I have been breastfeeding for almost a month now and I am just now having some pain. I think my baby may have been latched on wrong for a bit or my nipple is hurting since he pulled off hard the other day. A very small piece of skin on the side of the nipple is bubbled up. Any advice on easing the pain and getting it to heal fast?
hi J.
i had the same pain and bubble the other day. it was really painful so i wen to the doctor and he said it was an abcess and they had to poke it with a needle to drain a little. i was then put on antibiotics for 7 days, not to scare you but you don't want it to be infected and get worse.
Call the lactation consultant at your hospital (assuming there is one). I have 2 kids & nursed both for 12 months, pretty much exclusively. I had a clogged duct once that resolved itself w/ more frequent nursing & a warm compress. It's also possible to get an infection for which you need antibiotics...I can't remember the name...may start w/ an m. I know the whole areola is supposed to be in the baby's mouth...but frequently my babies did not have the entire areola in & they nursed just fine, causing me no pain or issues. So, the latch may be the problem, but it may not. You may even be able to go into a lactation consultant & have her watch you nurse the baby & instruct you...that's more effective than just a phone call.
There is a Lanolin cream you can buy at Target of any store with a baby food or baby section or nursing section. I think my son never latched on correctly either when I breastfed him and I use the cream before and after I nurse and it helped. The cream is safe for the baby to eat so it's okay to put some on before nursing.
Hope this helps.
You probably have a clogged milk duct. I know it hurts, I had one once, but keep having the baby nurse from that breast and eventually it will free itself. When that happens, you may notice little black flecks in your baby's poopy diapers, so don't freak out. It's digested blood, from your breast, and it's not a big deal. If you continue to have a lot of pain, nursing is unbearable, or you notice additional symptoms, get to the doctor. There's always the chance of mastitis developing, and the last thing you want is an infection.
Just a side note, the La Leche League has a great website with tons of helpful information for nursing mothers, including frequently asked questions. Check them out :) Hope you're on your way to happier, pain free nursing soon!
lansinoh breast oitment. you can get it at CVS or rite aid.
Seems like the latch is off. The WHOLE areola must be in the mouth, not just the nipple. Get in touch with a Le Leche League, CLC or IBCLC right away to help you with the latch before you get too discouraged to continue. Most new Mommas have latch issues, so do not feel like it's just you or that you should know this already - it is a very common roadblock. Once the latch is corrected, you will be on the path of a loving and successful nursing experience.
Congrats on breastfeeding and good luck!
Hi J..
i nursed my son for 10 months. I would call a la leche leage in the area. They gave me awesome advice and it was free! congrats on your new baby and way to go for nursing!
I would get plugged milk ducts when I nursed and it feels like this. Put moist heat on it (warm wet wash cloth), drink a lot of water and be sure to nurse on this side.
Yes, it sound like the latch may have been off some of the time. IF you are still having trouble, you should see a consultant. But it is hard to tell if there is pain still from past irritation. Here is some info I just posted to another mom. It is an ointment for pain and to prevent infection:
Ask your OB for this prescription from a compounding pharmacy. It saved me a lot of pain. I'm no crazy homeopath, it is something my lactaiton consultant recommended and my OB perscribed and it really helped much more than lanolin..
APNO (All Purpose Nipple Ointment) is a compounded ointment mixed from the following ingredients:
Mupirocin 2% ointment (15 grams)
Betamethasone 0.1% ointment (15 grams)
To which is added miconazole powder so that the final concentration is 2% miconazole. This combination gives a total volume of just more than 30 grams. Clotrimazole powder (not as good as miconazole) to a final concentration of 2% may be substituted if miconazole powder is unavailable, but both exist (the pharmacist may have to order it in, but compounding pharmacies almost always have it on hand). Using powder gives a better concentration of antifungal agent (miconazole or clotrimazole) and the concentrations of the mupirocin and betamethasone remain higher. Sometimes we will add ibuprofen powder to a final concentration of 2%.
The ointment is applied sparingly after each feeding (except the feeding if/when the mother uses gentian violet). “Sparingly” means that the nipple and areola will shine but you won’t be able to see the ointment. Do not wash or wipe it off, even if the pharmacist asks you to. The APNO can be used for any cause of nipple soreness ("all purpose nipple ointments"), not just for Candida (yeast). Use the ointment until you are pain free for a few days and then decrease frequency over a few days until stopped. If you are not having less pain after 3 or 4 days of use, or if you need to be using it for longer than two or three weeks to keep pain free, get good help or advice.
