[JBasel27]

hey girls, i need some serious help. i have never posted on here before, but could definitely use the support

i am exclusively breastfeeding and my lo is 6 weeks today. i was noticing a little tenderness on my left nipple the last few days and then yesterday it got redish/purplish. it kinda looks like a little blood blister. it is on the side of my nipple and changing positions has helped with the pain but it is still excruciating when my lo nurses on that side, mostly during latching, then the pain eases during nursing. any ideas as to what could have caused it? my lo has a good latch, he sort of favors that breast so maybe the extra nursing on it? i believe we might have been on a growth spurt the past few days.

i thought everything got easier at 6 weeks, not started going down hill? maybe it was rubbing on my pump (i pump twice a day for a freezer/return to school stash)?

please help girls, i am about to have my hubby give my lo a bottle to relieve me of nursing on that side that's how bad the pain is.

 

[LLaura]

Have you tried starting the feed on the non-blistered side for a few feeds? This may give you some relief. Usually it's good to rotate which side you start on, but if you're ready to give up, it wouldn't hurt to start nursing on that un-sore side for at least a few feeds. The rationale is that the stronger sucking is at the beginning of the feeding, they're aren't as hungry once they get to the second side.....You could also pump that side instead of nursing for at least a few feeds IF pumping is more comfortable.
This doesn't explain why it happened or keep it from happening again, but might help until you figure things out.
Of course nothing replaces having a professional look at the latch in person, see if these things help though.

 

[JBasel27]

thanks for your reply! i should clarify, i'm not thinking of giving up, just having my hubby give a bottle of expressed milk so i can get some relief. my baby hasn't had a bottle yet so i doubt that would work anyway! i am about to try pumping that side to see if pumping hurts less, it is pretty full right now because i have been having my baby nurse on the other side all day! i usually pump once in the am and pm but i skipped this morning because i was so sore!

i might call the lc tomorrow, but i really don't think it is from an all the time improper latch, this hasn't happened at all the past 6 weeks. i think maybe during a middle of the night delirious feeding his latch might have been off and i didn't notice or something.

thanks again for your help!

 

[durafemina]

I've had blood blisters before from dd slipping off ever-so-slightly during a long feed. I resolved them by going easy on that side until the blister went down/the blood in it looked sort of dark/dried. I think the first time it happened dd was 9 weeks and I'd just come through cracked nipple hell, so I was frustrated, but didn't notice the pain so much. I don't remember what I did. . . but I'd probably pump (or hand express if the pump is rubbing it painfully?) for a couple feeds to let the swelling go down and the healing begin. Sometimes your nipple just needs a head start getting better!
The second time was last month when she was 17 mos so I just let her feed off one side for 24h and it went away.

Hope you heal up soon

:

 

[JBasel27]

thank you! it is already feeling better. i think he slips off a little as he dozes off and i am half-sleeping so i don't realize. i've been paying more attention, because the pain was horrible! i have definitely been giving that side a break, either nursing on that side second or pumping. my nipple seems a little cracked where the blister was so i am still doing the salt water soaks to help it heal. i am also only using the football hold so not as much pressure is put there. it is painful for the first few mins, and then gets better.