What would you do about nursing your 18 month old child and you have a cracked and bleeding nipple?

[enchantinglysimple]

My daughter is 18 months old and has been nursing exclusively since she was born. We had a few issues in the first couple months like usual but they all worked out mainly just sore nipples from learning to latch her on the right and oversupply problems.

Anyhow I have been been gradually weaning her and I have got her down to naptime and bedtime and throughout the night if she wakes. I have been unlatching her when she is nearly asleep and sometimes when pulling her off gently it's pulled a bit too much on my nipple . My one nipple has become tender and today I noticed it has cracked on the underside and is slightly bleeding. I would like to gradually finish her off but it is hurting quite a bit and the last thing I feel like doing on the left side is nurse. So my  question is what should I do?

Any help you could give me would be much appreciated! Thanks a bunch.

[enchantinglysimple]

Any Ideas??

[Anna Phor]

This is just brainstorming, but nobody else had replied! So I hope some of this is helpful!

For wounded nipples I've found all purpose nipple ointment to be the best healer, if you can get it (my lc has it). I've also used neosporin in a pinch--but refrained from nursing on that side for 8-9 hours (but I woh, so I get a break). Could you take a break for a day or so on that side and pump? or even hand express, so that you don't get clogged ducts? 

Also, when she unlatches, do you pop a finger in her mouth to break suction rather than just popping the nipple out?

[CheriK]

Ouch!  No fun. 

Can you nurse on only one side to let that nipple heal?  If needed, you can hand-express milk to keep from getting engorged.  Your toddler can probably understand that she can't nurse on that breast for a day or two because "Mommy has a boo-boo."  Luckily, injured nipples tend to heal quickly.

Simply rubbing your milk into the wound will help it heal quickly.  If you have some lanolin around, that will help as well.

If you absolutely cannot stop nursing on that side for a day or two, try to find positions that avoid her chin or nose pointing toward the crack.  That will put less stress on the tissue so it can continue to heal more quickly.

[averlee]

If your daughter is not yet taking solids (you said exclusively breastfed) then I don't guess weaning is a good idea? Or I must have misunderstood that part.

For nipple injury, the book I have says do not break the suction manually or remove the infant from the breast, instead let the baby just "fall off" until the sore is healed. Also you can use aloe vera (but tastes bad, rinse off), lanolin, or olive oil to aid the healing.