Breastfeeding question, please help!

[PentecostalMom]

So I am nursing my youngest dd. This is not my first time, I nursed ds for a few months, and four-year-old dd until she was 2 1/2. My youngest dd that I am currently nursing will be one next month.

 

So here is my problem. About two weeks ago, it started hurting quite a bit when she nursed. It seemed to get worse when her top two front teeth came in. I have tried to check her latch, but not having much luck. Any suggestions? My ni***es are VERY tender. She gets up some nights and nurses, especially when cutting teeth. They are getting better (the nips, not the teeth), but I only think that is because they are getting tougher, not because the situtation is any better. I mostly nurse at her request. She does not take a bottle or pacifier.

 

I want to continue nursing, but this HURTS! Help!

[Chris in VA]

Make sure she's not sucking the tip.

This is a completely inelegant way to say it, but my advice is to take your n*pple and the entire areola and practically shove it into your dear one's mouth--really put it in there, to make sure she's taking enough of it.

You can break the suction by gently inserting your finger into the side of her mouth if it gets too painful--she may be getting her tongue in the wrong place and end up sucking on the tip. Just retry the above each time it starts to hurt.

HTH, and I'm sure you'll get good advice here!

[lapsetmom]

Could you be pregnant?

[Wee Pip]

Went thru the same thing when my (now 17mo and still nursing) dd got her top teeth. She'd leave little teeth marks where her teeth naturally rested on the nip while nursing. Doesn't seem to bother me as much now, *most of the time*. But I really, really have to watch the latch. Each nursing session starts out with some trepidation on my part, and I watch for a big wide open mouth before going for it (quickly, might I add! lol) Sometimes we miss-time it and I get a bite, ouch! That special time of the month is also another time when it's painful, I'm just naturally ouchy during that time. She's most likely my last lil one, so once we wean, we're done. I'm not really in any hurry to wean. I was planning to wean at age 2, but that seems to be approaching all too quickly.

[Ellie]

:grouphug:

 

Sometimes it helps to hold baby in a different position so that she latches on in a different place, KWIM? So hold her like a football, under your arm, or lie down, or, well, experiment.

[Miss Sherry]

Make sure she's not sucking the tip.

This is a completely inelegant way to say it, but my advice is to take your n*pple and the entire areola and practically shove it into your dear one's mouth--really put it in there, to make sure she's taking enough of it.

You can break the suction by gently inserting your finger into the side of her mouth if it gets too painful--she may be getting her tongue in the wrong place and end up sucking on the tip. Just retry the above each time it starts to hurt.

HTH, and I'm sure you'll get good advice here!

To be able to do the above, as Chris in VA has said, you can pull down on her chin to get her mouth opened nice and wide so the breast will go into the mouth properly, not just the n*pple.

[cjzimmer1]

Mine got really tending when my cycle started back (which for me was around a year), they would also get sore during growth spurts and when baby was make active (thus a bit more tugging because they wouldn't hold still while eating). Things usually resolved in a week a so. It doesn't help the pain but being aware of the cause helped me get through the uncomfortable times.

[A home for their hearts]

Have you tried using lansinoh lanolin ontiment on your n*pples? You can buy it at walmart in the baby department. It works great for sore n*pples. I've also heard that soothies are really nice to place on your sore n*pples. I agree with the others that it sounds like a latch problem. Make sure she is getting enough your br**st in her mouth. HTH!

[mhg]

My nipples hurt so bad with my son during the entire first 5 months. I had 4 different lactation consultants confirm it wasn't the latch. I made an appointment and saw Dr. Rebekah Saenz, a medical DOCTOR of "Breastfeeding Medicine" in Madison, MS. She nor anyone else could figure out the problem.

 

My son was a normal kid with a normal latch.

 

I first tried the yeast preparations (even though no one thought it looked at all like yeast) --- everything from Gentian Violet to creams to, finally, Diflucan and none of this helped. I changed my diet and kept a food journal.....this didn't help either. NOTHING worked.

 

How bad was the pain?

Well, (get ready for the R rated part).... it got SOOOO bad that BOTH my nipples were covered in SCABS which I had to PRY open with sterilized needles to LET the milk OUT from underneath the scabed-over duct/pores. I KID YOU NOT! They'd bleed, I'd wipe the blood then let him nurse. I had tears streaming down my cheeks with MOST feedings and the toes would be curled and the teeth would be gripped and grinding away. It was A G O N Y ! My family couldn't bear to even watch it. But, I was (obviously) determined to nurse my child so I continued seeking help. I was given every kind of mixed cream and then was prescribed a cream which the pharmacy had to prepare which had antibiotics/etc. in it. It did nothing to help. Desperate, I CALLED Dr. Jack Newman in CANADA (He's THE NAME in breastfeeding---see his book on amazon) and he simply suggested the same preparations Dr. Saenz had given me.

 

I tried every yeast preparation you can name, until one day I called my mom crying as he was 5.5 months old and sobbed that I couldn't believe that this was how my breastfeeding experience was going to be, misery. She tried to comfort me and we hung up. Five minutes later she called back and said, "Honey, I just prayed for you and this came to mind, so maybe this is the Lord's reply: try soaking your nipples in warm salt water." I did this (I'd try anything) and the pain was COMPLETELY GONE in two or three days. This was after 5+ months of enduring agonizing, toe-curling, teeth-grinding, wincing, horror! It was smooth sailing from then til age 31 months when we weaned. So......try the salt if this doesn't improve.

 

Here's what I did with the salt:

I'd mix the following in EACH of 2 glasses (small glasses/juice glasses).

I'd stir about 3 heaping Tablespoons of salt in about 3/4 c. HOT water and stir it. Then I'd let the HOT sit there until it wasn't scalding but very warm/just tolerable so that the heat would dilate the pores and let that salt in the pores easier to "do its thing." Then I'd lower my breasts down into the cups and then, when a good seal was formed (my skin disallowing the water to pour out), I'd flip the cups back and just let the water sit on my nipples for about 60 seconds. And I'd kindof jostle the cups so the water would rinse my nipples (what a sight this must have been!). Then I'd take the cups off and let things air dry for about 2 minutes, then I'd rinse my nipples in distilled water. I wouldn't wear a bra at all during this time as I wanted as much air hitting them as possible (no harboring any medium for bacteria/yeast growth). I did this when I first woke and after every feeding. In my (severe) case, I did this daily for about 2 or 3 weeks although I was 90% improved within about 2 days.

 

So....just throwing this out there in case you're in this (rare) boat.

 

Other thoughts:

Can you tell a correlation with where on your nip is hurting with where her new tooth buds are touching? If yes, then likely friction from the new teeth and they'll either toughen or you'll have to endure (or wean).

 

You could try a nipple shield but she may balk at it this late (age 1) in the nursing game.

 

Doubt it's yeast this late in the season, but that's a thought.

 

You've ruled out pregnancy? (if preg, then likely the nipples would hurt on both sides.....can't recall if you said one or both were in pain).

 

Best wishes for a speedy:auto: return to happy nursing and that you won't feel like this :cursing: after feedings ANYMORE!

[texasmama]

Have your cycles started back yet? Ovulation can cause sore nipples.

[Tress]

I always have painful nipples when a child is getting new teeth. I always figured this was because the change in their saliva, the same change that causes some children to get a sore bottom when they are teething.

 

I make sure the latch is okay and I put some lansinoh on my nipples.

 

Other thing to think about, if she has bitten you and even slightly broken the skin, you could have thrush right now. You might want to clean your nipples with boiled water with a bit of vinegar, after each nursing. If it continues or even gets worse, you might need some prescription creme.

 

ETA: I wasn't fully awake when I wrote this. Obviously you first boil water, add vinegar to it and then let it cool down, before letting it anywhere near your nipples :-)

 

HTH,

Edited October 17, 2010 by Tress

[Homemaker]

I nursed all three of my kids and with my last there were a dfe

few weeks where it was incredible painful, I was bleeding and it hurt so bad when she latched. I thought it wa something with her latch. Finally I figured out I had thrush. I called my doctor and I got a prescription that had two pills and after the second one it totally went away and I felt so much better!

[Carrie12345]

I vote latch or thrush, too.

Have you been able to see the roof of her mouth lately? When ds and I had thrush (at just about that age), there were no visible signs on me, and I didn't notice the tiny little patch all the way in the back of the roof of ds's mouth for a while. But I sure was sore!

[PentecostalMom]

Since I don't know how to quote more than one person....here goes.

 

I honestly have no idea if I pregnant or not. We are on the "Almightly Plan" for family planning. I will buy a test today and take it in the morning. Next, I have not yet begun my cycles again, I did not start with my last dd until she was 14 months, but this one is nearly 12 months, so I suppose that is a possibility.

 

As far as thrush, I didn't think about that, but I see nothing in her mouth. I can take a couple of antibiotics and see if it helps...after the pregnancy test of course.

 

I have checked her latch, more than once. I am by no means an expert, but I am fairly confident in my breastfeeding skills and knowledge. I read every book I could get my hands on, went to La Leche, had mastitis (not just clogged milk ducts, but "had to go to the ER mastitis" TWICE with last dd.

 

I am dedicated to nursing, and have no plans to wean right now. I had thought with the older dd that we would wean around one, then it stretched to two. It took me six months to wean her without her having a meltdown and me feeling horribly guilty, so we weaned at 2 1/2. I was weaning too early for both of us becase of what others thought. Now, dh and I have an understanding that he needs to verbally support me when others are critical. He is supportive and encouraging, just didn't want to offend. He now has my permission to defend and offend! :D

 

Thanks for the advice ladies, I really appreciate it! I will let you know tomorrow if I am preggo or not.

[texasmama]

Given that info, my vote is pg or ovulation. I don't think you want antibiotics for thrush, do you? (I think that could make it worse, but my memory is foggy on all of that. :tongue_smilie:) If you haven't found this site - www.kellymom.com is a great resource for breastfeeding.

 

I nursed my last baby until she was almost four. You go girl!

[SnowWhite]

I went thru this with ds 16 months when his top teeth came in. I agree with working on position til baby gets used to having teeth. I was very sore (even had tooth indentations) for a while, but it was worth working thru.

[PentecostalMom]

Well, not preggo (thank you Jesus!) I wouldn't mind more children, but not.right.now!!

 

Anyway, it does seem a little better at times, especially when I "help" her with the latch. I am going to keep trying for a few days and see if it continues to improve before I move on.

 

Thanks for all of the advice ladies....you all are fabulous!:thumbup:

[justasque]

As far as thrush, I didn't think about that, but I see nothing in her mouth. I can take a couple of antibiotics and see if it helps...after the pregnancy test of course.

 

As a pp said, antibiotics is the last thing you'd want for thrush. Antibiotics actually makes it worse. There are some natural remedies, (maybe?) some OTC remedies, and some prescription remedies. Sounds like things are going better, but if you do suspect thrush, come back and ask again, as it's something you'll want to hit hard on all fronts, rather than trying one thing then trying another. If you see a doc about it, make sure they understand they must treat *both* of you, otherwise it's pointless as you will constantly re-infect each other.

 

In the meantime, if you suspect thrush, boil pacifiers daily, wash anything toy-wise that goes in her mouth with hot soapy water, minimize your sugar intake, air out your nips after nursing. There's more, but I don't remember it all!