Owwww - another bit of nipple gone - can't cope :(

[EllieLock]

After the fab advice I got here a couple of days ago I have been trying different positions w/ feeding to relieve the pressure on my right nipple which has a hole in it from earlier trauma.  It's been really helping.  This morning I tried lying down feeding but it really hurt to get her on and continued hurting so I took her off after  a couple of minutes, only to discover another bit of nipple tissue from round the hole is now protruding/hanging off and bleeding.

I've spent most of the morning in tears.  I'm sat here trying to express from it but I can't stand the pump on strong enough to draw hardly anything out.  I've had to do the last 3 feeeds from the other breast and am worried it's going to cause problems.  I generally feed her for as long as she wants on both sides and am worried I won't be able to do that and she'll go hungry. Will try with a nipple shield next time but am dreading it.

I'm going to go to a bf clinic this afternoon, and will get a breast shield in a mo to keep clothes from irritating it.  Any other ideas?  I do NOT want to give up!

TIA
Ellie

[EllieLock]

Only managed to get 0.5oz by expressing so that won't work. Looks like I'm going to have to grit my teeth and try the nipple protector?

She sicked up milk with blood in it even though she was only on it for a few minutes.

Feeling very depressed
Ellie

[deb]

Not much in the way of advice for you, but my first thought was a good lactation consultant. Glad to see you'e going to get help.

My first DD pretty much tore me up too; when the LC looked at my nipples, her reaction was, "Well, I've seen worse....!" :shock: Apparently she hadn't seen MUCH worse, though. I was able to express using the slowest and most gentle setting on the electric breast pump - I still had to grit my teeth, mind you, but it was still less painful than actually nursing. I also have NEVER managed to nurse lying down - just one MORE reason we don't do a family bed. :?

What I ended up doing was having the nighttime feeds be formula feeds so that my nipples had a chance to heal during the nights, and then going back to BF during the days. There was some engorgement, but as I was pumping right before bedtime and nursing first thing in the AM, it wasn't too bad. Once it started to hurt less to nurse, I was able to go back to breast milk full time, although we kept the bottle at bedtime (formula + expressed milk) so DH could put her to bed till she gave up bottles on her own at 8 months.

People have different feelings about using formula, either on its own or in conjunction with BF, but it did work OK for us; in fact, it actually SAVED us from having to stop nursing altogether. It's a personal decision, though.

Please let us know how you make out at the clinic today.

[annamum]

Yes, I am so sorry that you are going through this. Don't have any advice to offer, but hope things will start getting better soon.

<<<HUGS>>>

[GG]

Deb had a great idea about offering a bottle during the dreamfeeds so that your body can start to heal.  I would have suggested talking to his pedi or a good lactation consultant (I saw one and it was a complete waste of time/money, so make sure she's good!), too.  The breast shield really will help, but it will take some time.  By the way, .5 oz is not too bad.  At least it's telling your body to keep it going!  Once you're healed, you'll be able to get more out of it.

*HUGS*  I really hope you're able to heal quickly and your DD able to latch on better.

Don't be depressed!  It sounds as if you're doing all you can and more!!!

[EllieLock]

Thanks for all the support folks.  Went to the clinic and they weren't much more help tbh.  She said my latch on was much improved from last time and she couldn't see a reason my nipples were still coming out ridged.  (or why the damage either).  She basically agreed that the best thing to do was carry on using the shield for the time being to give it a chance to heal.  Didn't have any other advice.  The shields do make it bearable, just dreading when I stop using them.  I also bought a gel pad thing which goes over the nipple to help heal it apparently.  Fingers crossed it helps.

Strangely since this has happened my right breast especially seems to have suddenly got new life as it feels all engorged again.  Very full, tender and hot.  Hoping that eases off tomorrow.

In the mean time Nyah has stopped sleeping properly.  She was going down at 7, waking at 10, then around 2:30 and around 6. Now she starts crying as soon as she is put down, if not a little earlier, and last night wailed until 1:30am.  Just about non stop.  She started again this evening and I'm in floods of tears and hubby has got in a snot and taken her out in the car.    Dunno what to do really.  I'm so stressed over the feeding issue this really isn't helping. <sigh>  We did think she had colic at one stage and used colief but stopped nearly a week ago.  Started her back on them this evening but if it is that they haven't worked yet.

Thanks again,
Ellie

[Jrolph]

Hi Ellielock,

I had a similar issue with my DS.  Fortunately for me I was only nursing on one side.  I went to my doctor and she told me to feed from the one side only and pump from the other while it healed.  I used a nipple shield too, but not to feed only to keep my bra from rubbing and to let the air dry it a bit.  The first day it was okay but by the second day I was so engorged that I decided to feed him from that side anyway.  I almost gave up too, but I got some really good support from this website and I pushed on thru.  I know its hard to believe but things do get better and you will heal if you give it time.

[GraceKellysmom]

Ellie, watch yourself with that tender and hot feeling. With an open wound it is easier to get mastitis, a breast infection. If you get a fever, please call the doc and get an antibiotic right away. And if you use an antibiotic while breastfeeding, you should take pro-biotics and eat yogurt to fend off thrush.

A nipple shield is a great idea. Let yourself heal. Also, Dr Jack Newman has a breast cream that he suggests for wet healing on an open wound like that. Does anyone remember that website? Or the combination the pharmacy can mix up for you? Lanolin cream will help for now.

You can do this! Just think you will be able to look back on this and help other mommies through it soon enough!

[Jrolph]

Hi Everyone,

The website is the thebirthden.com.  You should be able to open the following link into word for the all purpose nipple ointment.

http://www.thebirthden.com/Treatments%20for%20sore%20nipples%20and%20sore%20breasts-January%202005.doc

There is more information on the website if you want to look at it too.

I hope this helps
Jen

[GraceKellysmom]

Thanks Jen that is what I was thinking of. I saved it for future reference.

[Rhiannon]

Hi

My nipples were really sore too, bits missing etc. on the one side! My lactation consultant said to try jelonet dressing on them to help them heal and to try and keep them moist so used vasaline instead of lanolin cream. I also stopped feeding off the left side and used to express off the left while I fed off the right (awkward but saves time!). Used to give a bottle at the dream feed too and pump instead to keep up my supply.
If your feeling run down I took floradix herbal remedy which has got iron in it so helps with healing too.

Hope this helps, I know everyone says it gets better but it really does, my little one's 8 months old and still feeding.

[EllieLock]

Thanks again for the advice.  Have been sticking to using the shield and it seems to be really helping, the wound doesn't reopen when feeding which is great.  Only thing now is deciding when to stop using it.  I'm rather nervous about it to be honest.  I don't want to do it too soon and undo the good healing that's gone on, but on the other hand, Nyah doesn't really like feeding from it, so I don't want to use it for too long either.

Cheers,
Ellie

[Veronique]

Has the lactation consultant checked out your LO's mouth?  Does she have a short frenulum (tongue tied)?  Does she have a high pallette?  If she has either one, that could cause your nipple to be bent and cause all of the trauma that you are experiencing?  My son had both so I had to fight three cases of mastitis until I figured out what was going on.  If it is a short frenulum, I would advice you get your LO's tongue clipped so she can have a better suck.  If it is a high pallette, there are actually exercises you can do with your LO to teach her how to suck better without bending your nipple so much.  A good lactaction consultant can show you.

Hang in there!  Once you figure out what is causing the problem and resolve it, you will be amazed at the difference.

[alison reed]

Hi ellie
I am going through a similar thing at the moment my self but mine nipple soreness is being caused by my 9 1/2 month old daqughters teeth.  She has 4 now (2 on the the bottom and 2 right above them on the top. So her teeth are rubing across my nipple and making them sore. I know how much this hurts and I also have a long term problem with my nipples anyway as I have skin tags which can not be surgicley removed because the root of some of the tags are inside in endings of the milk ducts under the brown bit around your nipple. So you can guess what is happening, as she rubs her teeth on my nipple she is pulling a bit of the tag of inbetween her teeth and making it bleed.

You also need timeout for yourself so get lo daddy to take her for a hour a day  or if this is not possible once a week for 1-2 hours inbetween her feeds so that you can give yourself some special attention as I have been batterling postnatal depression on and off now for 3 1/2 years and I am doing this drug free. And all I do is pamper myself.  Luckly for me my 2 lo's daddy is devoted to them and as soon as he gets home from work he will make me go up to our room and he has the children and I get to have time on my own for 1 hour a day.  By the time that hour is up my daughter whats her bf before the family dinner.  In my time to myself I ever give myself a facial, a manicure, a lovely hand massage or a nice soak in a hot bubble bath. Sometimes all I do is lay on the bed and read a book, do some cross-stitching or do make a crocheted blanket for my business which I am in the process of getting set up.

I hope there is something useful in there somewhere as I have just worbbled on and I am not sure if I have given you any useful advice which you could use.

But everyone is right keep up with the bf as everything will get better even though it seems at the moment that everything is going against you and you just want to give in.

Chin up and I look forward to reading how you are getting on in the near future

[EllieLock]

Hi Alison,

Thanks for your reply.  I don't know if you saw my other post regarding her tongue tie?  It turns out she has (or I should say had) a minor tongue tie which combined with a very high palette was causing me pain and her a difficult time feeding.  She had it snipped just over a week ago and things are much better now.  My nipple is healing (PHEW!) and the pain has diminished to merely uncomfortable now which is great.  Even better we've taken her off the reflux and colic medicine and she still seems happy!! 

With regards to time out I am really looking forwards to next week when my other two girls go back to school, that will really help loads.  I also invested in a miracle blanket which seems to have really helped and she is settling for bed and naps much quicker now.

I like the ideas of facials etc, will definitely take a few of those on board

Thanks so much for the help and advice, I really hope you are able to sort something out wrt to lo's teeth - that sounds very painful 

Take care,
Ellie
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