after nursing squeeze a little milk out and rub it in and let your nipples air dry- the enzyme in the milk is softening and healing and is natures way of helping the soreness- and letting "the girls" air out is always helpful--- good luck and good for you for breastfeeding- I remember everytime it hurt just reminding myself what a great thing it was for my baby- don't worry you'll get through this!!