Sharp stabbing pain in boobs after feeding

[knackered76]

Any ideas what it is or how I can get it to stop? DS 2 weeks old but have only been bf for a few days (he's been in hospital and wasn't allowed food). Before I started feeding him I was expressing 6/7 times a day. It doesn't happen every time I feed but it does seem to be getting more frequent. His latch is okay, although painful at first (the expressing really started to hurt) and I can't find any noticeable lumps or bumps.

Thank you for any light that could be shed!

[TheRealMBJ]

Congratulations on your DS (and on managing to maintIn your supply during his hospitalisation, no mean feat!). Can you tell us a little more about the pain, does it really just happen between feeds? Is actual feeding pain free?

[Littlefish]

I had this, and it turned out to be thrush. I would suggest going to the GP asap (armed with relevant information from LLL or ABM in case your GP isn't au fait with it). When I first went to the GP with it, I was told that it couldn't be thrush as dd didn't have it in her mouth. Completely wrong!

[Henrythehappyhelicopter]

I had a similar pain, turned out to be a blocked duct. I was put on an electronic pump, looked like one you milk a cow with, and that cleared it.

[harecare]

It sounds like what I had which turned out to be thrush. Cut out as much sugar from your diet as possible. Fruit juice is really bad too. Also go to GP.

[chocolateteabag]

You need to see your GP asap today and get a prescription.

If you have thrush your lo will get it and it will affect his feeding. If there is a surgery today call and say you have suspected thrush in your 2 week old. You should get an emergency appointment.
If not call NHS direct and talk to a nurse. They should then be able t refer you to an out of hours GP.

Do it today as the pain will only get worse otherwise and you don't want it to stop your BF-ing. In the meantime a nipple shield may help with the pain.

IME your need to have a fluconazole tablet and some Daktarin oral gel which goes on your nips and in DS's mouth (either via your nips or on a dummy/finger)

Good luck!

[TheRealMBJ]

Do not put Daktarin gel on your nipples in order to get it into your baby's mouth. It is a choke risk and is contra-indicated in babies under 4 months old anyway, for this very reason. If you do have thrush, which may very well be the case, you will need to take fluconazole for 10day. The breastfeeding network have an excellent leaflet you can take to your GP (do take one with) as most GP's haven't a clue how to correctly treat thrush in a bf mother and baby. It is free to down-load from their website. Sorry can't link as on phone.

[chocolateteabag]

Ah ok - my GP advised me to put a small smear on my nips before bf-ing my DS and then apply more afterwards. Wasn't meaning a big toothpaste sized pea. Can't see how you'd get the gel into lo's mouth any other way as surely on your finger/dummy is the same as on a nip?

Anyhoo - hope you have got sorted out OP!

[TheRealMBJ]

Sorry chocolate, but it was bad advice from your GP, in fact I think it says expressly on the drug insert that you shouldn't so that. I wouldn't use a dummy either. If you use your little finger you can smear it around the baby's mouth.

[Cosmosis]

here is a link to the bfn leaflet mentioned above