10 days old baby, cracked nipples, fussy when latching...help!

[Marie-O]

Thank you ladies!
I'm doing the exclusive pumping until next Tuesday max! then I'll try again bare breast, if too painful then nipple shield again...if still painful then....not sure yet.
I think they are starting to heal...but still way too slow

[eva026]

Holding thumbs for you:)
BTW, we've been BF with nipple shields for 10.5 months now so it can be done with them too. I managed to wean them at around 6mo and then DD got teeth and started biting chunks out of my nipples so the shields went straight back on again and stayed.

[Marie-O]

BTW, we've been BF with nipple shields for 10.5 months now so it can be done with them too

This gives me so much hope that I'll be able to continue BF'ing no matter what!!:)
I don't mind the nipple shield except she doesn't get as much milk and get tired quickly...so my milk supply drops so we need to supplement with formula.
I guess when she gets a bit older she will be more awake and be able to get more out.

[kirstyw14]

yeh i agree with other posts nipple shields saved my life!! I almost gave up the idea of breastfeeding because my nipples where so sore. i used nipple shields.  In between feeds in covered my nipples in linicol (think thats how u spell it ) nipple cream.  Its great stuff and u dont need to wash it off.
Hang in there ... its worth the pain in the end to watch your little one grow - and you be the one making it happen
good luck x

[kirstyw14]

ps - when my wee one bites me - it normally means she needs to change sides/ has wind or is about to fill her nappy xxx
might be that way for ur wee one 

[susantvw]

Hi, hope I can help.

Your story was very similar to mine and as a result my LO wasn't putting on enough weight and lost more than 10% of her birth weight.  I went to many b/f groups and everyone had their own advice.  In the end I decided that my letdown was too slow and as a result my LO had to suck too hard to get the flow which I think led to my cracked bleeding nipples. 

I had a day in bed with my LO and did skin to skin all day,  I let my lo make her own way to my breast and latch on, its amazing how they do it.  The skin to skin made my boobs all tingly and my boobs starting leaking.  Before each feed I'd also hand massage before latching just to help with the letdown.  My lo is now 6mths, still breastfeeding with no problems, infact I'm having trouble getting her to take the bottle, I'm preparing her for nursery and me going back to work.

Hope reading this hepls.

Susan
Mummy to Daniel 2, Isabelle 6mths
xx

[Marie-O]

Thank you for sharing your story Susan.
It's a nice way you did to increase your let down. How did you manage to heal your nipples? In my case they just aren't healing it's been 5 weeks now.
Since I've been pumping (double-hospital grade pump) and taking the herbs+Domperidone my milk supply has gone up!!

Nipples are still very opened on the sides, I'm not sure if i should try to put my LO on the breast and see what happens, but if i do so then I'm afraid they will crack even more and/or not heal and get infected. Then I'll loose all the last 2 weeks effort where I haven't put my LO directly to the breast to aloud healing......which isn't working anyways...Gosh I really don't know what to think or do anymore ((sight))
I'm getting tired of the pumping, is so time consuming!! No I feel I have a duct blocked on my left breast, there's a spot that's very hard and never softens even if massaging and pumping.

Anyways....don't know what to do anymore. I feel totally discouraged

[*Ali*]

Has someone checked the wounds aren't infected with bacteria or thrush?do you think the pump is opening them when you use it? How are you with hand expressing? I never could get on with it but some ladies find it empties the breast better.
I got a plugged duct when pumping on a weekend away which was hard and never softened and the instant I fed LO on my return it went. That may be your only option if you can't get it out with massage and warmth.

[ZacsMumme]

Marie, just dropping off more hugs and to let you know I think your perseverance is amazing
Susan - wow, great story. I love it

[Fiver]

How are you with hand expressing?

^^This.  There's no suction applied to the nipple, so no damage being caused.  The hospital grade pumps usually have speed and pressure settings.  It may be that you could do with turning down the pressure slightly so that your nipple isn't being dragged into the flange so hard.  Also, is the flange the right size for you?  That can make a difference (the collection sets I had came with 3 different sizes based on the size of breast).

Now that LO's TT has been divided, you may find that their suck doesn't cause so much trauma, so might be worth a try.  If it doesn't work you can always go back to pumping/hand expressing for a while longer.

[Marie-O]

Has someone checked the wounds aren't infected with bacteria or thrush

I don't think there's thrush or infection since no pain or burning sensation on the breast. But I'm going to the doctor tomorrow for my 6week check up and will ask him to check again.

Also, is the flange the right size for you?

Yep. The lactation consultant was the one telling me which one to use.

I haven't used hand expressing...seems like a lot of work though...I should give it a try.
I do hand expression while pumping to get all the ducts emptied.

Marie, just dropping off more hugs and to let you know I think your perseverance is amazing

Thank you Sara, and thank all of you for being here with me in this journey. I hope to bring good news soon

((Hugs))

[Shiv52]

Hugs Hun xx

I actually found pumping did more damage than nursing. Was just too much pressure on my nipples.

[susantvw]

Hi Maire,

My nipples healed using lansinoh nipple cream and fresh air.  I'd put the tube on the radiator to soften it up and I'd put big blobs on my nipples also when I fed my lo I used one boob each feed rather than both.  When lo was latched on I also used breast compressions between sucks and it really helped as she wasn't sucking as hard.

Expressing makes my nipples sore so I express from one side while my lo feeds from the other and it helps as my lo does the work for the letdown as I'm not having to pump for the letdown (if that makes sense).  I also helps with my milk supply.

Are you enjoying breastfreeding? I know to start with I didn't enjoy it but I am now.

Susan

[Erin M]

(((hugs))), I hope it resolves soon. 

[Marie-O]

Quick update...
I'm going to BF with bare breast today!! I'm sick and tired of the pump...enough is enough. Nipples still opened but they don't hurt anymore so I guess they've toughened up.
I'm waiting for her to wake up to feed her....I'm kind of nervous, it will be almost like her first time since she probably don't remember how to latch.
I'll tell you later how it goes. Wish me luck