For the last couple weeks or so I have noticed that my breastbone HURTS when I wake up! It is a really sharp, stabbing pain that feels like it is in the bone right in the middle of my chest. Usually it's worse if Im engorged (My DD is finally sleeping through the night, and my supply hasn't adjusted yet...) It started out only being once in a while... but lately it has been getting more and more regular, and more severe! I will wake up and it hurts bad enough that I have to lay there and "will it away" before I can move. It usually goes away within 5 minutes of me waking up, which seems really weird to me. I wonder if I might be sleeping in a new position to avoid the pain from engorgement, but my fiance says that I am sleeping in the same position as I always have...? blegh. Has anyone ever had this? I can't really afford to go to the doctor unless it's an emergency (no insurance... we have medicaid for my daughter, but that doesn't do me any good! There is a cheaper clinic we could use, but that is still money we could spend on other things we really need...) Any thoughts would help. :)
EDIT~my breasts themselves don't hurt... it's the bone right in the middle of my chest, in that spot where your ribs meet up. It sucks, and it's been getting worse. (now it will also hurt randomly during the day)
Does it just happen in the morning or has it happened at different times? I had a pain like this when my daughter was 2 months old and I thought it was from me breastfeeding. Turns out, I had to have my gallbladder removed. I had a strange pain and it felt like it was in my chest area and back. Hopefully you are just sleeping different and will get better soon. Good luck.
Just looked a few things up online....
possibilities:
1) heartburn
2) weight of engorged breasts is pressing on or inflaming a nerve
3) clogged milk duct which irritates a nerve that runs across the sternum
4) stress fracture of the sternum (actually found a website post describing one new mom who had a difficult / long pushing time in delivery and she cracked her sternum. Sounds bad, but I don't think there's anything you can do for a stress fracture in a sternum. It's like a toe---you can't put it in a cast.
Try ibuprofen before bed and the methods for clearing a clogged milk duct (below) and see if it gets better in a couple days before going to the doctor.
Clogged milk duct...I get them frequently. If this is the case, you'll want to get rid of it (via heat, sleep, breast compressions, massaging, looking for a bleb) b/c the infection could lead to mastitis - which is not the end of the world, but often involves antibiotics, which for me lead to yeast infections on my breast - which was also easy to treat (once I got the prescription for the cream), but not fun to deal with.
I had a pain on the left side of my right breast when my baby was about 3 months old. It turned out to be mastitis. I got to it pretty early so it never got bad but it did hurt. It had a tiny lump that was R. and inflammed. They gave me antibiotics and it was good with in a day. Hopefully it's just that going on with you. Or that your duct is clogged. I would get it looked at before it gets worse. If it gets too bad you might have to stop nursing. This IS something you need and need to spend your money on. Make payments if you have to.
You really should get it checked out. I have that type of pain it is caused from Arthritis you might try Ibuprofen if you can take that type of thing and also put very warm wash cloths on the area. I hope you find out what it is and get some relief.
Kay
Do try sleeping in a new position (on your back is best) to see if that helps. Just because you have been sleeping in the same position as you had pre-child doesn't really matter. Your body is different now so you may have to rearrange things, so to speak.
Hope you feel better soon.
Hello! Sorry to hear you are experiencing these problems. Yes, I have had the same type of pain and it was Costochondritis. You might want to read about it on the internet. It can be very very painful. Take care!
