Breastfeeding pain :(

SabrinaOnweller

My little boy is 3 weeks, and for the past 2 weeks I have had a small hole (it looks more like a line, but open wound) on my left nipple. It seems like no matter what I do, it just won't heal. I adjust his latch, but the problem is if it isn't perfect the first try, he basically injures the spot all over again. It simply won't heal. I tried a nipple shield, but it still hurts and I've read babies get less milk using those. My little guy came 3 weeks early, so I don't want him getting less.

I do not want to start pumping until 6 weeks. I am using lanolin on my nipple often and also expressing some of my milk onto the open wound area.

After the first 20 seconds or so, the pain does subside. However, the initial pain is awful I just feel like it is never going to heal!

Any suggestions?

ladybug480

You should definitely talk to a lactation consultant or your obgyn. I have had a sore nipple, but was trying to nurse thru the pain. Yea, that stopped when my LO had some streaks of blood in her spit up earlier tonight. It was so scary, and of course happened in front of my super nervous MIL. My dr confirmed that it's from my cracked nipple, so I'll be pushing my lactation appointment to tomorrow for sure!

cwbh928

I second the LC appointment. I started using a nipple shield and once he started latching with that he killed my nipples. I mean cracked, dry and bleeding. I used the lotion and it was helping but it was still so painful. I too nursed thru it, but finally did some research and I ended up taking a 2 days break from breastfeeding. I was able to pump (pain was no where near the pain from him) and bottle feed. It worked for me and everything healed nicely, plus he was able to continue to latch even after bottle. (Although still working on that)

SabrinaOnweller

He eats so often that I fear pumping will not provide enough

How did the 2 day pumping work for you? Do you mind sharing the schedule you had?

ladybug480

Pumping and bottle feeding is definitely a huge help, at least for the short term. I'd been doing that on the sore breast for the last few days, and it was nice to be pain free. Tonight I tried to go back to bf-ing on that side, and that's when the blood happened. Hoping LC will provide a long term solution.

csjsmom

I'm lurking from January. But with my second my midwives recommended giving the "bad side" a rest and pumping from that side and giving the bottle so it could have time to heal. At that time ds only nursed from one side each feeding. So I'd breast feed on the good side then pump and bottle feed the next time.

I think I did that for 2 or 3 bottle feeds and then had to switch because the good side got worse and the bad side got better. It maybe went like that for 2 or 3 days. With both my kids my nipples cracked, bled and peeled and then were totally fine.

Putting breast milk on your nipples after feeding and then leaving them exposed to air can also help. This was hard for me because I hate not having a bra on for support but definitely helped.

passionfruit1234

make sure they aren't infected. I had the same thing went to a doctor who discovered I had a temperature so put me on antibiotics which fixed it.

xc1148

My nipples hurt days 5 and 6, and I thought they would never heal. The right one healed on its own, the left required a nipple shield. I would stick with the shield, honestly it didn't seem to be helping me heal but after 4 days it was 100% back to normal. My baby got a perfect amount of milk while I was using it. 

Def go see a LC tho...they are so helpful! See if you can find one in a pediatrician's office, or one that will make a home visit.

JCM285

I had the same problem and I figured out that I wasn't unlatching baby carefully enough. Be sure that when you unlatch you put your pinky finger in the side of LO's mouth and work it between your nipple and his gums so that he doesn't clamp down on the nipple on the way out. The LC I went to said it was a reflex babies have to clamp down harder when they feel anything is coming into their mouths so it is easy for LO to hurt your nipples if you don't get him/her unlatched all the way. After I figured this out, my nipple healed and I didn't even have to stop BFing on that side in the meantime. Good luck!

MariahV

I had to get a shield, and it helped so much. My nipples healed and now I can do most feelings without it. It doesn't seem to have affected his latch. Good luck to everyone figuring this breastfeeding thing out!

saltsandwater

I had to rent a hospital pump and put her on bottles (of my milk) at 5 days because she wasn't latching properly and my nipples were cracked and blood blistering. My LC had me take a "nipple holiday" meaning, we used solely bottles and pumping while I used a polysporin/hydrocortisone cream on my nipples so they could heal. We also visited an ENT to see if it was a problem with baby's mouth. We tried shields with the LC but she didn't get milk through them. Eventually (she's almost a month now) she learned to open her mouth wider and got a good latch. Now (hundreds of dollars later, between the LC and pump), we bf successfully and I'm weaning down from oversupply. I bawled when I had to give her a bottle but now she takes bottle or breast, so it all works out how it should. Sometimes mommy AND baby have to learn and it just takes time.

Mrw218

Same as pp. my lactation consultant also said my baby has a high roof of the mouth and an asymmetric bottom jaw line so even with proper latching can cause pinching and friction. Also if you find its not healing and burns you may want to check baby for white coating on tongue lips and cheeks bc a thrush infection will not allow your nipple cracks to heal.

JennieNeilan

The lc at the hospital saw my blisters and was concerned about the pain it was causing me. She told me to use the medela hydrogel pads, which are a bit pricey but they are working for me. She said to rinse them with water before using them so they aren't super sticky, expel some breast milk, then put the pad on while the nipple is still wet. You can also keep them in the refrigerator while you aren't using them for an added cooling relief. She advised against letting milk air dry on the nipple because it's like creating a scab that is then peeled off when lo feeds so it's not able to heal fully. Hope this helps somewhat! I know the pain you're in. Good luck!