cracked nipples--breastfeeding issues

mmm920 · September 2010

I'm a little upset/disheartened because I found out yesterday that I am not able to breastfeed because my nipples are just so cracked and hurt so bad! It actually started in the hospital and I kept telling all the nurses/lactation nurses that breastfeeding was hurting so bad but no one really did anything about it. Everyone said it was going to hurt and he was latching perfectly. So yesterday I knew something wasn't right because I couldn't bring myself to even giving him my breast (left one).. He was OK on the right side (still hurt though).

The pediatrician actually looked at him yesterday for a weight check and while there had them look at my nipples. Turns out they are so bad that I will now be pumping until they heal up.

Has this happened to anyone else? I feel so bad and guilty and upset because I cannot have my alone time with him and now have to give him a bottle at 4 days old!!!!! Thankfully I've gotten an appointment with a lactation consultant for Tuesday in the hopes I will be able to feed by then and they can help with positiioning. The hospital nurses stunk! I'm hoping someone can help me out!!!!

Jaffytaffy · September 2010

Try a nipple shield, medela makes them and you can get them at target. They help a lot!

bancbev · September 2010

I would call La Leche League and see if they can help you out until you can get to the LC. It's not the end of the world if you have to pump for a few days but I would not give a bottle yet under any circumstance. You can feed the pumped milk by syringe, cup, spoon

Discordia1030 · September 2010

I second contact LLL, they can be huge wealth of knowledge. I ended up with conflicting information from the LC's in the hospital which resulted in damaged nipples. I breastfed through both my nipples being cracked and bleeding and super painful. I was in so much pain that I would have to stop myself from screaming when he latched, half the time I cried, but I was insistent on not giving him a bottle. I found that pumping a little and feeding DS from a medicine dropper and then latching him on when he wasnt as starved helped with the pain. Also, put some expressed milk on your nipples to help heal them and allow them to completely airdry. How is your LO's latch, aside from super painful? When you meet with the LC, have them check to see if LO is tongue tied. My DS was and it wasnt caught for 2.5 painful weeks. We got it fixed and his latch is so much better. One more thing, if your nipples are cracked, definitly let them airdry, cracked nipples can cause thrush to breed and that it super painful and hard to get rid of. Sorry this is long, but I hope it helps!

ju1ia · September 2010

I went though this...cracked so bad i actually had tissue missing (looked like nipple craters, i know, tmi), and it never had a chance to heal even after DS's latch was fixed.

I got a nipple shield to use before I had a chance to see a LC (used it a couple days). LC recommended Newman's All Purpose Nipple Ointment (APNO). It's a prescription (called my OB to prescribe it) and has to be compounded, so I had to get it from a local mom & pop pharmacy (i.e. not Walgreens); definitely worth a call to your doc for a prescription.

So I did the APNO combined with letting my nipples air dry as much as possible...only took a few days for the pain to disappear, and a few weeks for everything to heal up completely.

GL mama, I had those same tears, it was tough, but I made it though.

rmaxim · September 2010

ju1ia:
I went though this...cracked so bad i actually had tissue missing (looked like nipple craters, i know, tmi), and it never had a chance to heal even after DS's latch was fixed.
I got a nipple shield to use before I had a chance to see a LC (used it a couple days). LC recommended Newman's All Purpose Nipple Ointment (APNO). It's a prescription (called my OB to prescribe it) and has to be compounded, so I had to get it from a local mom & pop pharmacy (i.e. not Walgreens); definitely worth a call to your doc for a prescription.
So I did the APNO combined with letting my nipples air dry as much as possible...only took a few days for the pain to disappear, and a few weeks for everything to heal up completely.
GL mama, I had those same tears, it was tough, but I made it though.

This...except no one I told believed me how bad it was so I never got any prescription ointment for them! Both Pedi and OB just kept telling me "it's normal." I ended up looking online and did the following:

-saline solution soak for a minute after each feeding

- give them lots of air and keep them dry (lanolin cream seemed to only prolong the problem in my case)

- use a nipple shield when it's too much to bear nursing on them

- use a breast shell (for sore nipples, not inverted) when you have to wear something

- take ibuprofen or tylenol 30 minutes before feeding (I alternated so as not to overdose...)

It was a good month before the pain was mostly manageable, and 7-8 weeks before they were healed.

In hindsight I should have just seen a lactation consultant but with all the Dr's telling me it was normal, I didn't have the guts to insist on it. I should have!

Hang in there, it will get better!

mmm920 · September 2010

Thank You all for the tips and information! They look better already and that is one day in. I did try the eye dropper and it just didn't work for him. Very frustrating. But I believe we'll get back to breastfeeding in a few days. I've found myself some great LCs and i'm going with their recommendations to bottle feed for just a few days. Plus they believe its a combination of latch and positioning. I go on Tuesday for a private consultation. I knew I shouldn't have listened to the nurses at the hospital. My gut told me to have a LC come to the house as soon as I got home to check me out. Lesson learned, mama knows best

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