Soreness

nothing is wrong! just the wonderful world of breast feeding! Try hot damp wash cloths to get rid of the bumps. use the nipple creams! and just hold your breath! the weather doesn't help so much - cold and dry only adds to the chappedness... just try to keep your nipples moist and they will get better!!! give it about a week! GOOD LUCK!

Kim's right-breastfeeding at its best. Now were you still pumping and dumping throughout taking your medication? If you weren't you likely have clogged ducts...that could potentially be the bumps, you might just have a few close to the surface of your skin. However if these don't go away in a couple of days I would get into your OB/GYN. The soreness to your breast itself, not the nipple, is usually linked with clogged ducts and you usually know if you have clogged ducts - there will be lump(s) in one or both of your breastsand they'll be very sore. Best way to combat these is to take warm showers, pump often (every 3 to 4 hours), apply warm wet washcloths or what always worked for me was massaging my breasts while I was pumping and breastfeeding, just do circles around & over the lumps and that works them out. You can massage them too while your in the shower. If you develop redness on your skin near the lump however get your butt into your doc - the clogged duct likely has turned into mastitis (an infection in your breast necessitating antibiotics). As for the nipple - keep yourself dry, change nursing pads right away when you're leaking and LOTS & lots of Lansinoh or Lanolin (nipple cream). Cake it on, especially before you go outdoors. Carry that stuff with you everywhere. But be sure to wipe excess off just before nursing. It's okay for a layer to be on there, but no one wants a mouthful of goo. I hope this helps.

Hi K.,
Vaseline will work the best I used the shea butter vaseline from walgreen's and got the breast pads that already had the nipple cream in them and kept them smoothered until time to pump or breastfeed. I usually only washed it off with warm water during the day and then washed the breasts with soap when i showered, I found that my son would take the breast easier that way so that there wasn't too many different smells and/or tastes. everything your going through is normal don't worry. The tenderness most of the time will leave but sometimes it stays throughout the whole time you breastfeed. Good Luck.

Hello stranger! So sorry to hear you are sick. Its always rough with a little one but I would agree clogged ducts is most likey and not feeding will only make the pain worse. I actaully got mastitis with my daughter and was told to feed her often like every 4 hours at leaste especially on the mastitis side. Believe me you do not want mastistis that was horrible! But I kept going and braestfed my daughter till 20 months. Good luck! Get well!

that cream you get at the pharmacy doesnt really work that well, try Bag Balm, it ocmes ina little square green metal box. it is originally for cow udders but it works on humans too. just be sure to wash well with soap and water before feeding and apply frequently.

You're not alone. I breastfed my first child for two and a half years and in the beginning I just didn't think I could go on doing it, it was so painful. I called my doctor and he said don't give up, it will stop hurting. And it did. Breastfeeding is really the best for the baby. Formula, unfortunately, has ingredients that his little brain really is not ready to assimilate. I would keep pumping and breastfeeding. Get some lanolin ointment (ask a pharmacist) and put it on in between. It will help. And eventually the pain and soreness will go away.

you need to go to the doctor you could have an infection in your breasts. He can give you medication and thien you can still breastfeed you baby. I had this many times when my girls are young.

K.,
I had the same problem with my second child. Everything was different than my first time. I had people around that helped me, but truthfully your breasts just need some TLC. If your not allergic to much, do what I did. I bathed in warm water, kept a breast feeding bra on and between feeding i smothered my nipple area with vasaline. Yes vasaline. I washed my breast when i felt it was ready to feed. You know that engored feeling. and you begin to leak. I would wash myself with warm soap and water and clean my self - ready to feed. My pediatrician was very supportive of this and just informed me that this is normal. Some mothers while breast feeding get very dry skin on their breasts. The white bumps, is normal too, some of us get them due to the engorgement of milk - its like when we get fat some of us get pimples in places we never thought we could get them. I am new to AZ but my family ob/gyn in CA. was very easy to talk to. Specially since i knew him since my mom had my little sister. I hope this helps, and keeps you from worrying too much. Think of it, as a little bit of trouble for the good that it gives your baby. ; ).

Glad you're sickness is better, K.! As fore the sore nipples, it could have to do with position and latch, as well as what the other women said. Don't put Vaseline on your body, especially your nipples. Petroleum products are carcinogenig and should not touch your skin or be ingested by your baby. Lansinoh is great and doesn't need to be washed off. You don't need to stop breastfeeding while taking most OTC medication. If you're in doubt about the safety of a medication, you can call poison control. Also, La Leche League can help you to continue to breastfeed. There are meetings almost every week at various times and locations around town. You can find the local number in the phone book under breastfeeding support (I think), or check at www.lalecheleague.org. Good luck!

Breastfeeding is definitely a learning experience & sometimes it takes a lot of hard work and determination to get things running smoothly. I never tried Vaseline, like some of the other Mom's have said, but I can strongly recommend Lansinoh. It's similar in texture to vaseline, but you don't have to wash it off to breastfeed. Its made specifically for breasts. Also, your little one may not be latching on correctly, wich can cause sore & cracked nipples. You can look up lactation consultants online or through La Leche League, and they should be able to connect you with someone who can really help you out. I breastfed my first baby for 2 years and thought my second would be a breeze since I had already done it. I had a hard time with my second baby & wouldn't have been able to continue if it hadn't been for the support and expertise of a wonderful lactation consultant ( lived in CA at the time). She was a miracle worker!