[Ravin]

DD is one day shy of 2 weeks old and nursing is getting more painful with each feeding, especially after showering. Even with her latch just right by all counts, every suck brings a sharp pain in my nipple. I've gone through an entire tube of lansinoh already and tried tea bags, which don't help much except to soothe while on there. my nipples are red, especially after a shower, but there's no cracking or bleeding, it just HURTS!!! zThey're also tender and achy in vetween feedings.

I have large, hard nipples and dd has trouble getting a good latch around them. In fact it sometimes hurts less if she just latches on to part of the nipple. I've talked to a couple of lll leaders since we got out of the hospital, and they and the lactation consultants in the hospital said I'm doing everything right, just hang in there.

BUT IT HURTS!!! Will this go away, or am I going to continue to be in agony? I can't take this much longer.

 

[pumpkinhead]

Sounds like it could be thrush. Shooting nipple pain is a definate sign of thrush even if you and dc don't have any 'visible' infection. You might want to try some of the remedies for that and see if any of them help (gentian violet, probiotics, grapefruit seed extract, rinsing bras and breast pads in vinegar...direct sunlight etc, etc). Also, see if you can get a hold of some 'Dr. Jack Newman's nipple cream'. As I found out from a mama here, yeast just Looooove Lansinoh.

It does get better mama, trust me and everyone else in this forum.

 

[velcromom]

You poor thing!! I know what you mean... we had thrush and it was horrible. Call your dr. right away! My dr. gave me treatment without making me come in.

In the meantime, each time the baby comes off the nipple to switch or is done, apply a nice cold compress to your nipple immediately. It feels awesome and reduces swelling which helps reduce the pain also. Make sure you then air dry and rubbing in a few drops of milk is a good idea too.
To make it easy I just used a paper towel and wet it with cold water from my drinking bottle (which is always nearby as we nurse).

Also it helps a bit to nurse in front of the tv while watching an interesting show, just to get your mind off the brutal pain a little!
Hope you can get in touch w/ your dr asap, hang in there and soon you'll be pain-free!

 

[Ravin]

Went to the pediatrician (who is very bf supportive) and he said it didn't look like thrush. But DD's lost weight since her appt Monday, so he wants us to supplement after each feeding. Good thing I still have plenty of EBM sitting around. I'm also going to increase the frequency at which I make her wake up to eat during the day, no matter how much it hurts.

As for the pain, I'll try the cold thing. It sounds like it might feel good, and since it hurts worse after a hot shower it might just be the solution I need. My left nipple is still managable, but I'm dreading her next feed, as it's time to switch back to the right. I also need to dig out my copy of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, maybe I can get more ideas out of there...

The doc and the LLL leaders say "Hang in there." I'm trying, but I really didn't expect it to be this hard. We were off to a difficult start, because she was in the NICU for a couple of days under bilirubin lights for jaundice and they restricted when I could feed her to 30 minutes out of every 3 hours and she was so sleepy she often as not wouldn't wake, so we wound up giving her bottles of EBM, and it took a couple of days after we got her home to get her to latch on and suck properly. And just when I think we have the hang of that, it starts hurting more, and she's losing weight!

What can I say? I'm an new mom, I'm hormonal, I fret over every little thing, and it REALLY HURTS, especially on my right nipple, to nurse her!!!

 

[pumpkinhead]

Unfortunately, most pediatricians don't know a whole lot about candidiasis in women. Heck, a lot of Doctors period don't know a whole lot about Candidiasis. Not to be disrespectful, but if your DD doen't have any thrush symptoms, then he prob figures that you don't either. Lots of women here have had systemic infections and haven't even been aware of it!
I should have said 'Candidiasis' as it doen't sound like your babe is suffering. Often, Candida infections of the breast have no visual symptoms at all! I urge to you give the remedies a try. It can't hurt to see if they might offer you some relief. The nipple cream I mentioned is TERRIFIC on sore nipples, Candida or no!

I'm so sorry that you're going through this

.You have plenty to deal with just being a new mommy. I promise you, if you stick it out, it WILL get better. Giving your babe ANY supplementary bottles can reduce your milk supply. This could explain your babe's weight loss. She might be having a growth spurt as well. You might try pumping after each feed? Also, fenugreek helps. How often has she been nursing? Does she have lots of diaper output?

http://www.kellymom.com

this is an incredibly resourceful website! You might find some more help on nipple pain there. You might try looking up something called 'Raynaud's'. This is a condition that can cause your nipples to be incredibly sensitive, esp to cold.

I know it doesn't seem like it right now (believe me, I've been there!!) but it will get sooooooo much better!

Make sure to get some 'mommy time' for yourself! Have a nice long bath while some one else tends to the babe. Have a cup of tea, have a nap! Take care of yourself too! IT's hard to remember yourself when you have a new babe, but you deserve a little pampering Mama!!!!

 

[Ravin]

I still had plenty of EBM sitting around from when I got carried away pumping while she was in the NICU and right after before she got the hang of nursing again. Gave her a supplemental bottle right after nursing her tonight and she'd only take 10cc's then gagged on it. So I know she's getting plenty from me (knew that already, but I find it reassuring.) If she has probs latching on at her next feed we'll use a syringe next time instead of a bottle with nipple.

My milk supply is not the problem. I have more than enough milk. I got engorged when I stopped pumping last week because I'd been a bit overzealous about the pumping. Having just gotten over that, I'm not about to invite it again. If she eats 20 or more cc's in a supplemental feeding, I'll pump volume to match from the breast she just ate from. And starting tomorrow morning once we're up for the day, I'm going to try to get her to nurse more frequently, she's only been doing 8 or 9 feedings a day, though they're usually long ones. I'm basically going to see how much milk I can cram into her this weekend and hopefully she'll have gained an ounce or two back again by Monday--not to mention having a bowel movement, which she hasn't done since very early yesterday morning. She's peed, and been gassy, but no poo.

:

As for the thrush possibility, I have my 2 week OB appt on Monday, I'll consult him as well, about the other end of the problem, as it were. I just found it reassuring that I wasn't mistaken and there isn't any thrush in the baby's mouth.

In the mean time, I'm going to give my nipples lots of air time and soak my breast pads in vinegar. I can't afford to go out and buy any other nipple creams or other alternative treatments.

 

[MaggiesMom]

I just wanted to share my experience with you:

Maggie wasn't latching correctly for the first 24 hours or so. We got that straightened out and thought we were good to go. But for the first 2+ weeks, feeding her was excruciating. I had an unmedicated delivery, and I honestly think feeding her those first few weeks was far more painful than giving birth to her. I didn't have thrush, her latch was perfect- nobody could figure out what the problem was. Then, poof, the pain went away without any help from me.

It doesn't really sound like what is going on with you, and I second going to an IBCLC and you doc, but I just wanted to toss this out there. It was like I just had to get adjusted to nursing her.

 

[wombat]

A baby's latch can LOOK good on the outside but there can be problems going on inside. Like my dd has a high arch to her palate and she didn't extend her tongue enough. She eventually grew out of these problems and learnt to latch better. But it caused me pain for quite a while.

I used Lansinoh also on the red, irritated skin. And I got thrush too, it's easy once the skin is broken. And between the Lansinoh and the thrush treatments, I got like a contact dermatitis and eventually couldn't use Lansinoh at all. If you have fair, sensitive skin be careful what you put on your skin. It's possible to be allergic to Lansinoh. You could try olive oil for a while to see if the redness goes away.

The pain really takes the enjoyment out of nursing your newborn, but don't worry, the pain will go away. Those first few weeks can be tough.

 

[Yin Yang]

Sounds to me like another "victim" of yeast infection.......
..........I am sorry about that!

My DS is 8 weeks now and I have been going through the same thing from his birth! When I started to feed him I was fine, then the nipples started to hurt a little so I thought - that's normal - and kept BFing. But nipples were getting worse every day, then they started to crack, then bleed, then they got infected. The pain was worse then labor itself!! I was shaking before every BFing. I cried and cried from pain! My whole body felr like there were millions of needless poking me EVERYWHERE! It was the worse experience of my life! I went to pediatrician and he said it was not yeast. I went to gynecologist and she said my breasts look fine!! So why does it hurt so much?? I was so sick of it and still am........then I went to see LC and she said it was yeast infection. I am sorry but doctors know s***!! They are useless when you need their help the most.

Somebody told you to take a long bath - in my case - this is how I got infected! I had vaginal yeast and were taking looong baths b/c it felt so good on my sore breasts - and I infected them. Now baths make it much worse. Not shower, only baths.

It seems like yeasts are taking over Earth......how do we get rid of it?? This is very very tiring and looong fight. I trully hope you do not have yeast!

Good luck to you. And stop using Lansinol - if it's yeast inf. it will make it worse. I can not even wear bra - it starts to itch so badly as soon as I put anything tight on my breasts. Yeast grows without oxygen - so when you cut oxygen to your breast - they immediatly start to multiply - itch.

 

[Viola]

Quote:

Originally posted by pumpkinhead As I found out from a mama here, yeast just Looooove Lansinoh.

I didn't know that, but I haven't used any this time around. I used it a lot with my first, and I had what I think was probably problems with yeast. I had kind of a burning feeling that lasted for several months even when the cracked nipples healed. I finally started taking acidophilus which helped.

My nipples were really tender and bruised feeling about a day after my daughter was born and the latch on was painful, but it has gotten better and they never cracked or bled this time, thankfully. I'm wondering now if I had yeast early on with my first because I remember how raw my nipples felt--they burned in addition to feeling bruised.

 

[Little Bear's Mama]

There is a difference between the pain of sore nipples from bad latch,lazy suck,or bad fit between mom/babe and thrush.
Here is some info about thrush...
www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/thrush.html
Here is some info about assymetrical latch. It may help with the pain.
http://www.wiessinger.baka.com/bfing...latchtalk.html
Other links for sore nipples...
www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/sore.html
www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/heal.html

I would suggest contacting your local LLL Leader
www.lalecheleague.org/leaderinfo.html
AND here is info on LLL online chats
www.lalecheleague.org/chat/chat.html

About the weight gain...is it possible that your baby is getting more of the foremilk and less of the calorie rich hind milk? This link might be helpful...
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns..._increase.html

 

[MaggiesMom]

Quote:

A baby's latch can LOOK good on the outside but there can be problems going on inside.

Ahhhhh-as I was typing my message, I knew someome would bring this up. You're right, I certainly couldn't rule this out it our situation, bc the IBCLC (how she got cert. I'll never know) we saw was terrible! She couldn't find her way out of a paper bag, so Maggie could have had a high palate or other similar issue.

I had completely forgotten that we DID try the assymetrical latch thing and it definitely helped. Now she is a nursing pro and we don't have to worry about it anymore. It might be worth trying....

 

[Quirky]

It sounds like yeast to me too. If it is thrush/yeast, some of the best treatments are also the cheapest.

1) White vinegar - use a solution of 1/4 c. white vinegar in 1 c. warm water to bathe your breasts in after every feeding. Get generic supermarket brand white vinegar, it's the cheapest.

2) Use olive oil to soothe your breasts instead of Lansinoh. It's anti-yeast as well, and you don't need to wipe it off before feeding. Or you can pick up an over-the-counter tube of anti-yeast cream (like for athlete's foot, get the generic brand). Wipe it off before feeding, though.

3) Get gentian violet, which is an over-the-counter non-prescription treatment. Your pharmacist can order it for you if they don't have it in stock. A bottle will cost maybe 3 or 4 dollars, and will last forever. This is the only thing that cleared up our thrush after trying all the prescription stuff, and it only takes a couple or three days to work. You need to use it both on your baby and on your breasts.

4) Eat lots and lots of garlic.

5) Cut out processed foods, especially white flour and white sugar, from your diet. Yeast loooooove sugar and white flour almost as much as they love Lansinoh!

Hang in there! It will not hurt to treat it as if it's yeast, and see whether these suggestions and those above will make things feel better. If not, then there's something else going on. Definitely get whatever support you can from LLL and the hospital LCs.

 

[pumpkinhead]

Ravin,

IF you DO have yeast, one of the most important things to do is to keep your breasts and nipples DRY inbetween feedings. This means changing nursing pads frequently and if they even get slightly damp. Yeast love warm wet places, which may be the reason why it's worse after you shower? All that nice warm, damp skin for them to grow in.

Ds and I had yeast for months. What finally kicked it? Gentian violet and OTC Canestan cream. I'd put in on my nipples (not anywhere on ds) and wipe it off before a feeding. A tube costs under 10 bucks. Sure made my nipples feel better.

The point is, often the only symptom of ductal (or nipple) yeast is pain like you've described. There usually isn't ANY visual cue that a Doc can use to diagnose it. They can do a swab....but most don't.

Anyhow, I really hope that you get to the bottom of whatever is causing you such discomfort.

Congrats on your healthy babe

.

 

[Ravin]

Okay, I've backed off on the lansinoh use. I don't have any money to buy any of the other stuff suggested. Unless I'm going out someplace I just wear a t-shirt and no bra, and move the shirt around to keep wet patches from sitting on my breasts, so my nipples stay dry.

It still hurts, especially when she first latches on. And it's not helping that right now she wants to nurse ALL THE TIME despite the supplemental bottles (which we've cut back to 4 2oz bottles of soy formula a day. Ran out of EBM).

Switching between cradle and football/clutch position helps a little, she at least warps my nipple a different way when she comes at it from a different direction.

I revise the pain level from agony, though. It doesn't hurt as much as labor did. It's just lasting a whole lot longer...

My nipples are still bright red, but no cracking or bleeding. The OB said he didn't think it looked like thrush, but if I wanted I could put some OTC anti-yeast cream on my nipples, it wouldn't hurt me or baby even if I didn't have thrush...but no money to buy any of that, either.

 

[Lexymama]

Just realized this was back in November...nothing to add.