Holes/splits under nipples

[SoreInScotland]

Over the last couple of days have had pain latching on 15month old DD and now have a small (very painful) hole at the base of each nipple.

Does anyone have any ideas to improve latch? Find it really hard to stop her just lunging on.

Not sure why this has happened now after so long, anyone got any ideas? New teeth?

Do you think sippy cups could lead to bad latch?

Thanks for any advice/ideas

I had a similar problem when new teeth come through. With each one i got a red patch that became broken skin then formed a scab. I changed his positioning for a few days to let the sore patch heal then it seemed to get better. I also found that the right side was always worse and feeding from the right side first gave me more problems. He was more enthusiastic when very hungry maybe?

Oh God its excruciating isn't it? Make sure you do the whole moist wound healing thing with Jelonet and/or vaseline applied religiously after each feed until it's healed.

You ould try feeding in different positions -tongue over the hole might, bizarrely, be least painful. Tell her to open wide and make a yawning mouth for her to copy, try saying "say ah" and showing her. Move her head further away from your nipple so she really has to stretch and open wide to reach. Try to make sure she comes on chin first, nipple pointing at roof of mouth.

Do you feed lying down at night? Might they have got damaged by teeth while you were sleeping? It's easily done.

Hope it all heals soon.

Yes Brollyflower, now I think of it night feeds had been quite uncomfortable for a while. I think she has just been sucking for comfort so would slip off quite a bit.

Read the Kellymom site this morn so doing salt baths etc and also thinking of ordering some Silverettes.

Thanks for your suggestions.