Pain while breastfeeding- what is it?

[zen_monster]

For the past week or so I have had a lot of pain in my left breast when my 19 mo old latches on- I have none of the signs of mastitis so I can't figure out wat it is or how to get rid of it.

I experience the pain only when he latches on (he is latching correctly) and it goes away when he settles in to nursing, and I also experience it when he unlatches.

There are no visible signs of cracked nipples, no engorgement or inflammation. I believe the pain started after he was sick and nursed constantly for several days. The pain is located only in the nipple but is not tender to the touch- it only hurts as he starts to nurse.

Has anyone experienced this and, if so, how did you treat it?

TIA

[TurboClaudia]

thrush? (aka candida or yeast) baby may not have symptoms (the most telltale is chunky white patches in the mouth that don't wipe away) and mom may only have pain at nursing as a symptom (other symptoms can include pink and/or shiny nipples, cravings for sweet things or white flour products, vaginal yeast infection)

see www.drjaygordon.com for more info and ways to treat it that don't require a prescription and are often timesmore effective than prescription medications.

sending you pain-free nursing vibes...

~claudia

[zen_monster]

Originally Posted by TurboClaudia

thrush? (aka candida or yeast) baby may not have symptoms (the most telltale is chunky white patches in the mouth that don't wipe away) and mom may only have pain at nursing as a symptom (other symptoms can include pink and/or shiny nipples, cravings for sweet things or white flour products, vaginal yeast infection)

see www.drjaygordon.com for more info and ways to treat it that don't require a prescription and are often timesmore effective than prescription medications.

sending you pain-free nursing vibes...

~claudia

Thanks for the vibes Claudia I don't, and the baby doesn't, have any signs of thrush. I'll take a look at the link tho- always interested in non-pharmaceutical treatments

[TurboClaudia]

do your nipples blanche white after nursing? maybe raynaud's syndrome (vasospasm of the nipples)? http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/...blanching.html

~claudia

[zen_monster]

Originally Posted by TurboClaudia

do your nipples blanche white after nursing? maybe raynaud's syndrome (vasospasm of the nipples)? http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/...blanching.html

~claudia

Nope.... and the mystery (and the pain) continues :

[gethane]

I don't know if our problems are similar, since your child is so much older, well not that much really, however, I posted something with some similarities.

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...57#post6623957

[chlobo]

I'm going through the exact same thing. DD has had a cold for the past week and has been nursing like a fiend and my nipples are killing me. Left moreso than right. I've been wondering if its just an overuse injury or something worse like thrush. However, I don't have any other symptoms. My period is due in a day or two so perhaps its related to that.

[zen_monster]

Originally Posted by chlobo

I'm going through the exact same thing. DD has had a cold for the past week and has been nursing like a fiend and my nipples are killing me. Left moreso than right. I've been wondering if its just an overuse injury or something worse like thrush. However, I don't have any other symptoms. My period is due in a day or two so perhaps its related to that.

Chlobo- my nipple symptoms : started a few days after my son was getting over a cold as well and was nursing constantly. So, maybe it is an "overuse" injury. This is his favorite boob tho, so how does it get better if he doesn't give it a break!