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Infant feeding

Bruised/injured nipple from biting? help please

7 replies

Flightattendant · 10/11/2009 08:09

Sorry to ask but I am having a lot of probs with one nipple which is just agony.

Since several weeks ago ds has bitten it a few times, and I think he has damaged it somehow...it's been really sore on and off, doesn't seem like blocked duct/mastitis or thrush though I have got some daktarin in case.

Basically it hurts every time he feeds and also when I touch it in between. The breast itself looks normal but the nipple is quite red at the end, and i have just noticed a dark red patch in the centre that looks like a bruise or maybe some old bleeding inside, it's horrid. Does thta sound like it's infected?

Starting to worry now as it's been weeks on and off - do I carry on feeding from that one or give it a rest and let it heal? There's no bleeding externally but it just hurts so much and I don't know what's going on...even starting to think maybe it might be something nastier?

has anyone else had this kind of injury and what do you do - if I stop using that breast it's going to get engorged as it is his 'main' one iyswim, and I tried not using it the other day and it hurt a lot and went like it was full of plasticine so I gave in.

Got to go to school now but back in a bit - any thoughts very gratefully received, thanks x

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ejbab · 11/11/2009 23:18

Hi Flightattendant
Not really sure what to suggest but didn't want you to go unanswered.
Dd is often doing bizarre biting/ bad latching things - usually at night when I'm too sleepy to notice - to one of my boobs and the next day I can see the red bruising on my nipple. If I'm not vigilant about putting a heat pack on it and making sure she latches well for the next few feeds - or it's just a particularly bad bite - this bruising often leads to mastitis.
If I were you I'd try to keep on feeding so you don't get engorged and just dose up on paracetemol. I've tried using arnica cream on bruised nipples - maybe you could try that?
Anyway, sorry no real answers but hope it feels better soon - mine usually stop hurting after a day or two. It's miserable isn't it?

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LackaDAISYcal · 11/11/2009 23:35

Oh flight, sorry this hasn't gotten any better.

It sounds like it might be a milk blister which is a blockage in the pore of the nipple, so the milk backs up behind it. they can be like a little white head, but if it;s been like that for a while and he is biting as well then it could come up like a little blood blister. the plasticine feeling boob would certainly fit with a blockage, ime.

It might also explain the biting; he is maybe frustrated that flow is slower.

Have a look at kellymom; I linked it on your thread at the weekend, but here is the link again

Also have a search on here for milk blister and either vlc or very little carrot. she had horrendous problems with them and some top tips for getting rid.

It's one of those things that can take an age to clear unfortunately and can oftern sort itself out without intervention. I fondly remember my boob was spurting cheese strings after I managed to pop one I had when DD was little....nice

Saying that, I think you need to get it looked at as well, just to rule out anything else and to get some ABs if there is any infection there, and the last thing you want is it leading to nasty case of mastitis or even an abcess.

Take care and make sure you aren't overdoing things if there is any infection there. ibuprofen will help with swelling.

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ZippysMum · 12/11/2009 11:24

Oh flight. Sorry to hear you're still suffering.

No great advice - milk blisters are something I haven't encountered (yet [hopeful emoticon]), but Daisy seems to have given great advice.

If you do get antibiotics, just keep a really good eye out for thrush. Ab's for mastitis were what started off our thrush - I didn't spot it for a week or so, by which time both boys had it, and despite 4 weeks of treatment, I still don't think we have shifted it.

Any joy with the expressing, just to give that breast a break? You do get a bit less milk out than suckling, but it is gentler than the baby, and would prevent the engorgement you described.

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Flightattendant · 12/11/2009 13:23

Oh guys thankyou so much for all your messages, i always go to bed early so only just saw this.

Zippysmum sorry you are still having problems. it just seems to go on and on doesn't it?

My boob is feeling much better now. I have been feeding much less from the RH side as it was hurting so much but when he gets very insistent and hngry (as LH doesn't produce that much) then I've let him have it - mainly at night. This seems to have stopped it getting engorged again and also allows it to heal.

The red patch has come to the surface now and seems to be like a little scab almost - weird - as though there was an injury inside which was more of a bruise and now it's reached the outside and might go away I suppose...bit like when you get a bruise under a fingernail and it travels up to the surface eventually? I dunno ...not sure how it works! But it has stopped hurting in a general way now and only feels painful when he feeds from it.

Kellymom is wonderful Daisy, thankyou...I have bookmarked it to refer to in future. It seems so sensible. I used to run to the GP every time for antibiotics then realised I rpobably only had a blocked duct and found a way to sort them out myself...thanks to people linking to that site

I'm going to see how it goes now - just easing off the feeding on that side I think, he has never been that keen on actual food and I am rubbish at making things he will eat - but just now he got four petit filous from the fridge and ate all of them

Poor fellow. He has got to learn that food comes from the fridge, not from mummy.

Ejbab I think that is what happened...I was so afraid to use it after he bit me, that it was turning into a blockage/infection. I think that bad night when I was expressing and using a hot nappy on it (!) did the trick though thank goodness.

Boobs are weird. I wish I understood what they were doing half the time

Thanks again for all the support and advice, you've all been really helpful and kind.

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Flightattendant · 12/11/2009 13:25

Zippy are you still expressing, is it helping?

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ZippysMum · 12/11/2009 14:16

hi flight!

apologies for no caps - feeding again!

yes, expressing but keeping it for 'emergencies'; it is always the 3am - 9am feeds that are most painful, so I'm expressing at midnight and using it if I just can't face putting one of the babies on the left side.

Also planning to use a bottle of ebm to try to get a bit more into dt2, who is putting on weight much more slowly than his brother.

less pain now, though!

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LackaDAISYcal · 12/11/2009 14:19

I'm glad things are easing off a little bit flight and hope things continue to improve. Keep an eye on it though incase there is any infection there.

Sore boobs are up there with sore feet and toothache in the misery stakes imo.

I hope you can ease him off the boob as well, if that's what you want. Maybe someone taking him away for the day and overnight? Are your parents able to do that? or does he see his Dad at all?

I've never been in the situation of feeding an older child, but I can see that DS2, who is just a year, is going to just go on and on feeding. Mind you, he eats heartily as well as feeding four+ times a day, the porker!

Zippy, it took me three lots of oral fluconazole tablets to get rid of thrush with DD. If you think it isn't gone, go back and see your GP and badger them. I can't remember from the other thread whether you had a course of tablets or whether it was just topical treatments. If you had it for a couple of weeks though, I would say you'd definately need the tablets to shift it.

Healing vibes to you both

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