Sharp Pain in Breasts

My first thought was thrush as well. Check out La Leche League's website, because they have a "breastfeeding questions" area and probably address this. Even if they don't talk about this particular thing, you can look for your local LLL leader and call or email her and discuss it with her. Many times having a conversation with someone -- a back-and-forth discussion -- can rule out possibilities and pinpoint the chief suspect.

If it is thrush, make sure you treat both your breasts and the baby's mouth, so you don't pass the infection back and forth between the two of you.

It is so funny that you posted this. Just last night I was thinking how I need to go to the doctor about the same thing. My son had thrush a couple of weeks ago and I treated him but not myself. I've noticed within the last few days that his thrush has gotten worse so I started giving him medicine again. I've had shooting pains in my breasts for a couple of weeks now and really red and raw nipples. I am positive the two instances are related. I'm going to call my doctor for a prescription. My son's doctor said that I could drop some of his oral medicine on my nipples but that has not seemed to work since we both still have it. Hope you get your issuse resolved.

IT sounds like a yeast infection. Here is a website that you can't live without if you are breastfeeding: www.drjacknewman.com it has amazing information and a care plan for treating thrush and yeast, also for clogged milk ducts, really any problem that you might have while b-feeding. Also, I would call your doctor ASAP. Most doctors have an answering service.

It could be either mastitis or thrush.

If hot water relieves the symptoms a bit, it's most likely mastitis/blocked duct. If it still causes pain through-out nursing, it's most likely thrush.

J.,
I don't mean for this to potentially scare you - but when that happened to me it was b/c I was pregnant. When I got pregnant for the 1st time my breasts were just sore. But when I've gotten pregnant after that when b'feeding I would get sharp pains instead. I only recoganize this b'c it has happened twice to me, if it had only happened once I would have not noticed as much.
However if you're not, and the pains are b/c of undersupply, may I suggest taking regalan. I have an undersupply b/c of my thyroid issues, so my OB/GYN puts me on it to increase my production. I tried using the herbs first but it wasn't enough.
Good luck! I remember the 1st 6 months Breast feeding with my oldest were the hardest. It got easier after that and then even easier when m next bundle of joy was born.
B.

Hi J.

I had similar pains as it sounds like many of the other women have had as well. When I first started nursing I would get sharp pain whenever my son latched on. I never understood what this was but it went away within 1 month.

The second time I had throbbing pain and sore to the touch it was because of a plugged milk duct. A good idea my doctor told me was to wet a diaper and heat it in the microwave. It was a wonderful hot compress because it stayed warm for a very long time. This helped me and the pain went away within 2 days.

Hope you are feeling better soon!
T.

I had terrible sharp shooting pains while breast feeding for a while. I agree that it is different than mastitis which I also had several times. Make sure it is not a plugged duct or plugged nipple pore. This was sometimes my problem but other times it was just a mystery. I went to several doctors and lactation consultants and got no answers. I pushed through and was insistent to not stop nursing sooner because of it, but I know it is REALLY unpleasant. I hope you are able to find a solution - good luck :)

If it is thrush, you could try putting some clotrimazole (Lotramin AF, yes, athlete's foot cream) on your nipples to see if it helps. You can put it on after each feeding. It will be absorbed into your skin within 15 mins so you will not need to wash your nipples before feeding the baby again. I hate to tell you this, but I took antibiotics for mastitis and then came down with this (candidiasis of the nipple/ducts) and battled with it for several months. Hopefully it is just a blocked duct, but if it is both breasts probably not. When you see the doctor ask about both of you being treated. Nystatin (liquid for baby, cream for you) is the old way of treating it but most yeasts are resistant to that now, only 50% effective. We ended up both using diflucan, there is an oral suspension that is safe to use for baby 6 weeks and older. Go to the LLL website or kellymom.com (I think? She's a lactation consultant) for more info. Best wishes on feeling better, don't give up! Unfortunatly doctors aren't very educated about this issue.

J.,
I remember those days. It may be that your son is not latching on properly. Try getting him to take in more of the breast than he usually does. If he has trouble, or doesn't take in enough area, pull your breast out and try it again until he opens wider and latches on. Good luck, honey! Keep up the good work!

sounds like a clogged milk duct. Use very warm towels on your breast while you pump or nurse. If it gets too painful to pump or nurse,keep the warm compresses on until you can pump or nurse. Hope this helps! L.

Has he nursed more than usual the last few days? This creates a 'supply' to meet his 'demand', and causes you to produce more milk. That's all I can think of (after nursing 4 babies for at least a year each. They're now 20, 23, 29, and 31).

If you have too much milk, I believe hot compresses or a warm shower can help you 'let it down' (and out) and get some relief. Hope this helps!

Hi J.-
From the information you've given, it sounds like you may have a blocked duct in your breast. I got this once during BF. It is not an infection, but if it is not treated it could lead to one. Make sure you don't have a fever (indicating infection) otherwise you will need to have this treated a different way.
Massage often, stroking from the point of location toward the nipple, even if it hurts or is uncomfortable. Try alternating warm/cold compresses. Try nursing your baby in different positions, the baby's bottom lip is sucking from the that particular side of the breast. Pumping in between can help. This is what I did and after a week it finally went away and I didn't develop mastitis.
You can also try contacting a lactation consultant - maybe from the hospital or entity that you delivered at. They are a great help, sometimes more so than the doctor's office (in this case).
La leche league is an organization exclusive to BF moms. They will have tips on their website and maybe even a # to call for advice.

Good luck
P.

It might be Thrush. Try eating a lot of yogurt and see if that helps at all. I have even heard that you can soak your breasts with a washcloth covered in buttermilk to ease the pain. I hope you can make it through this holiday weekend and get in to see your doctor first thing Monday morning. Take care.