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Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Infant feeding

BF - Lots of pain in one side only

60 replies

alex8 · 09/03/2007 20:51

Have a 10 day old baby and the pain on one breast is really bad. Its excrutiating for a few mins then just goes down to just about bearable. The midwife in hospital helped me with my positioning and gave me jelonet to help with the soreness and 2 midwives have said positioning ok. I have tried different postions, lying down and that under arm rugby hold. Evidently I have v big nipples and its hard for him to latch on. (on that side he sometimes goes on and off 5-10 times to begin with which only adds to the pain). The other side is fine and I breastfed my older child for a year with no pain. I'm getting so depressed and feel ill at the thought of him feeding on that side. For the first few days before my milk came in he bf almost 24 hours round the clock which must have added to my soreness.

The nipple is still sore the rest of the time and I get the odd bit of breast pain and tenderness.

I was thinking of getting a bf counsellor but of all the organistations only the nct are in my area and am not a member anymore and I need to see someone not just talk on the phone. There are bf sessions at my maternity hospital but the woman who runs them is on holiday and I don't know how much longer I can go on like this.

Any ideas?

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AbominableSnowMum · 09/03/2007 20:57

Oh poor you! I had a very very similar thing with DD. She is my third and the third I have BF, and one nipple ended up absolutely cracked while the other one was fine. Latching was the same on both sides. All I can say is that it does get better. I am sure that someone else will happen along with something more useful soon

alex8 · 09/03/2007 21:04

thank you. I just sort of want to know if its normal and will get better or if I have a problem that needs fixing. I thought that I could express off that side for a while but even that hurts!

Its also making me feel like a prisoner in my own home as I don't want to go out and have to faff around in public with exposed breasts. The midwife today said I could feed twice off the easy breast to give the other one a break but am worried about messing up the supply and having painful engorged breasts. Have done it this evening though but am scared stiff of the next feed. Also feel its really spoiling the first few days with my baby.

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AbominableSnowMum · 09/03/2007 21:08

I just worked through the pain . But there may well be something that someone else can suggest. I will go see if tiktok is around...

AbominableSnowMum · 09/03/2007 21:09

It is horrible to feel scared of the next feed . I had that again recently when she bit me

alex8 · 09/03/2007 21:11

it does feel a lot like biting! When my first child bit me I always screamed out in pain (without thinking) he used to come off and look very offended and cry then went on again ok!

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Plibble · 09/03/2007 21:14

My sister had a thing like this - she thought it was a cracked nipple, but it turned out to be thrush. Once they got that sorted, it was smooth sailing. Can you see your GP, just in case?

AbominableSnowMum · 09/03/2007 21:16

Is the pain caused by cracked nipples then (it was obvious that mine was because I could see the damage!) or could it be something to do with position / latch etc?

DD has bitten a few times recently (she is nearly 7 months) and unlike her big brothers doesn't seem to get that this is unacceptable - I tell her no and put her down - she GRINS at me

alex8 · 09/03/2007 21:23

Yes am not sure if it is positioning or thrush. Midwives said positoning ok. It sort of looks ok to me although sometimes his mouth looks like there is not enough below the nipple in his mouth but then there a lot of nipple to go in!

Nipple very sore and only a little cracked no bleeding. Am using jelonet and lanisoh. Sometimes have pain btw feeds but not too much more like being full of milk. The pain is most intense with the actually lathcing ona nd sucking.

Think I will go to gps on monday but have been signed off by hospital midwives today and not sure where else to get someone to look at latch. I hate that its the weekend tomorrow so can't do anything.

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vinorouge · 09/03/2007 22:20

Alex8 I have 8 week old DD and have had pain like this plus cracked nipples most of the time. I got treatment for thrush on Monday and it has nearly healed up now plus the doctor gave me antibiotics as she thought my nipple looked red like it was infected although it looked no different to me!

I rang NCT (you can ring them even if you're not a member and if they are near you they will see you I think, I am going to see the lady I spoke to at her BF group).

Hope things get better soon for you its horrible when it hurts and you dread a feed

Has anyone suggested that you massage your boob to get the milk flowing in your sore side before you try to latch baby on?

AbominableSnowMum · 09/03/2007 22:23

So mine might have been thrush! And no-one told me!

Grr

tiktok · 09/03/2007 22:35

alex, I agree .... you need to see someone. Whether an NCT bfc can see you depends on her availability not your membership of the organisation though - phone up and ask.

Having said that, you are in the time when midwives should be 100 per cent concerned to see you feeding pain-free. It does not sound as if you are getting good help....heavens, it is their job to help you, and you should not have to reky on voluntary support to have a pain-free feed.

stressteddy · 09/03/2007 22:39

Poor you - sounds painful
Have you tried a breast shield? I used them at first when nipples were bleeding and dreaded the next feed. Whoever invented them deserves a peace prize. x

trixymalixy · 09/03/2007 23:12

I had exactly this. One side was really badly cracked and the other was fine.

I had loads of people look at my latch and it was fine. I used a combination of jelonet, lansinoh, breast shells to keep my bra away from my nipple and I used nipple shields to give it a break for about 5 days and everything has been fine now without nipple shields for a few weeks.

It was getting me really down and the nipple shields made a huge difference to my emotional state.

alex8 · 10/03/2007 14:25

thanks so much for all your replies. I rang the midwives this am and they suggested as I was having breast pain that I was engorged cos of 2 feedings on the same side. So they recommended cabbage, hot flannels in the bath hand, expressing and making sure the breast was soft before he latched on. It seemed to help and the feed was not so painful as before. Have also bought nipple shields or the boots version which is nursing teats but haven't tried them out yet. I hope they are the same. They said I should call back if still having problems which is good. But 2 of them said latch was ok and I have been really careful about positioning. Will see gp about thrush on monday just in case if pain continues.

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AbominableSnowMum · 10/03/2007 17:21

I am gald that the pain is less . I hope it continues to improve for you

alex8 · 10/03/2007 17:31

thanks! I used the breast shields for the last feed and they seemed good but very slow but when I took them off I was bleeding. Also I now have a red hard patch which I suppose is a blocked duct. I'd better phone the midwives again. I'm crying my 3 year old is crying and the baby is crying which he never does after a feed.

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AbominableSnowMum · 10/03/2007 17:58

Oh poor you! Thinking back I had the engorged thing, and thought I had mastitis a couple of times. I think it being my third I thought I shouldn't really be asking for help (bloody wish I had found this place then rather than now!), that and the fact that they told me what a confident mum i was (one called me "casual", I think she meant confident ).

Get them to come and see you.

Really.

Do.

alex8 · 10/03/2007 20:09

hospital midwives said I should see a dr so have got an out of hours one to visit. Hopefully with antibiotics. But if I have thrush too that will make that worse. Feel a bit hot too and so fed up that I really wanted to enjoy having a little baby this time and everything is conspiring against me to make it crap.

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AbominableSnowMum · 10/03/2007 21:42

Oh honey! If you have a temp maybe you do have an infection or mastitis or something. I really am not an expert though. I am so sorry that you feel crap - and it is a really emotional, hormone laden time (well it was for me ), on top of all that sleep deprevation it can be a bit shit really. It will get better though .

I would take any chance you can to have a nice relaxing bath and put the warm towels on the sore one.

Do you have DH or someone around who can take the load off and let you get some sleep? Where are you in the country?

I hope the Doc is good, and let us know how you are getting on.

alex8 · 12/03/2007 16:24

Thanks its very kind of you to keep replying to me! Dr came out and got antibiotics but luckily the red blocked duct went with heat and massage. Also latch got a bit better. It does seem to have got less painful but every third feed or so it hurts again and he still often takes about 5-10 times to latch on which is painful and frustrating. And something that I don't want to do in public. Dh still on paternity leave which is great as he can amuse my 3 yr old.

Just still not sure if the pain is thrush, poor positioning or just the fact that my nipples are very sore. It doesn't help that my baby has started feeding on both sides every time so the nipple doesn't get much of a break.

Its amazing the human race has survived really when there so many things that can go wrong with bf!

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yellowrose · 12/03/2007 16:43

alex8 - my experience of thrush in the milk ducts is that the pain comes around 0 - 30 minutes AFTER a feed. Do you have deep shooting pains after a feed ?

yellowrose · 12/03/2007 16:45

alex8 - are you sure there is no La Leche League near you ? They tend to be in most places. How about a Baby Cafe ? I can post links to find your nearest ones if you wish ?

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KTeePee · 12/03/2007 16:54

Alex I hadn't seen you initial post but as I was reading through I was thinking mastitis - sometimes you can have the pain/soreness before a red patch or lump appears. I had terrible problems with recurring mastitis with my 3rd child - and stupidly didn't seek proper advice as I also thought I knew what I was doing.... with hindsight I should have gone to see a breasfeeding counsellor early on to check positioning, etc. I mostly self-medicated with ibuprofen and I think the underlying blockage never cleared up (hence the constant tenderness and pain). I ended up with an abscess.....

If the antibiotics haven't cleared it up withing 3 days GO BACK TO YOUR GP! You may need stronger ones. Hopefully yours will clear up but don't let it linger on if it doesn't....and try to see a BF counseller when you are feeling up to it.

alex8 · 12/03/2007 18:32

yellow rose - My pain tends to be on latching on and just general nipple soreness after a feed which then fades somewhat. So according to the bf network info it doesn't sound like thrush. Alhtough a friend of mine had thrush and says her pain was just on latching on! I'm in west londons/middlesex and I think there are some baby cafes in south west london/surrey which isn't that far. My hospital had some posters for them in acton and chiswick but I foolishly didn't take any info down as I thought I could go to the hospital bf support thing but the woman who runs them is on holiday.

kteepee - I haven't taken the antibiotics as the blockage/lump redness has gone and the pain is just really in the nipple. I was worried that if I have thrush it will make that worse.

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AbominableSnowMum · 12/03/2007 18:39

Hi alex - could you call the hospital and get them to give you the numbers for acton?

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