Soar, Burning Sensation of Nipples from Breastfeeding.

The pain you're describing should not be happening. It sounds exactly like the pain I felt when I had the beginnings of mastitis. If you let it go then it will just continue to get worse. If I were you, I'd call my OB and he/she will likely want to see you in office or they may prescribe you antibiotic.

I WAS 29 WHEN MY FIRST DAUGHTER WAS BORN so am understanding. My mother, who was a nurse, was staying with me when this happened to me. I remember having to pump on the irritated side until it got better, and also putting wet tea bags on my nipples helped. Try to search for natural cures online, they really work.

bee

One suggestion: La Leche League!!! Look online for the nearest group, and see if you can email or call the group leader. Even if you can't make it to the meeting, she may be able to help you over the phone, or even meet with you in person and help you.

Or else a lactation consultant. Breastfeeding is NOT supposed to hurt, so don't just suffer!

I have raised two children 27 and 20. Both breastfed for over a year. You need to get Mammal Creme for your nipples. It will help in less than 24 hours. You need to wash it off before feeding. You also need to look up La Leche League and see if there is a group in this area. It is a breasfeeding mothers group. It is wonderful for support and info for babies and breatfeeding.
P. Kuhens

Hi J., my son is now 19 m/o - I breastfed him until he was almost 15 m/o... Initially, I went through the same thing. Breastfeeding was so painful I would cry through the whole thing. Eventually, my lactation consultant diagnosed me with something that basically amounted to an extreme sensitivity to variations of temperature on my breast; unfortunately, I can not for the life of me remember the name of it. (Sorry) THAT's the bad news - the good news is that by about 4 months it resolved itself, never had a problem again - and my son breastfed almost 12 hours a day until he was 7 m/o (seriously!) Try, putting a heating pad (on low setting) on your breast before your baby feeds - that helped me a lot.

With that said, I would strongly advise that you speak with your Dr and if possible a lactation consultant to make sure that you do not have a yeast infection (this will be called Thrush in your baby - looks like white gunk in his mouth). If you do, BOTH YOU AND BABY NEED TO BE TREATED. DO NOT LET ANYONE (including your Dr) TELL YOU OTHERWISE. If BOTH of you do not receive treatment you will pass it back and forth, on and on and on. Also, I would advise you to lay off of the lanolin - it only traps bacteria, etc... AND, make sure that your nipple is completely dry before you put your boob away, back in your bra or whatever... Hope this helps, if you have more questions drop me a line. Hang in there.

Definitely get checked out by a your doctor first! My little boy had trouble with the latch, as well, and unfortunately we continued to struggle a bit when we got home. This caused me great pain. I, too, used the breast/nipple shields which worked great! They helped my baby have more to latch onto. I also had trouble with one side being better. These shields were awesome for us I wore them at night even though they suggest that you don't. I only had to use them for about 3-4 weeks. I nursed every 2 hours all day for so long and now we are at every 3 hours all day... he will only eat one side at a time. Anyway, good luck with your nursing.

Sounds like you're getting alot of good advice. I will say it does sound alot like how it felt when my little boy had thrush and passed it to my nipples. Either way I'd get it checked out with the doctor asap. Also until then I would just use cold compresses or other methods like your own breastmilk to soothe the nipple because if it is actually yeast the lanolin could make it worse like some mentioned. I hope things work out and get better soon. Good luck.

J.,

Is the nipple bright pink/red or cracked? You could have a latch issue, but you might also have thrush (yeast). Does your baby have any patchy white spots in his mouth? If so, you will probably need a Nystatin prescription from you pediatrician for your son(oral) and yourself (lotion/cream). It is possible for babies to be colonized, however, and not have any patches. My son had yeast in his diaper area constantly (red, small little bumps). If the pain persists or you notice shooting pains in the breast, you might even need a 2-week course of Diflucan. I always noticed the pain was worse in the evening/night. Sterilize bottles/pacifiers and anything he puts in his mouth daily. Also, Lanolin is terrible if you have thrush - it is the perfect breeding ground for more yeast. Change your bra daily (launder hot and dry in the dryer or sunlight) and nursing pads after each feeding.Good luck!

I had the same type of problem. My OB treated me for a yeast infection but it did not help. My daughters pediatrician told me to make sure that I was letting my nipples dry completely. I would walk around the house with my nursing bra open. That did the trick. It was much better within about 3 days.
Good Luck!

I dont know about the burning, but your doctor can perscribe a cream called Jack Newmans Nipple Cream. It has a pain killer in it that helped me TONS. My nipples were bleading so badly when nursing, my son was spitting up my blood. It healed them up, and helped with the pain. I was able to go back to nursing after they healed up. You will need to find an apothecary to have it filled though. It has to be mixed in the store. It isnt readily available in a regular pharmacy.
When I was not able to nurse, I was able to pump on a low setting and did not bleed.
Make sure the baby has the WHOLE areola in his mouth. My issue was not making sure he had the whole thing. Also.. the nurses told me to switch boobs at 20 minutes, so my boobs would look even. My husband did not understand it was not required to switch, and was militant about making sure I switched. It is OK to be lopsided. Fortunately he understood with baby #2. :)

Go see the doctor. Tell him you want that cream. My OB had never heard of it, I told him one of the lactation nurses at the hospital told me about it. He wrote the script. I raved about it so much, he now perscribes it to other moms now :)

hi J.,
do you have thrush? I'm nursing my fourth child right now and i am just getting over thrush on my breast.it's the most painful thing to have. my nipples are red and soar and i don't want to nurse. suzy

Sounds like Yeast. Check it out and make sure to ask if you can save the milk you are pumping or if you need to toss it. As hard as it is to throw out Br Milk- it would be a better option than exposing your little one... hr can get thrush which would make you both miserable.

It sounds like he may not be latching on properly. Sometimes moms think that the infant is latched on because they see the infant sucking and eventually seemimg satisfied, however he should cover your areaola as much as he can. You want his mouth wode open when he goes to latch on to your breast. The creams are good, you can also use these gel shields at target that you put in the freezer for a short while and then apply them to your breasts for some immediate relief. If you start pumping, you milk production will eventually decrease. The mechanical device versus the hormonal attachment does not produce the same effects. I always tell mom's 1 make sure infant has mouth wide open when latching on, if he is not pull him away and try again, 2 rotate breasts when feeding, because some infants get used to one breast and they only want to nurse off that one. 3 I know your in pain, but you have to nurse through the pain, take it from someone who had mastitis. Prooper latching is the key.

V. W. 28yo mother of 11mo old, RN Nursery

There's a good chance you have a yeast infection...yup, you can get them there too. You'll need antibiotics if that's what it is, but usually the kind you can still nurse with. I had one with my son and it hurt like the dickens. I got to the point where I would cry when I was nursing him and I actually started to bleed. Take my word for it, just go to a lactation consultant (The nursing station is great if you're in Louisville) or a doctor...

Latching on problems. You may have to unlatch him everytime and relatch. Slip your finger in the side of his mouth, get his mouth to open wide, and try to get him to take more of the breast. LaLeche League would be real helpful, call them.

I had a very similar situation while nursing my second child. The pain became so intense that I went to the doctor and the diagnosed me with a mastitis. Basically, I had an infection and the tissue was inflamed. They gave me an antibotic and it went away. I would definitely check with your Dr.

I too had a hard time nursing my baby because he was born a month early but he fed like a champ once he got the hang of it. The burning and stinging sounds like a yeast infection. I had one with my son and did not know what it was - I saw my doctor who said it was yeast. My little one got thrush from it and now, 2 months later is still trying to recover from it. He was miserable and I was miserable with it the only thing was - I had it in both of my breast at the same time. Go to the doctor and get treated and get some nystatin suspension for your little one so you can treat him as well - cause he's going to get it if that's what's going on. It can be very painful. I would not pump and give it to him - you're probably going to have to pump and dump it and not let him nurse from that side until you're infection is gone.

It could be mastitis or it could be a yeast infection. I had this when my twins were about a month old and was sure that it was mastitis, which I'm prone to, but my midwife found that it was a yeast infection instead. I caught it from the babies, who had thrush (yeast infection of the mouth - looks like white patches on their gums and inside of cheeks). If that's the case, they'll probably put you on oral medication and give you a cream for your nipples, and your baby will need a medication to swab on the inside of his mouth (from his pediatrician). If it's mastitis, they'll most likely put you on antibiotics. But in either case, you don't want to let it go too long. I'm sorry you're having to go through this - it's awful to go through that pain at every feeding. Good luck!

Hi J.!

I remember having nipple pain too. Mine came from my son not latching on correctly. I had to work with him to make sure he had the areola in his mouth, not just the nipple. Try that!

Also, one thing that worked amazingly well for my sore nipples was soaking them in warm water. I would lay on my stomach in the bath tub until they felt better and then I would put Lansinoh on them. Hope this helps you!

H.

When my daughter was between 1 and 2 months old, we were diagnosed with thrush. My symptoms were burning shooting pains, like she was pulling glass shardes from me as she nursed. She had trouble with her latch (due to the pain in her mouth I guess) and the white patches on the insides of her cheeks. At any rate, something is not right and your medical provider should remedy this for you as soon as possible. Good Luck!

I imagine that you are just not tough enough on that one side. Something that helped me is in the baby section at the drug store they have pads that are like gel and you can put them on you and wear them and I don't know what they do but it really works. If you put it on that morning and wear it, you will not believe the difference that night. ALso they make a lanolin cream or vasoline type solution that comes in a puple squeeze tube from the drug store. It is water proof and that helps to put it on really really thick when you go to bed at night.
Good luck, I had the same thing and I know it is frustrating when you are trying to do the best that you can do and it hurts.

If you're tense as he nurses (because of the pain), it restricts/reduces the flow and probably makes him suckle harder, which makes you more sore and tense (vicious cycle, huh?) If he's only completely emptying one side per feeding, use the other side @ the next feeding, but let him nurse a little MORE on the left for a few days. It'll build up the milk supply in that breast while letting the right one rest a bit. If he's eating from both breasts at EACH feeding, start with the last breast he used at the next feeding (right/left, left/right, right/left, etc).

Hope this helps!!

This sounds so much like Yeast. This is incredibly painful and unless you get treatment for yourself and your baby, it's even a more painful road ahead. With my first born, it was so incredibly bad I had to stop nursing at 7 weeks. I know, I know, it was drastic, but it was both sides and he was incredibly "yeasty" where we couldn't get to a healing point for either of us. I would dig my toes into the carpet each time he latched on and sometimes I'd have tears from the pain.
CONSULT your physician of course!
I truly truly hope that it's just the positioning of his latch and not yeast.
I was told NOT to use lanolin. That seems to be the worst thing to use. I got the hang of nursing the second and third child around. But the first child never knew the difference, I promise! He is very well adjusted and is now a vivacious 5 1/2 y.o.
Best wishes!

I wanted to add that nursing was by far the best experience ever for me and that I truly, truly hope that by seeking help from your doctor you are able to continue on with the magnificent experience as well. But by all means, you deserve no pain in the experience at all.

HI J.,

Congratulations on the birth of your son. I'm sorry you are experiencing the pain when you're nursing. Contrary to what we are told, we shouldn't be experiencing any pain when nursing. With a clogged milk duct or mastitis you would have pain in your breast and the area would be tender to touch, red or hot. Are you experiencing any of those symptoms on top of the stinging?

I would gather from the information you provide that you may be experiencing the discomfort from an improper latch or possibly thrush. I recommend that you start with your local La Leche League and consult with the leader prior to seeking breastfeeding advice from your doctor. I've encountered many women that have been misguided by their doctors, due to lack of information and education when it comes to breastfeeding.

Here is the link for your local La Leche League. http://www.lllofnc.org/Groups/charlottearea.html You should be able to get accurate information and breastfeeding support to determine whether this is solely a latch issue or something that you would need to seek medical care.

I would also encourage you to nurse from each breast. Breastfeeding is a supply and demand. If your lo is nursing more from the right than the left, the right breast will be producing more milk(which may be why he's nursing better from the right). I would suggest changing the nursing position or how you hold your lo while he's nursing. This may give you some relief while you troubleshoot.

Here's another link for breastfeeding support and advice from Kellymom. http://www.kellymom.com/

If you are dealing with thrush, I've copied and pasted this information from a post I responded to here a few months back. I want to point out that you have other options besides antibiotics and you will have to be diligent with most of these suggestions or you'll create a vicious cycle. I never experienced thrush but I know it can be very troublesome at trying to eliminate. I think you'll find this link and the suggestions offered helpful.
http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/yeast.shtml

NO SUGAR of ANY kind, you may need to avoid fruit for a short while. Your diet is absolutely essential if you're going to beat yeast.

Grapefruit seed extract 250 mg 3 or 4 times a day.

Coconut oil has anti fungal properties and can be used topically and ingested.

Start taking probiotics and giving them to your baby too.

Eat yogurt...no sweetened or fruit added ones.

Purchase some Gentian Violet to treat yourself and baby.(This turns everything purple)

Use a cup of vinegar in all wash loads, particularly towels, nursing bras and baby's diapers.

Sterilize any pacifiers, bottle nipples, nipple shield and pump parts daily and wash them in a vinegar solution or paint them with Gentian Violet.

Echinacea and Astragulus Root, and Vit C and B-complex vit. to boost immune function.

Congrats again on your lo and may you find the support you need for continued success in your nursing relationship.

Peace,
J. Lenz

J.

I have two little ones and one on the way, and I to had burning with # two. So I asked a couple of ladies at church that breatfeed and the advice that worked was this. Secrete a little of your milk out and rub it over the area that hurts and you can do this as many times a day . I would do it before and after my baby nursed and then if I started to burn go do it again .
Hope that helps

J.

Since breastfeeding is the best thing in the world for your baby, this needs to be taken care of asap! You may need to go to your Dr. Do you have any red streaks or a temp? (mastisis that requires antibiotics) I used to have "clogged milk ducks and I could feel the milk filling up in my breast. The solution to that is to nurse or pump often until the duct is no longer clogged and a warm compress/shower.
You may just need help form a lactation consultant or friend that nursed to make sure your baby is latching on correctly. Let us know if you have any symptoms besides pain.

Check to make sure the baby doesn't have thrush - you could also get it on your nipples. That's what happened to us - my son was also a month early. If you don't know what thrush is, look in his mouth if the insides of his cheeks are white (could be anywhere in his mouth, but mostly cheesks) take him to the doctor. They will prescribe something for the baby and for you & it will make you feel soooo much better.

I agree with Kristine, you should get it checked in case it needs meds. BUT also look for nipple shields. They are these thin silicone covers that help you breastfeed more comfortably. You don't have to use it all the time but it helps on those days that you get sore and need a little break :)

Dear J.,
GO to the doctor immediately! What you are describing may be an infection in your nipple or in one of your milk ducts. Please don't hesitate on this.This is especially true if the area is red or swollen and sensitive to the touch. T.

With both my children I ended up going to a lactation consultant after I got home from the hospital. They did well in the hospital, but when I got home it hurt so bad. He either may not be on right or you may have mastistis (spelling?). I would call and talk to a lactation consultant and ask them. Good luck.