Help! Cracked nipples and jaundice

[DCMama01]

I am 3 days PP with my first in a family of formula feeders so I have nobody to reach out to.

My daughter is 3 days old and I've been BFing her since birth (I say it like that's a long time! lol). It's been painful from the start. She sucks very hard so I don't know that she's the problem. My birth assistant/doula told me to make sure her body is at the same level as my nipple and that has helped some, but they're still sore as hell from before.

Also, the pediatrician says she's slightly jaundiced, so to BF and sit her in the sun as much as possible. Well there's little, if any, sunlight coming into my condo due to the seasons and BFing is painful.

I'd appreciate any help! We have to take her to the hospital tomorrow for PKU testing and I don't want her jaundice to worsen to the point where she has to stay overnight (she was born at home).

Oh, FYI, she falls asleep while nursing usually, is that ok?

[Noel_P]

I don't have any advise on the jaundice, sorry about that! But for the cracked nipples, I had that terrible! I actually scrapped my nipple with the edge of my ID bracelet while trying to get my nightgown off over my head to take a shower the day we left the hospital. OMG it was horrible, my nipple was bleeding from it. The nurse gave me these gelatin pads that are used for burn victims and they were the best thing I'd ever felt. I was only able to get them at the hospital, so I'm not sure if you can get any... but a close second are those Soothies gel packs that you can refrigerate. They helped a lot also. Good luck and just keep trying, the pain WILL go away and you are in for a beautiful experience nursing your sweet little one

ETA - Oh, and also, after each session express a little milk and spread it around your nipple. BM has some amazing healing powers and it will do wonders for you...

[bajamergrrl]

Congrats on new LO and the start of your bf relationship. I had cracked nipples and blisters when my DS snd I first started out. Get some Lansinoh lanolin for your nippes. It helped me tremendously. Can you get in touch with a lactation consultant or LLL leader to check your LO's latch? You're both learning so it's not uncommon to need some help with that. Here are some videos that might be helpful http://www.nbci.ca/index.php?option=...id=6&Itemid=13

As far as jaundice, I can only tell you that breastfeeding a lot helps. Getting indirect sunlight will help. Is there a window you can stand or sit by while you bf? Maybe someone else will give you better ideas about how to handle that during fall. Here are resources on jaundice http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns...-jaundice.html

[tayndrewsmama]

You might want to try Earth Mama Angel Baby's Nipple Butter. It's the best I have found. Another thing is that my nipple pain was the worst, by far, with my first. Some of it is just an adjustment period that your body is going to have to go through in the beginning. You might also like the EMAB Booby Tubes. They stay cold longer than anything else does either and are much more comfortable than plastic ones. It will all pass soon enough and be a distant memory.

[tayndrewsmama]

Oh...do you know anyone who has a lightbox? My mom's office has one and I borrowed it for a bit. That should help if you can get your hands on one. I am pretty sure you wouldn't want to buy one if you don't have to.

[DCMama01]

First, thanks for even responding and offering suggestions. I'm taking notes. The Lansinoh lanolin sounds familiar, so I might have some in the closet from my baby shower.

I'll contact the local LLL tomorrow morning. (This just gave me an idea. I'll ask if there are any LCs when we get to the hospital tomorrow that I could talk to.)

About to watch the video...