Breastfeeding Pain - Havertown,PA

The only time I had a lot of pain was with my last... he was a great nurser & did love to "eat". The issue that I had with him was usually clogged ducks... which can be extreamly painful. If this is the issue - I was told to put the babies chin where the duck was clogged (where the pain is) and let them nurse as much as you can. Since where the chin is is where they have the most power, to helps to heal it up faster.

My issue was usually under the breast - which ment I had to lay on the bed & have him lay next to me to nurse. I didn't much like this way, but it did help & I'd usually be healed up in a few days. We went through this about 4 times in the 10 months he nursed.

Have you tried different positions with her to see if that would help any... maybe you would find a way that is less painful for you.

I wish you luck!!

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I dealt with thrush with my first child. The ointments and pills I got from the doctors never worked and it took months to get it cleared up. What did work was gentian violet. It's over the counter stuff and available from the pharmacist. You essentially just paint it on your nipples and when baby sucks he/she gets it too. After a few days the pain and the thrush are gone. Thrush won't go away if you're not both being treated for it. You'll just keep passing it back and forth. Make sure the baby is being treated at the same time you are.
Do yourself a favour though and go topless and bra-less if you can. Give your breasts as much air as you can. I find it's easier at night. I just sleep topless. If you have thrush not wearing anything on top will help.
With my latest addition we haven't really had any problems. I had one plugged duct that turned into mastitis. I guess I'm special because I wasn't in a whole lot of pain. The way I figured it out is that I was pumping and all of a sudden I had this huge pain, it felt like something had popped. I realized after that I must have dislodged the plug with the pump. Anyway it turned into mastitis and I got it treated immediately. All was good after that.
It may take a while to get the problems sorted out, but once you do you'll be happy you worked through it.
Good luck!

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cabbage leaves are very soothing. I know it sounds crazy but it soothes between feedings, and they fit right inside your bra. Good Luck and Props for sticking with it!

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Hello, I went through thrush with my daughter. I agree with airing out your breasts as much as possible. I went topIess overnight, wore just a shirt at home and only wore a bra when in public. I also found it helpful to reduce consumption of sugar which feeds the thrush. I took probiotics and ate yogurt with probiotics which both helped. I also found cream that was helpful at a health food store: http://www.motherlove.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&am...

I also produced too much milk in the beginning. Once my milk production calmed down, the thrush went away. I also found it helpful to go to la leche league meetings for helpful advice from other moms. I hope this helps! I remember how painful it could be. Hang in there with it , and I hope you can find a way to comfortably continue to breastfeed.

It really does sound like thrush. After this amount of time it shouldn't hurt like that. I had Thrush with my daughter and it was horrible. I tried all the remedys you are trying with little luck until I got into a swimming pool. For some reason the chlorine in the pool seemed to knock it down. Don't give up. There has to be a logical explanation for this.

So your nipples are not cracked, bleeding, and you're not engorged (so that she can get a good latch)? With my son I had horrible pain but it was 'cause we got off to a bad start and he couldn't latch on right cause i was engorged for a few weeks which damaged my nipples. I haven't had thrush so I can't comment on that. I do know that hormones have something to do with it . . and that as your hormones get back to normal the pain abates also. Do you have any plugged ducts? Any lumps in your breast or nipple area? The other thing i did was my kids was to stop using the nipple cream as it actually kept my nipples from "hardening up" to get used to nursing (per my midwifes advice and it really worked). She also suggested a hairdryer on low to my nipples after feeding to get them to dry up and "heal". I hope this helps a little, I really feel for you . . . breastfeeding is hard but good for you for keeping at it!!!

By the way . . if you have any other discharge coming from your nipple (blood, pus, fluid other than milk) that might be a good reason to do what your OB suggested and see a breast surgeon.

I had thrush for 3 months after my daughter was born. I was in terrible pain. No creams worked and lansinoh, I found out later makes the thrush worse. My thrush was already inside my breasts which is why the creams on the outside do nothing. I had to take a round of diflucan. It is not just the one pill they give for a vaginal yeast infection but a high dose the first day, I think it was 150, then I think it was 100 for the next ten days. After I finished the script, I finally started to feel better and by three weeks after starting the diflucan I was pain free. Also cut out sugar from your diet as much as possible and start on a probiotic. It really does sound like thrush inside your breasts to me, I would go to the OB, tell them you did some research and this is what you believe you have. They were not too familiar with it when I went but treated me for it on my word and boy I am glad I pushed for it because it changed my entire breastfeeding experience! Also, make sure your baby is treated for thrush as well. And you can also use gentian violet which was the only topical thing that actually helped me but a Dr. does not prescribe it, you need to have your pharmacy order it for you, but the only thing that got rid of the pain was the diflucan. Good luck!

Try hot compresses to help stimulate more let down. Maybe it will ease some of your pain if she doesn't have to suck as hard. And drink tons of water. The more water you drink the more milk you produce. The fuller you are the less she has to suck.

I really do wish you all the luck and hope it works out. My son will be 3 months tomorrow and has never even had a bottle yet. I would be devastated if I couldn't nurse. Take care.

I know nothing about thrush as I did not have it, but I suffered from cracked nipples. No one helped me when my daughter was born. By the time I went home, the pain of feeding her was toe curling and I bled during. While I know you are not in the same situation, the only way I managed to cope was using breast shields or shells (I think that is what they are called here). The shells are meant to help women with inverted nipples, but they allowed me to heal while continuing to feed me daughter. They will cover your nipple and areola and provide a protective barrier without direct contact on your nipple.

As for the shooting pain, that could also be your let down reflex. Mine was strong with both of my daughters and hurt for many months, more so in the beginning. At times I would catch my breath when she first started feeding. I did get used to it, but you should seek more help if your doctor thinks it could be more serious.

Don't worry yourself if you cannot continue breastfeeding. It is not your only option and no one can say you did not try. You need to do what is best for you as well. You should read the book Spilled Milk by Andy Steiner. It touches on other subjects, but mostly concentrates on breastfeeding. It talks about the subject from every angle, is humorous and lets you know that whatever happens you are not wrong. Good luck.

I had a similar situation, but mine were actually cracking. I was able to nurse on the left & would pump on the right at the same time. Then I'd hand my daughter off to my husband or mother-in-law and read to my son. I did that for about a week to allow the right side to heal & then I was actually OK.

Please follow-up with your OB's advice and see the breast surgeon.
Your body is telling you something is wrong, and though you're trying to do the best thing for your child, it's also important for her to have a healthy mom.

My kids had strong suction, too, but I didn't have to deal with pain for more than a few days after birth with either of them. I was fortunate.

But, I was also referred for a breast ultrasound twice within a 3 week period (first for suspected mastitis) and second for a suspicious lymph node swollen on my collarbone. The ultrasounds were clear, but I did have a serious condition that required me to stop nursing my daughter so I could undergo treatment.

Breastmilk is best - no doubt. But, don't beat yourself up if it's not going well. You seem to be very well educated and doing all the right things to rectify the situation to provide for your daughter.

I hope you're able to turn this around soon, but I'd HIGHLY encourage you to follow-up with the surgeon just to make sure there isn't something more serious going on.

Good luck!

Hi, J.:

Had you thought about massaging your breast as the baby nurses?
That will help get the milk to move through the ducts.

Nipple pain can be from referred pain from the breast. Even if the baby is not nursing, massage your breast with coconut oil or vit. e. oil.
Good luck. D.

Oh, honey. I am so sorry. I feel (felt) your pain. You need to follow through with the doctor, but I was in excruciating pain from breastfeeding for about the first 3 months and we "did everything right" too. It did get better, but it hurt to some degree every time I breastfed for 11 months.

I used the prescription nipple cream that has to be compounded. It contains ibuprofen, an anti-fungal, and a steroid. I know, sounds horrible to put on your nipples and then feed a baby, but it works. Call something like Dr. Somebody's All Purpose Nipple Cream. (Sorry, but your LC will know what it is). Didn't have to use it for very long, but if it started hurting badly again, I had it. I never really found that the Lanasohl really did anything, but I know others who love it. I also supplemented with formula (I had low milk supply too), and just knowing I had another option really helped me mentally deal with the pain. I found over time it got so it really only hurt the first couple of minutes he latched on, and then it got better. I hope yours does too.

It sounds like mastitis! Pain that extends beyond the nipple and radiates is mastitis. Are your breasts somewhat hot to the touch? Do they hurt the entire time the baby nurses? Are they even sensitive in general? Mastitis needs to be treated with oral medications!!

Email me if you need any help - I work with a lot of women all over the country, via email, video and phone.

I worked with several other ladies here on Mamapedia and they are all doing fine now. The good thing is, once treated, mastitis starts to clear within 24 to 72 hours!

Peace-Love-Boobies

FYI - not all mothers suffer the flu-like symptoms of mastitis. Only about half do.

It really sounds to me like you've got a case of INTERNAL THRUSH which can be much more difficult to diagnose & unfortunately, more difficult to get over.
That being said, I have a very good friend who had a HORRIBLE case of it (starting in her pregnancy!) & once it was properly diagnosed & treated, she went on to successfully breastfeed for more than a year! So there is hope!
Please contact your local LLL Leader and in the meantime, look on www.KellyMom.com for some information on a "LOADING DOSE" of Diflucan.--If it is internal thrush, you will need to be on Diflucan for a few weeks, more than likely and you will need a loading dose to knock the thrush out. Be sure to take some very good probiotcs while you're on it & for several weeks after treatment to help your body restore some of the healthy flora.

I'm so sorry that your breastfeeding relationship has gotten off to a rocky start, but you CAN and WILL get this figured out & the rest of your journey is going to be a much smoother one!
KEEP UP THE AMAZING WORK, Mama!
PS:
Beware of using cabbage leaves.--They can dry up your milk VERY quickly as that is their purpose. I wouldn't suggest using them in this particular case. I truly do not think that there is something pathological going on that would require a surgical correction. I really think that this is something that can easily be treated by a knowlegable support person (ie: LLL Leader, IBCLC and a holistic care provider). Good luck!