Cracked nipple

[blastomom]

Any suggestions on how to speed healing of a cracked nipple? At least that's what I think it is. I began over a month ago with occasional sharp pains on one side of my nipple, and a few weeks ago I noticed irritation and a small scab on the spot. DS is nearly 2 and I haven't had any BFing issues up until this point. I've been trying to air it out and then keep it covered with lanolin and I've cut ds's nursing on that side down to 1-2 times a day, but it still hasn't healed properly. Anybody have a magic cure?

[momileigh]

Am I nuts to think this could be thrush?

[blastomom]

Hmm, I had only ever thought about thrush in younger babies. What should I look for? Would thrush cause a scab (it's about the size of the back end of a straight pin)?

[blastomom]

Oh, BTW, I am newly pg w/#2, but this all started a few weeks before I concieved. Needless to say, this pain, coupled with the regular pg boob soreness just about have me at my wit's end.

[TurboClaudia]

the pains down the side of your nipple also make me wonder if it's thrush. you might have very mild other symptoms, like pink nipples and a craving for carbohydrate foods, baked goods, or sweets, but nothing else other than the pain. your toddler might also have little to no symptoms showing but still carry the yeast.

since treatment is not harmful, you could simply try treating and see if the pain diminishes and goes away within a few days. we used gentian violet the first time, but found more success with citricidal grapefruit seed extract liquid during subsequent times. www.drjaygordon.com has more info about treating candida/thrush/yeast this way.

and when you say scab, is it dark colored like a bloody scab would be? or is it whitish or yellowish? because if it's whitish/yellowish, it could be what i think is called a bleb. i've heard it can hurt a lot, but to expell it and keep expelling it when it appears. it usually happens at the end of a milk duct on the nipple and is almost like a pimple. i haven't personally experienced one or even seen one, so if someone has experience with this, please correct me.

~claudia

[cynotgirl]

i had thrush, and it's incredibally painful when baby latches on. If that's the worst pain, it may be thrush, if the pain is more while nursing, perhaps an infection? I would suggest checking in w/ a LLL or a lactation consultant. I went to our family doc who told me to slather my nipple with athlete's foot cream -- yeah, right!: He was an idiot. I went to the lactation consultant at our hospital who helped me out. In the mean time, if you need to, take motrin. Continue to keep your nipple as dry as you can, if it is thrush, the yeast thrives in moisture.

Ellie barely had any symptoms of thrush, but I treated her, too.

[momileigh]

My midwife had a raging case of thrush when her daughter was 18 months old. Although she had treated plenty of women for thrush, it didn't occur to her that she had it, because her daughter was so much older. She ended up going to a doctor who diagnosed thrush, and she was quite humbled when he asked her what she did for a living.

Let us know if you treat for thrush and if that seems to work!

[velveeta]

please, please consider B6!

Originally Posted by blastomom

Oh, BTW, I am newly pg w/#2, but this all started a few weeks before I concieved. Needless to say, this pain, coupled with the regular pg boob soreness just about have me at my wit's end.

I could have written your post! I had your same symptoms: older nursling, cracked nipple, would scab over. Terrible pain!! I got it about two months before I became pregnant, and it seemed a little better for a few days (we were on vacation, and DS hardly nursed). It just wouldn't heal. I tried soothies, going without a bra, lanolin, nystatin, you *name* it. I was at my wit's end, too.

Let me give you my secret weapon. I am taking B6 (50 mg). I did a little research and determined that women who are slightly deficient in B6 can have more nipple troubles because they need the B6 to promote the "building blocks" of strong nipple tissue.

After taking it for just a few days, I already started to feel so much better. And I think that even though there was tons of pain, this has been a valuable lesson for me because the B6 is going to help my body grow this baby that I am pregnant with. I had terrible nausea with DS#1, and I wonder if I haven't been kind of borderline deficient all along (4 or more years).

Like you, I really never had any breastfeeding issues before this, and I literally tried *everything*. I saw a lactation consultant and a midwife, and the LC thought it was that my milk was naturally decreasing so DS was sucking harder (he's 3) and that his strong suck was damaging the tissue. Her suggestion was to limit nursing. The midwife thought a yeast infection. I mean, I supplement with large amounts of lactobacillus acidophilus, plus I have a diet low in sugar, so I didn't think so, but what else could it be?

About this time, I found a website that discussed B6 deficiency and nipple problems. It was so hard to find anything that related to a "pro" breastfeeder and not a beginner, you know? And prenatals and multis only have about 6 mg of B6, so you wouldn't normally be covered there. I think that 100 mg of B6 is kind of the generally accepted upper limit in a day.

So, I really recommend it for you. Additionally, I am not having really any morning sickness this time. (I am 6 weeks). Just a little queasiness when I don't eat every couple of hours. I was ragingly nauseous with DS. :Puke

I really hope this helps you. I was so bad off I thought I was going to have to wean DS, which was making me depressed! I am so happy now that I know that weaning is going to be DS's choice.

[Lousli]

I almost could have written your post! But here is where mine is a little different. I did have thrush, and have been treating it, and the pain has lessened considerably (whew!) but I had what I thought was a bleb or milk blister. So I tried to squeeze the milk out and ended up breaking the skin. Now I have an open spot, and it is right where my daughter's teeth hit (OUCH) when she latches on. I have been trying lanolin, soothies, working on her latch, but nothing seems to help. Added to this problem is the fact that my daughter will only nursed on this side, so every single time she nurses (and it is often) it is incredibly painful. I'm going to try the B6 after reading here, but any other ideas would be appreciated!!

[blastomom]

Okay, you have convinced me! I'm off to the corner chemist.

"and when you say scab, is it dark colored like a bloody scab would be? or is it whitish or yellowish? because if it's whitish/yellowish, it could be what i think is called a bleb."

Hmmm. The scab is dark, but if memory serves, it did start out just like you described. I remember thinking it was a little whitehead or something, though nothing ever came out of it--and trying to "get" it was super painful.

[MaryJaneLouise]

Originally Posted by blastomom

Hmmm. The scab is dark, but if memory serves, it did start out just like you described. I remember thinking it was a little whitehead or something, though nothing ever came out of it--and trying to "get" it was super painful.

Info on a milk bleb or blister:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/nipplebleb.html

[blastomom]

Originally Posted by momileigh

Am I nuts to think this could be thrush?

momileigh and the rest of you all ROCK! I've been treating with grapefruit seed extract and taking B6 (which I think is helping my morning sickness too!) and have been pain free for a day and a half! Okay, I still have that "Ouch! I'm pg and nursing a toddler" pain, but the intense latch-on pain and nasty post-nursing shooting/throbbing pain is gone! You gals are the best!