Friend in Brighton having breastfeeding nightmare crying down phone - really want to help

[purplemania]

Hi everyone, a really good friend of mine had her baby 3 weeks ago. She's determined to breastfeed if she possible can but I've just been with her in tears on the phone as it's so painful and difficult (she was crying out in pain while on the phone) and when she squeezed one breast blood came out and she's stopped using that one at all. She's waited so long for the baby and is finding it so difficult - and I'm not near enough to visit.

Does anyone know of a breastfeeding expert in Brighton she could call. She's already in touch with the NCT breastfeeding counsellor who visits twice a week and midwives have given loads of advice too, I just know that sometimes you just have to keep looking until the right bit of technique works for you.
She and DH are too frazzled to research, so I said I'd put out a plea.
If she could speak to someone or see them today it would help her get through the weekend...
I can only help from my own experience and it went relatively smoothly for me - I'm a great believer in getting advice as soon as possible...
Thanks all - feeling for my mate...

Really difficult to advise as don't know full story.

Get her to express off the one that is bleeding. If its really really painful the latch isn't right. Its common for a bit of soreness but if its three weeks in and she is crying out in pain something is def amiss. Possibities are:

bad latch (although with so many people checking this i would be surprised if they haven't picked it up)
tongue tie (again with so many people checking, i would be surprised)
thrush (again with so many people checking?!)

resources at her disposal

brighton breastfeeding drop in

'BRIGHTON, E. Sussex: Breastfeeding drop-in group meets on Tuesdays from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm in the Hanover Community Centre, Southover Street. Fully trained and experienced Peer Supporters always there and an NCT Breastfeeding Counsellor normally present. Library of books on breastfeeding for browsing and borrowing. Any breastfeeding mothers in the Brighton and Hove area are welcome to come along. Contact Cathy on 01273 551870 for further information.'

Janet Everest RN RM IBCLC
Midwife and Lactation Consultant
Sussex
01273 846433 or 07725654119
[email protected]
www.thebcp.net

Sue Ayres IBCLC
Home visits in east sussex
07983364739
[email protected]
www.sue-ayres.co.uk

She needs to get good real life support.

this is sue ayres website - that link doesn't work...

here

Thank you so much everyone - I'll send her the link to this page in the hope it'll make her feel supported .

Keep it coming!

It sounds like her nipples have cracked purplemania- is that right? She should still feed from the bloody one (or express) in order to keep her supply up.

If she can't get a visit from a lc - there's one here who goes to Brighton (I have no knowledge of her, I just searched for an ibclc)- she could try the other helplines.

If it is cracked nipples then getting some jelonet from the chemist might help healing.

Hope she gets some help soon.

I am a peer supporter and in Brighton, PM me if you want my mobile number; I'm happy to go and visit her (and take cake) and refer her on to someone if she needs it. I'm no "expert" but happy to help if I can.

Thanks so much everyone - I'll let her take it from here, unless she asks me to specifically do anything. She's hopefully logged on and discovering you lovely MN people

How is your friend doing, Purple?

Spoke to her on Sunday evening and it was a '200% better day' evidently baby latched on twice properly and she sounded more like the friend I knew. She's really touched by all this support and I think she's contacted someone, but not sure which.
Thank goodness for mumsnet for me as much as her I think. It's so good to feel supported whichever link of the chain you are
Have heard from her briefly by email since so things must be looking up let's hope so

That's good to hear purplemania

I found breastfeeding incredibly painful too. It is common but somehow you don't hear much about it. I am not convinced you only get pain when the baby is not latched on properly: even if the baby is on properly, don't forget you have someone sucking on your nipple for half an hour several times a week and that has to damage the skin tissue.

I found Lansinoh cream miraculous. Honestly, it cured my cracked, bleeding nipples in two days. You can get a prescription from your GP or buy it in a chemist.