Ouch! No fun at all. I don't think trying to open it was necessarily a bad idea, but you do now have an open wound that needs to heal. Washing it with mild soap at least once a day will help prevent infection. Your milk is antibacterial, so rubbing a bit of mik into the nipple can also protect. Applying lanolin after every nursing will help with moist wound healing. If you can get a physician to write a script for it, Jack Newman's APNO would be a really good option right now (http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/candidiaprotocalpdf.pdf).
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Was it clear or white? Clear blisters on the nipple are usually due to nipple trauma, not a clogged pore (usually called a "bleb", sometimes a milk blister) or a blocked duct, which will look like a white spot. If it was a clear blister, then really looking at your DS's latch is a good idea, otherwise he's going to keep causing trauma. These usually happen when baby has a shallow latch and is putting pressure on the end of the nipple. Laid-back positioning may help.
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Are you able to express milk from that pore? Maybe soak in a hot bath and hand express to see if milk is flowing. If you did have a bleb as opposed to a blister, there might be a plug further back in your breast. Now that it's open, you'll want to try and clear it.Â
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Have you tried varying your DS's position to see if you can find one that's less painful? You might also try the reverse of what you've been doing for a few days - nurse him on that side when he's less hungry, so his suck will be less strong and (hopefully!) less painful. If pumping is less painful, and you feel like you need a break, then nursing on the other side for a few days and pumping this side isn't necessarily a bad idea. Just make sure you're not causing more trauma with the pump (if your nipples are rubbing against the side of the flange, you need a larger size!). You don't say how old your DS is, but clearly more than 2 months, so by now your supply is established and will rebound from any drops due to pumping only for a short time.Â
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It also might be a good idea to request a referral to a breastfeeding-friendly dermatologist. An underlying infection (staph infections are common) can cause blebs that won't heal, as can other dermatological conditions (you mention having had thrush in the past). In this case, proper treatment will help it heal faster.
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Some other ideas:
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* One lactation consultant recommends castor oil hot packs. Soak a cloth in castor oil, microwave until as warm as tolerable and apply to the nipple for about 20 minutes, several times daily. Castor oil may help decrease inflammation more than the olive oil (although I have always heard of using olive oil myself)
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* My own midwife recommends potato compresses for nipple blebs, plugged ducts, and mastitis. Grate a raw potato, skin and all. Microwave a wet cloth (a cloth diaper works well). Place the grated potato on the affected area, cover with the hot cloth, compress for 20 minutes.Â
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* Some mothers feel that grapefruit seed extract (reference: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/nipplebleb.html) helps with recurrent blebs. It is also often recommended for treatment of thrush, so if it works this might indicate an underlying Candida overgrowth. In this case, taking a daily probiotic supplement might help. Also, reducing saturated fat and sugars in the diet may be helpful.
