Nursing Painful on One Side

you may have thrush. Stay away from all sugar and get probiotics from the health food store to take internally(good bacteria). You can also get prescription cream to put on the nipples from the doctor (did the doc say anything about thrush or your appointment? I would call and ask him). Also call your local Le Leche Leauge Leader 1-877-4-LA-LECHE or go to http://www.breastfeedinghelpline.com Most importantly have patience, and do your best to nurse on that side, you do not want to become engorged. This will pass for sure!

L., you may have a blocked duct, or worse, an infection.
You may have to see another doctor. Continue nursing, however.

I recommend contacting a lactation consultant. Either one you pay for (there's a great one in Newton called Lactation Care, Inc.), a free drop in lactation group (there's a great one at Cambridge Hospital on Thursday mornings) or someone from the local La Leche League. These women are knowledgable about the nuances of breast issues and should be able to help you figure it out. Best of luck.

I had a milk blister which looked like a cross between a zit and a blister twice while nursing my son. For that, time and warm compresses right before you nurse or pump worked the problem out. It could be a plain old blister, all of that friction (I assume) is not what your nipple is used to. If it a plain blister then maybe only pump on that side to give it a rest for a couple of days, if it is a milk blister though you have to tough it out and get rid of it. I remember cringing from my son as he began to breastfeed. I read a book that said give it about 2.5 months and it would get easier. And about that time, mom, baby and boobs all got on the same page. Whew, it was close though.

If any redness happens though call the doctor immediately!

Hang in there and check in with your doctor again in a week or two if it lasts longer.

Good Luck, Nat

sounds like it might be a clogged duct, in which case frequent nursing it about all you can do. warm compresses also can ease pain. I had thrush twice, which presented itself in the form of pain. no other symptoms, including baby, who had no white patches etc.
I use www.kellymom.com as a resource all the time. it is a great site.
BTW I used gentian violet to clear up the thrush. The prescription medication did not work, is not terribly safe and lasts for two weeks. GV is a three day course and is very safe.

I would definitely call your local la leche league leader!

If the pain is deep inside, I would guess you have yeast in your breast, especially with that blister that wont go away. Its a yeast infection of the breast, which usually comes from your baby having thrush (yeast infection of the mouth). You will need medicine to get rid of it, and make sure they treat your baby too lest you continue to pass it back and forth.

I experienced this same thing several times with my middle son. Apparently they can transfer bacteria to your breast when feeding. For whatever reason Quinn did this many times. It was so painful I had to have my husband come home from work so that I could go to an immediate care. The said it was either a blocked duct or an infection and they prescribed keflex(not sure how to spell it, but that's what it sounds like). I kept nursing and pumping and used a heating pad. Don't know if this is what you are experiencing, but I do feel your pain! It cleared up after a day or two. Like in your case, it was always on one side.

Oh you poor dear...I had a horrible time w/ breastfeeding my first time around. What you describe might be a milk blister, which is one of many problems I had. The milk blister is a calcification of the milk in a duct and it blocks that duct. Really the only way to get it out is to let the baby suck it out. And they will! Mine did. It was painful, but that was the only thing that resolved the milk blister. You could also have a bacterial or yeast infection in your breast. A lot of times doctors don't i.d. the yeast in your breast if you don't have white discharge. But I had a horrible yeast infection inside not on the breast, and I had to have a lab test to verify and get the right info. So if you are sure the latch is good, insist that your doctor listen to your pains. Breastfeeding shouldn't be that painful! Warm compresses help, too.

Hi,

If the pain is from the blister, I would suggest soothies. They are medicated gel like pads that you wear on your breasts between feedings. It helps prevent friction from your bra. I've seen them at CVS. They are not cheap, but they last a couple of weeks.

Good luck

L.,

Sorry to hear you are having pain. I would suggest calling the women of La Leche League. They will be able to help for sure. www.llli.org

Good luck,
L. M

Hi L.. When my son was about 9 weeks old, I had a similar problem for a few days. I showed it to my doctor too, and she said that it was nothing to worry about, as yours did.
Although it was really painful, I continued nursing my son on both breasts, and eventually (within a couple of days) the blister and the pain went away.
But if it doesn't get better soon, I would see a doctor, because if it's a clogged duct, it could lead to an infection.
I hope it gets better soon!

I had a horrible time nursing my son, with painful nursing on my left side only. I had chronic problems with small cracks that were somewhat hard to see and I realized after the fact a surface yeast infection. You could try APNO cream (all purpose nipple cream), which is a prescription. Often it is hard to diagnose a yeast problems other then pain and cracking. It may be worth geting a prescription and trying that. I hope this helps, good luck!!!

I know this might seem a bit odd, but my first suggestion is to STOP using the lanolin on the blistered area. It is a wonderful product on unbroken skin, but when introduced into even the tiniest irritation, it can actually cause "contact dermatitus," a very painful allergic reaction. It feels like you are nursing a lit cigar rather than a baby! And until it is healed, as painful as it is, try just pumping on that side to avoid introducing bacteria into the area.
Good luck!