recurring bleb...any tips?

[clutterbug]

I have my second bleb in two weeks in the exact same location.  DD still has a bit of a shallow latch (she's 9 weeks old) and there is occasional compression of my nipple right in the spot where the bleb is recurring.  I have already stopped wearing bras that don't have loads of room in them, and am trying to go braless as much as possible at home in case that is contributing.  Right now I am soaking in hot epsom bath when I can.  Have tried to open the bleb again with a sterilized needle (ohhhh, so not pleasant) but so far no luck with that.  I have Jack Newman's nipple ointment, and also have been using olive oil on a cotton pad in my bra (something I read on kellymom when I was dealing with a bleb with my last baby).

Anyway, I am doing all the stuff I am supposed to be doing...now I'm wondering if others have dealt with this and had other tips I might not be trying yet.  2 in 2 weeks is a little frustrating, and I am worried I am just going to keep cycling back and forth for a while. Blech.  Maybe soaking every night, whether there's a bleb there or not, might help?

Any and all input welcome, thanks so much!

[MindfulBirth]

It sounds like you already know how to take care of the bleb and recognize that the shallow latch is causing it.  Have you tried different nursing positions (including Biological Nurturing)?  Do you feel that you have a forceful letdown and your baby is compressing and moving to a more shallow latch position as a defensive move against the strong flow?   If so, use a more babe-on-top position to let gravity help you out, or pump/express your breast prior to feeding just enough to get the milk ejection reflex to let down into a bottle/cup/bowl rather than in your baby's mouth.

I'm sure you also know to let the baby stay on one side until she is finished.

Hope these resolve quickly for you.

[clutterbug]

Thanks for your reply :)  I do have a fairly fast letdown, I think, although she seems able to keep up (maybe because of the shallow latch!).  Other positions are not so successful for us, the nipple on that side is oddly shaped and can be tough to work with...we had issues just getting her to latch at all in the first couple of weeks (including many many many attempts at laid-back nursing, which I really wanted to do this time around.  It just didn't work out, though, she would get incredibly frustrated and scream and refuse to latch.  I might try again now that she's a nursing pro :P).  I will try leaning backward, though, when she's nursing to let gravity slow things a bit.

[teraze]

If you change nursing position and collect the milk from a fast let-down and you're still experiencing the bleb, you may want to explore taking lecithin (I think it's 2 tbsp/day or you can get a caplet).  Alternatively, you may want to soak a cotton ball in vinegar and place it in your bra or tight-ish shirt - the vinegar is supposed to help break down the calcium deposits that *may* be causing the bleb.

I haven't needed to take these steps...I poked my bleb with a sterilized needle from the side, and that did it for me.  But I have heard the above tips can help.  Good luck!

[clutterbug]

Thanks, I will try those - I knew about lecithin and was thinking about trying that next, but I might do the vinegar first (as long as it doesn't sting - I tried opening it again tonight to get the white stuff out!! Might have to wait for it to heal a wee bit before sticking mild acid on it!).  Luckily no milk is getting backed up because the duct itself is open, but there is still a white head on the top of it.  Argh!

[MindfulBirth]

Alternatively, you can also use olive oil on a cotton ball in your bra.