pumping hurts ig time

[katiush]

I EBF, but sometimes I pump to give a bottle. Even if I pump on the min setting, it hurts really bad. I worked w/ previous 2, and pumped usually on the highest setting, and never had this problem...any thoughts? I noticed that my nipple area is pretty dry - could that contribute?

[my3girlsjde]

It most certainly can and I've BTDT. There are a few things you can do. After each feed and whenever you think of it for that matter you can express a little, rub it in the whole nipple and let air dry. Creams like lanolin will help bring back moisture but I'm a huge fan of Dr Jack's All Purpose Nipple Ointment. You need a script for it and it's generally used to treat thrush but it helped sooooo much when I was just plain sore after a gs.
You may have a touch of thrush from the sounds of it and it wouldn't hurt to get it checked out. It's easy to treat if early caught but if left it can get pretty nasty. E was diagnosed with lower intestinal thrush by my LC and we quickly treated both her and I.
HTH

[TaniaT]

I found the same thing with my second.  I found it got better with time.

[katiush]

Vicki - so interesting, because DS has thrush, and I've been monitoring my nipples to see if I have it, but it doesn't look like it. I have a script for nystatin for DS, but haven't used it as I was hoping it would clear up naturally, and I've been popping probiotic pills, but maybe I should give him the nystatin and get a script for myself just in case...

[my3girlsjde]

Believe me, I learned the hard way about thrush. It was horrible and it lasted for months Thankfully the prescriptions and the probiotics worked and the poor little thing isn't a fraction as gassy as before.

[katiush]

thanks, Vicki! I will look into it tomorrow. Is the All Purpose Ointment something that can be found at any pharmacy, like CVS?

[my3girlsjde]

I'm in Canada, but I think it has to be made. It has an antifungal, ibuprofin painkiller and two steroids in it. They make it in a cream and an ointment though my LC said to get the ointment. Not sure if an HV could do the script or not. Not sure how that stuff works. Hope you get some relief. I had no idea that I had thrush for months on end. I just thought I was one of the lucky few who had painful feedings. There were no outward signs of thrush on me, but E had a nasty diaper rash for a month, thrush on the tongue and horrible gas. My LC put it all together for me. Now I'm pain free.

[katiush]

Ugh, just read a ton on thrush, and now I'm totally freak out
Luckily, DS just has a few patches on the inside of his lips, so I think we're still in early stages (I hope!). DS has also been super gassy the last few days. My ped made it sound like no big deal, so I hadn't been worried about it. I'll be making my rounds of calls in the morning to get what we need. Thanks for this tip!

[katiush]

I called my midwife today to ask her to call in a script for the Dr Jack's All Purpose Nipple Ointment. Turns out that a compound prescription isn't covered by my insurance (it would cost me $150!), but my pharmacist is awesome, and she filled the prescription as three separate things, and I will have to mix it myself. She will even give me an ointment jar to mix it
I bought some more probiotics and am applying it as a paste onto DS's lips and will be taking grapefruit seed extract before going to bed. So funny about the grapefruit seed extract, because my husband swears by the stuff and takes it every single day.
How was your daughter treated for thrush? My DS has horrible stinky gas lately. I have a script for Nystatin, but don't really want to use it. Do you think I should use it?

[my3girlsjde]

Your pharmacist sounds awesome

E was treated with Nystatin applied to my nipples right before a feed. I made the mistake of putting it on my nipples and putting my bra back on to deal with my other two girls and then taking the bra off was like peeling off duct tape! . Very sticky when dried just so you know. I never heard of grapefruitseed extract. Is it a probiotic?

[katiush]

Grapefruit seed extract is made from exactly that, and is a natural antimicrobal. You take 15 drops in a big glass of water - It strengthens your immune system and you can even clean toilets with it in the right proportions lol - I guess you can compare it to vinegar in that sense. Although DH takes it every day, I can't stand the taste, so I don't do it. But he rarely gets sick. I read on FAQ on thrush to dilute 15 drops in 1 oz of water and apply it to the nipples after every feeding - I've been applying it with a q-tip. Anyway, you can google it and find out all you want to know and more about gse.
Good to know about the nystatin getting sticky - wouldn't want to make that mistake! My prescription says to swab it in the mouth, so I guess I'll stick to that method.