Sore Nipple - Bountiful,UT

Sounds like a clogged duct? Someone told me once to drink Pineapple juice and it worked for me--quick. It's worth a go.

Hi S.--
Have you tried nipple butter? There's a great one by earth mama angel baby --you can get it at whole foods, vitamin cottage, vitamin shoppe, etc. Also, you might try steeping a tea bag (just basic ice tea) for a few minutes and then applying it to the nipple (do it in the bathtub because it can be messy and tea stains). The tannins in the tea will restrict the blood vessels in the nipple and bring down any swelling. Also, you might want to try a chiropractic adjustment because the nerve that is connected to the nipple is at T4 and any constriction there can cause pain. Oh, and if it is a slight case of yeast then you can apply coconut oil directly to you nipple--this will also help it heal. The medium chain fatty acids in the coconut oil are what your skin uses to repair itself, and the capricylic acid in the coconut oil kills yeast.
Hope that helps!
J.

Poor mama! Don't despair. It sounds like a "bleb." It is a small callous or plug blocking a nipple pore. Pay attention to which part of your nipple, then do you best to inspect it. You can go to your doctor to have it opened. Some moms choose to try it themselves first with a sterile needle, carefully removing a few layers of skin from the sore spot (like trying to remove a splinter), sometimes neosporin after. Warm compresses prior to feeding *might* help, but often removing a few layers of skin is necessary. The shield won't help; gotta solve the probelm. Once you remove the little plugged spot, you might have a bit of stringy milk come out--totally normal. But the pain will go away immediately. If you're not sure what it is, call a lactation consultant or LLL leader for more specific help, and maybe someone can help you inspect in person. PS-the symptoms you describe do not sound like mastitis or thrush.
Good luck!
A., mom and IBCLC
www.breastandbottlefeeding.com

It sounds like it could be a clogged duct I got those a lot and for mr nursing was always painful and yes the latch was fine...but the sharp pains are concerning. Try a warm compress like a wash cloth or hand towel as hot of water as you can stand and let it rest on your breast where it hurts then when you feel your milk drop try to express milk and massage out any clogs. If you have fever or chills a clogged duct has already gone to an infection and you want to see your doctor right away to het on an antibiotic when I had mastitis they had me continent to express milk the way I just described it is painful but passes pretty quick one you get on an antibiotic when mu daughter had thrush it was pretty obvious I had a yeast infection as well we picked it up after I had been on the antibiotic so make sure you eat yogurt and get lots of probiotics if you go on. An antibiotic. They also had mr use IB profin for infimation. Hang in there and sorry you are going through this

It could be a yeast infection, so see your OB right away... however I will say you could be pregnant!
I had this happen to me last year. My little one was 9 months old. I posted on here pretty much the same question and most ladies told me it could be a yeast infection. In fact my doc agreed and put me on meds... however a week later it was not better. Sooooo we happen to do a pregnancy test and it was positive. My girls are 16 months apart :)
Anyhow have it checked out either way. Pain is a sign of something going on!
Good luck!

It sounds like mastitis. It will effect one breast. Call your Dr.'s office and talk to the nurse there. They may have you come in or possibly they will call in an RX for antibiotics for you. AND don't be afraid to ask for some pain killers to help you through this. I had mastitis when my little one was three weeks old. I was tired and felt like I had the flu too. IT WAS AWFUL! IF this is in fact what you have you'll need to make sure you empty the breast every time you nurse (even if that means pumping too). I know that sounds counter-intuitive but that's what the Dr will tell you too. Warm compresses help too. Good luck and I FEEL FOR YOU!

If it is a clogged duct I had good luck with nursing my little one while on my hands and knees (in a crouching position). Somehow the gravity helped. I can't say it will work for you but it's something to try.

It could be a bruised nipple too. I have had that and it hurts all the time and is really hard to get rid of while you are nursing because you are just re-bruising it everytime you feed him. You still have to feed him from that side but it will just take longer for it to go away.
It might be worth a call to the doc to rule out thrush though.

I had a friend who had a clogged holes in her nipple. She said it was extremely painful. I would see your doctor. This sounds awful, but they had to open them up by sticking a needle in them. Painful, but cleared it right up.

I'd call your OB/GYN just to be safe. It's not common for the nipples to be sore that far into breast feeding, but there may be an infection or something that may be causing it pain.

If the breast is hot to the touch, or the nipple is inverted, let them know immediately.

I had what they thought was mastitis after my daughter's birth. THey will not mess around with any kind of breast abnormality and may recommend an ultrasound just to be safe.

As a cancer survivor (diagnosed when my daughter was 10 weeks old), it's better to go through the hassel and have piece of mind just in case there is concern.

I don't want you to think there is any need for alarm. I'd just do your due diligence and speak with your OB/GYN to see what htey recommend.

It could be a milk blister or bleb. These usually occur on the nipple itself. when I was nursing, I would get clogged ducts which were more in the breast tissue, but around 8 months I got a milk blister. At first I couldn't see anything but a red mark that just looked like a friction area, but then I read about milk blebs. I actually was able to squeeze it (gross, I know, and it hurt SUPER bad), but that got out the dried milk and resolved the issue. You may want to talk to your doctor, too, because they can get out the milk under very sterile conditions to prevent an infection. I hope this helps. I know it hurts so badly and I feel for you. Hope it all works out.

I would go to your doctor and find out if you do actually have a yeast infection. I know I had sore nipples and had the yeast infection, my doctor gave me this safe nipple ointment that I would put on and it helped a bunch. I have also put the cold cabbage leaves on my breast for comfort. I hope you are able to find out the problem and be able to get through the pain. Good luck.

Hi S.,
I'm sorry to say it does sound like it could be thrush! I had it when my son was about a month old. It was the worst pain ever...I nearly gave up on breastfeeding, it was just so painful -exactly as you said (feels like razor blades shooting through your nipples :( )...My son did not have thrush in his mouth but he did have a yeasty diaper rash. Has your son had any diaper rash?? If you do have it it's a pretty sure bet that he has it too.

You may not get it in both nipples right away. I think one of mine was a little worse, but it really is hard to fight. I had a bad case and had to use grapefruit seed extract pills for me,lotrimin ointment for his bottom and nystatin liquid for him.

I used a grapefruit seed liquid rinse for my nipples. I had to consult with my ob, the lactation specialist and his pediatritian!!

If you go to kellymom.com and look of the Dr. Jack Newman thrush protocal you will find some great info.I think they may even have some diagnostic stuff to help you figure out if it is thrush. I followed the protocall. He also has a mixture that you make up and apply to the breasts. Its called all purpose nipple cream or something to that effect.

Also if it turns out it is thrush, avoiding sugar and refined carbs and eating yogurt or taking a good probiotic suplement will help... Oh and I used a heating pad on my breasts - that may help a little with the pain. Good luck I hope it gets better soon..

I agree that you should see your doctor. At this point in nursing you shouldn't be having problems with thrush. Mind you, anything is possible, but it's not likely. It could be mastitis which is quite painful and often accompanied by fever and chills. It does sound like some kind of infection. I would call first thing this morning and at least talk to a nurse. Good luck!

IF you have a pump you could try giving that side a rest from the baby and just pump. i am not sure what the issue is but it sounds exactly how i was the first 2 months of feeding my son. also did he bite you? my son was very good about not biting but he got teeth at 4 months and sometimes if he was starting to fall asleep while nursing he would clamp down and bruise me. If you try giving it a rest and washing often and it doesn't work or if you start to feel sick in other ways fever etc you should definitely call the dr