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Cracked nipple with white/grey stuff (TMI)

marijaa333marijaa333 member
in Breastfeeding
Has anyone had white/yellow/grey stuff on top of their cracked nipple? Kind of like what you see with a wet wound? I am having a really difficult time healing my right nipple and today I noticed that it's cracked and covered in what could be whitish wound tissue or something else. I don't think it's thrush but I'm also looking into that possibility. 
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Re: Cracked nipple with white/grey stuff (TMI)

  • TracyB4889TracyB4889 member
    It sounds like normal healing to me. My nipples were severely cracked and scabbed. My LO basically sucked the end of my nipples completely raw, almost off. As they were healing I got scabs which where whiteish, sometimes yellow, most of the time. I think it's just the way nipple tissue heals? I was using antibiotic ointment prescribed by the LC (similar to Neosporine) to prevent infection. I'd recommend using something like Neosporine to help heal. My pediatrician just said to wipe it off before you nurse.
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  • marijaa333marijaa333 member
    Thank you so much @TracyB4889! 

    I just looked up normal wound healing too and it does sound like that's what it is.


    How did you get around the issue? Did your LO ever stop chewing/sucking your nipples raw?
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  • TracyB4889TracyB4889 member
    I had to exclusively pump for 2.5 weeks to heal. I tried to nurse through it, but the scab would rip off and the wound would re-open every time. So, per the advice of an LC I just stopped. My LO was only 1.5 weeks old at the time, which made me super nervous about giving a bottle. But we went back to nursing at 4 weeks without a problem! I was fully healed and my nipples didn't crack at all after healing.
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  • marijaa333marijaa333 member
    Thank you @TracyB4889! Wow, 2.5 weeks seems like a long time. I was able to heal my left one but the LO is much better at latching on that side.
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  • orangecurlsorangecurls member
    Try hydrogel breastpads.
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  • bailleyhumphreybailleyhumphrey member
    I had the same issue in the beginning. My lactation nurse recommened applying breast milk on my nipples (swears that it's a natural healer) after each feeding and then applying lanolin on top of it as the 'bandaid'. Works wonders! It does get better I promise!
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  • mattandloramattandlora member
    bailleyhumphrey said:

    I had the same issue in the beginning. My lactation nurse recommened applying breast milk on my nipples (swears that it's a natural healer) after each feeding and then applying lanolin on top of it as the 'bandaid'. Works wonders! It does get better I promise!

    I also did this. Worked.

    **siggy warning**

    Current Age 35, DH 33

    Married 9/2011

    BFP 8/2012, Miscarried 9/2012

    BFP 9/2012, DS 6/2013

    BFP 6/2014, Miscarried 7/2014

    BFP 7/2014, DD 4/2015


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  • marijaa333marijaa333 member
    So... I ended up diagnosed with mastitis in both breasts today and have started a course of antibiotics. To be honest, I'm relieved that I'm being treated and hope that in 7-10 days I can start to breastfeed directly at least 50% of the time. 

    The silver lining is that I have learned how to do better massage and compressions and how to work out the knots in my breasts to prevent blocked ducts.

    I'm pretty determined to get to a happy breastfeeding place, but if I'm still in a lot of pain a month from now, I'll have to consider alternatives... 
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  • marijaa333marijaa333 member
    I'm using this thread as a bit of a BF journal, hope y'all don't mind. After 24 hours on antibiotics, I already feel a lot better -- to the point of having no more pus and being able to nurse again, albeit with a nipple shield.

    Having worked out that I am prone to plugged ducts, I've also improved the efficiency of both nursing and pumping, which I hope means I can start transitioning back to primarily nursing (whereas I was exclusively pumping--for an hour at a time--just a few days ago due to inefficient milk removal at the breast).
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