Question Regarding Breast Pain

Sounds to me like you have a clogged duct. You will be fine. Take the Ibuprofen and sit in a hot bath. Put a heating pad around the sore breast and continue breastfeeding. It will pass.
Good for you! I B.F. until my baby was 2! You Rock Momma!

K.:

I have to agree that you need to talk to and probably see a lactation consultant.

P., RLC, IBCLC
Pres. Lactation Support Group, Inc
www.lactationsupportgroup.com

With the nipple soreness it could possibly be thrush, although I don't know if that would make your breast sore. I would call the lactation consultant at the hospital where you delivered and get their opinion. Then you can just have your doc write a script (docs are notoriously bad with breastfeeding issues). For most problems (clogged ducts, mastitis) the answer is to keep nursing, so don't stop but do check in with an LC.

Congrats on your 7-month success, that's really something to be proud of.

I would recommend continuing to feed from the breast that hurts. Call your ob/gyn but it sounds like a case of mastitis. She can prescribe some medicine that is safe to take. I had it once REALLY REALLY badly and then another time a milder case. It's horrible. Be sure to empty out your breast as much as possible. Also use cabbage leaves or anything cold to soothe it as well as much as possible. Hope you feel better soon.

Hi,
Sounds like Mastitis(infection of the breast). Call your OB, you can get an antibiotic for it. It is very painful. So sorry you are going through it! I had it twice and it is the worst- meds help and luckily it clears up pretty fast.

It could be a clogged duct or even mastitis. Put a watm wash cloth on it and make sure to nurse your baby and then call your OB?GYn. Also, look in your baby's mouth and see if there are any white patches, it could be Thrush.
Or could you be pregnant again?

I had something similar once -- the feeling of my shirt rubbing over my nipple in my sleep was so excruciating that it woke me up. At first, I couldn't find anything in/on my breast, but then, when I looked more closely there was a tiny white spot in my nipple. I had a clogged duct, and the milk inside it and sort of dried up/ calcified. It had started to move to the nipple, but it wouldn't come out on its own. I was able to manually express some of the stuff, and it had the consistancy of toothpaste (which hurt a lot!!!) but once the stuff started moving out the pain improved. I never got mastitis from this particular episode. Good luck!

Sounds like you might have a plugged duct. Keep nursing~ even if its a bit (probably an understatement) painful it will help. Aside from that taking an ibu is a good idea, drink lots of fluids, try to take it a little easy until the pain goes away. Use some lansinoh on your nipple to help ease the tenderness there... and watch to see that the latch you baby is making is the good one that you are used to seeing/feeling (lips over most of the aereola, etc).I have nursed 2 kids and occasionally this does happen... you're doing great! : ) I also recommend some hands and knees cleaning of the kitchen floor... something about that position and movement get the milk flowing and, if it does for you, will help get that duct unstopped. Congratulations on your baby girl and good breastfeeding work!

I had this happen with my second child. It started out as an annoying kind of ache and progressively got worse. I kept nursing hoping that would help (that maybe she didn't drain that side all the way)...that didn't help. Then hot shower. No relief. Then heating pad and warm wash cloth. Still nothing...and it was getting worse. So I called the OBGyn (just after business hours on a Friday). She didn't even fool around. She immediately called in a script for antibiotics and told me to start it right away. As soon as I started taking it and some Ibuprofen it got better. Like the woman who posted about it becoming an abscess...it isn't something to fool around with! It will pass, but you want to make sure that it doesn't get worse! And it can extremely fast when it is mastisis.

It sounds like you have mastitis. You should call your OB/GYN and see if you can get in soon, or if they can just call in a prescription for an antibiotic. Unfortunately if you wait it will quite possibly get worse. I had it once and waited until I had a fever of 104! Please don't wait to make the call.

K.,
You could have a blocked duck. Try a warm shower and warm wash cloth massaging the painful side of breast toward the nipple. Keep nursing and when you are done wash the breast in the same manner with warm water and a clean wash cloth. It will hurt at first but if a duct is blocked it should open. How quickly it opens will depend on how blocked it is - no more than a day or so. If the pain doesn't stop soon she your doctor your daughter could have changed the way she latches on and that could be causing you pain. Good luck and don't give up - its temporary.
S.

That happened to me well after 7 months when I thought that I had surpassed all potential problems. It could be a clogged duct, that's what I had. My midwife recommended phytolocca (sp?) that I purchased at whole foods. They are tiny little capsules that you take 3 times a day I think. If you look closely at your nipple and see that it looks like there is a drop of milk that won't go away, it's probably clogged. I nursed like crazy on that side even though it hurt like hell! It's the only way to unclog it though. I've even heard that if you nurse while on all fours, gravity will work with you. I don't know how that would work though......If it's not a clogged duct, it could be mastitis and I think that you need an antibiotic for it. Fortunately, I have no experience with that. Also, try a hot compress, as hot as you can stand, that helps. Try and get through it, it will feel better soon.

I urge you to see your OB GYN right away. I had a clogged duct in my nipple that I didn't notice until it turned into a breast infection. I think when the clog is in the nipple, it's more difficult to deal with. I had to take several courses of antibiotics that didn't work and eventually ended up with an abscess on my breast. It was the most painful experience of my life and I still have the scar from where they lanced it. It was much more painful than childbirth. If I had gone to the doctor for antibiotics right away, it might never have progressed to an abscess. From what I have heard, abscesses are pretty rare and I don't mean to scare you, but please see your doctor as soon as possible. This is not something to fool around with. It's better to be safe than sorry.
Best wishes!!!

Hi K., Good advice so far. I would definitely second what others have said, and rule out mastitis first. I had a nasty bout of that and just remember this feeling of utter exhaustion, pain, and depression when a fever kicked in and I couldn't stop shivering! I hope it doesn't get to that point! I think the difference is pain (awful, but sometimes normal, I'm afraid -- just my opinion), versus a swelling, red, hot-to-the-touch breast (again in my opinion, likely mastitis). Definitely talk to your doctor. Even over the phone this weekend, they should be able to talk you through the differences. Best of luck, and hang in there!

Hi K.~
I have been nursing my daughter for 5 months now, and I just had a similar thing happen. I found out that my pain was caused by a clogged milk duct. I had to massage my breast from my armpit down to my nipple every couple of hours. I was also told to do my primary nursing on that breast until the pain was gone. I know how painful it can be, but if it is just a blocked duct, it will go away pretty quickly. I also put very warm washcloths on my breast any chance I got. I was also taking tylenol to help ease the pain a little bit. I would suggest calling your doctor if it doesn't go away within a couple of days.
Good luck!!
~J.~

You may have a bruise or infection. Do not use the breast for one day to give it time to recover. Use hot water in the shower or hot packs to help with the pain. Breasts heal fast so if that does not work see a doctor right away. Breast feeding is an interesting experience. Hopefully your child does not prefer one breast over the other.

If it continues you need to contact your doctor. Watch for fever ,swelling and redness. It could be mastitis. If you get these symptoms. Good luck...T.