cracked nipples

[momtomy4pack]

I need help.  My three week old baby is killing my nipples.  They are cracked and every time she latches on it hurts so bad!  There's never enough time for them to heal in between feedings before I have to feed her again so that every time she nurses it just re-opens the wounds and hurts like hell all over again.

I've tried lanolin, hyrdo gel pads, expressing breast milk on them and letting them dry.  Please tell me what I can do to heal them up so that I can feed her better.  As it is I dread feeding her every time and put it off a little because I know how badly it's going to hurt.

Someone please tell me you know how to cure this problem...instantly, would be nice.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[lifeguard]

Have you had anyone (like a lactation consultant) have a look at your latch? They still will take some time to heal once you get the latch right but if the latch is off you are damaging them again each time. You could try contacting your local la leche group.

[greenmama66]

have u checked to see if she has tongue tie? I just experienced this with my 6th and we got it clipped on day 4 postpartum- my nipples were sore and cracked.

[foreverinbluejeans]

Lanolin, creams, nipple shields, & gel pads can make cracked nipples worse. I agree that it would be good to have someone evaluate the baby's latch. If your baby has had even one bottle or pacifier it can mess up the way the baby suckles. Try not wearing a bra at all, not putting anything on your nipples at all except breastmilk (no soap when you shower), wearing loose tops so nothing is rubbing your nipples, and as much bed rest as possible. I know bed rest sounds extreme but it forces you to reduce stress and allows your body to have a chance to heal.  

[stephbrownthinks]

I had the same problem with my son. It got so bad that blood would pour out of his mouth when he nursed. I DREADED feedings. Nothing helped, although using the breast pump right before the feeding helped a little. Finally I ended up with mastitis because the cracks got so bad.The mastitis ended up turning into breast abceses that had to be surgically drained. I kept asking the midwife about the latch and it looked fine to her. FINALLY after 5 weeks (which was when I got the abcesses) I met with an IBCLC who changed our world. Waiting so long to see her is a huge regret of mine. I could have spent those first 5 weeks enjoying my baby instead of crying over the pain! He had a posterior tongue tie that we decided not to do anything about since he was already so old. He would also start off with an alright latch, but then slip into a bad one. She showed us all sorts of tricks. Also I used a nipple shield until my nipples finally healed. Definitely worth meeting with an expert!

[kayjay]

Ah, I've been where you are twice. 

My first was due to a submucosal tongue tie (posterior), and getting it clipped helped. I used antibiotic ointment (or newman's APNO) after each feeding. He was clipped at 8 weeks, I healed up by 10 or 11 weeks. 

My second wasn't tongue tied, but just had a really strong suck and gave me blisters/sores starting the first day. I again used lanolin and antibiotic ointment, and put a nursing pad on to protect my bra. Everything resolved by the time he was 2 - 3 weeks old.

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. If your baby is 3 weeks old and your pain is getting worse, not better, I'd definitely suspect some sort of tongue tie.