I'm currently tandem nursing my 6-month old and my 2.5+ year old, and I'm having a big problem with my right nipple.
I first noticed a few weeks ago that it sort of hurt when DS1 nursed on that side. That was usual his side at night and DS2 got the left side. At first I blamed DS1, thinking he must have been latching poorly in his sleep or using his teeth or something, so I switched them for a while. Then I noticed it was sore when DS2 nursed too. After a few days, it became absolutely intolerable so in the middle of the night I just stopped nursing on that side. When I woke up (this was a week or so ago), naturally I was a little engorged but I saw that my nipple looked really bad. It looked like I had a bruise or blood blister or something all along the edge of the nipple on the underside, and a crack or two closer to the center. I decided that for the day, I wouldn't nurse on that side at all, to allow it to heal, and I would just pump. Well, pumping was also very painful and the irritation got worse. I ended up deciding to just manually express on that side, which is not as effective for me and my breast still felt very heavy and full, and I was worried about getting mastitis. By the next morning, I was able to nurse DS2 and it felt a lot better, and looked better too. So I thought I was healed. For the past week or so I've only let DS2 nurse on that side, and DS1 only gets the left.
Well, the pain started up again a day or so and now it's all red again. It looks like a blood blister, or a bruise, or a hickey or something. Both of my boys have textbook-perfect latches so I don't know what it could be. I called my LLL leader when it first happened, who also happens to be a doctor specializing in breast health, and she had said that she suspected one of them must have bit me or something. She said if it didn't get better within a day or if it got worse, to call my doctor just in case of infection. Since it did get better after a day the last time, I didn't call. Now I'm worried I should. But I have a few concerns. One, we have a super-high-deductible on our health insurance with an HSA, but my husband's only been at his job a few months so there's not a lot of money in our HSA yet and I'm trying to save it in case one of the kids get sick. Secondly, it's always a pain in the butt going to the doctor with the baby and the 2year old, though my husband did say he could probably come home and watch them. Lastly, I feel like there's nothing the doctor will be able to tell me. It's not like she can magically wave a wand over my nipple and it will heal. I have to either nurse or pump to avoid mastitis and to keep my supply up, nothing the doctor can say will change that. I don't want to go through all the trouble just to be told tricks I already know (like Lansinoh, airing the breast out between feedings, rubbing a little milk on the nipple, etc.). Plus, I don't know if I should call my family doctor who is a female and awesome and located close by with convenient parking or my midwife who is a bit farther and I have to pay to park.
OK that's everything I think. Anyone ever had anything like this? Neither of the LLL leaders I spoke to had ever heard of anything like it. Any tips or remedies I might not know about? Or, should I call my doctor/midwife? Maybe I'll try calling a lactation consultant first.
Thanks in advance for any replies.
I first noticed a few weeks ago that it sort of hurt when DS1 nursed on that side. That was usual his side at night and DS2 got the left side. At first I blamed DS1, thinking he must have been latching poorly in his sleep or using his teeth or something, so I switched them for a while. Then I noticed it was sore when DS2 nursed too. After a few days, it became absolutely intolerable so in the middle of the night I just stopped nursing on that side. When I woke up (this was a week or so ago), naturally I was a little engorged but I saw that my nipple looked really bad. It looked like I had a bruise or blood blister or something all along the edge of the nipple on the underside, and a crack or two closer to the center. I decided that for the day, I wouldn't nurse on that side at all, to allow it to heal, and I would just pump. Well, pumping was also very painful and the irritation got worse. I ended up deciding to just manually express on that side, which is not as effective for me and my breast still felt very heavy and full, and I was worried about getting mastitis. By the next morning, I was able to nurse DS2 and it felt a lot better, and looked better too. So I thought I was healed. For the past week or so I've only let DS2 nurse on that side, and DS1 only gets the left.
Well, the pain started up again a day or so and now it's all red again. It looks like a blood blister, or a bruise, or a hickey or something. Both of my boys have textbook-perfect latches so I don't know what it could be. I called my LLL leader when it first happened, who also happens to be a doctor specializing in breast health, and she had said that she suspected one of them must have bit me or something. She said if it didn't get better within a day or if it got worse, to call my doctor just in case of infection. Since it did get better after a day the last time, I didn't call. Now I'm worried I should. But I have a few concerns. One, we have a super-high-deductible on our health insurance with an HSA, but my husband's only been at his job a few months so there's not a lot of money in our HSA yet and I'm trying to save it in case one of the kids get sick. Secondly, it's always a pain in the butt going to the doctor with the baby and the 2year old, though my husband did say he could probably come home and watch them. Lastly, I feel like there's nothing the doctor will be able to tell me. It's not like she can magically wave a wand over my nipple and it will heal. I have to either nurse or pump to avoid mastitis and to keep my supply up, nothing the doctor can say will change that. I don't want to go through all the trouble just to be told tricks I already know (like Lansinoh, airing the breast out between feedings, rubbing a little milk on the nipple, etc.). Plus, I don't know if I should call my family doctor who is a female and awesome and located close by with convenient parking or my midwife who is a bit farther and I have to pay to park.
OK that's everything I think. Anyone ever had anything like this? Neither of the LLL leaders I spoke to had ever heard of anything like it. Any tips or remedies I might not know about? Or, should I call my doctor/midwife? Maybe I'll try calling a lactation consultant first.
Thanks in advance for any replies.
