Bleeding, Blistered Nipple -- Any Advice?

[mollyclose]

Hello,

I am frantically attempting to breastfeed my soon-to-be six week old daughter; it has been one challenge after another, from supply (not enough) to latch (all wrong) to lots of pain when feeding (flat nipples). I think we pretty much have it on the left side--she latches well (finally!) and I believe she is getting plenty of milk each feeding. I have been struggling with the latch on the right side; an LC friend had me hold her in a clutch hold, but it was tearing up my nipples. I finally got the hang of the reverse-cradle hold on that side, and it seemed to help, but my nipple is taking a dive again-- really busted up, blistered, bleeding, etc. I can't tell if the latch is correct or not because the damage to the nipple is causing so much pain when I put her on.

Today, I am pumping the bad side and feeding her the expressed milk, nursing her alternately on my good side (she only takes one breast per feed anyway -- her choice). I am applying Mother Love Nipple cream before and after pumping, and have started using a breast shell with the vent on it to try to get some air circulation (was using clean cotton nursing pad after each feed, but it started sticking to the wound and would remove portions of flesh each time I tried to take it off to pump...yuck!).

Does anyone have any idea how long this will take to heal? Am I doing the right thing? I will reevaluate latch after I can get this mess healed up -- like I said, I know it is what caused the problem initially, but right now it is so painfully blistered and bleeding that I can't tell what is what when I try to put her on.

Any suggestions/hope for me to cling to? Thanks!

[Doberbrat]

btdt and it was no fun.

when that happened to me, I went to an LC to prescribed APNO (all purpose nipple ointment) it was expensive but did the trick.

varying positions every nursing sessions helped quite a bit.

it also turned out I had thrush - which the LC was able to dx.

I also had to be careful to wipe off any excess ointment before nursing b/c they'd cause baby to 'slide' and loose her latch. and, any artificial nipple caused her to get a sloppy latch - very difficult b/c I'd want to pump and bottle feed b/c of the pain but couldnt.

it DOES get better - you're almost over the hump- we went on to be able to have a LONG (3.5y) nursing career after those hellish first months.

[paulamc]

FYI, you can see what the APNO is if you go to www.drjacknewman.com The APNO needs to be mixed at a compound pharmacy. I've used it and found it to be extremely helpful, especially when I had thrush.

Jack Newman's site is very good. Have you looked up sore nipples there? Also, kellymom.com is really excellent. I believe she suggests saline soaks for cracked sore nipples. Check these sites out, though it sounds like you've got a good system going, and you probably have good resources already.

Good luck!

[APToddlerMama]

Yes, APNO was the best thing ever!! You do need a compounding pharmacy to make it. My LC told me to mix neosporin and hydrocortisone together, and that also helped a lot. I also dealt with bleeding/cracks/blisters/mastitis/thrush/reynauds...life in hell for a couple of months for me. I kept at it and it all got much better though, especially with the APNO. Have you tried Soothies? You can cut them in half or in quarters depending on the size of your nipple. I try to be a "natural" mama, but everything went straight out the window when I was first nursing and I didn't care what I used as long as I could keep nursing. Try a new LC...I went through three and it was worth it. good luck!

[tjlucca]

DD and I had a horrible time in the beginning too. Low supply, mastitis, poor latch (or no latch). I was pumping full time for awhile. I got her back on with nipple shields and used Earth Mama Angel Baby nipple butter which I LOVED. It helped soothe my cracked bleeding nipples. Also, it tastes like Olive Oil, so DD didn't mind at all. Best wishes Mama, hang in there. It'll get better.