Persistent milk blister/bf pain at 23.5 wks

[WinterChillita]

DS is 23.5 weeks old and I've never had pain-free bfing on the right side. I had bad latch pain/thrush for a few weeks and since he was about 3 weeks old I've had a white spot on my nipple. It's a bit raised, looks like a white pinhead and it's very sore. When he feeds it feels like he's sucking my back through my nipple and afterwards I get nipple blanching and aching/stabbing pains for about an hour. I've worked on the latch and while it's not brilliant it's not as bad as it was. I went to the GP and she said it would clear in a few days, when I told her that I'd had it for over 10 weeks she said that she didn't know but one of her colleagues 'liked sticking pins in things so he could have a look'. I didn't go back. That was a while ago now and I'm just sick of having pain when I feed him. We don't have a good bf support group so I can't go there. I know it's hard to know what it could be when you can't see it but I was just wondering if any of you had experience and what you did about it.

I think there were a couple of threads recently where people popped milk blisters with a sterilised needle themselves and cleared the blockage.

There's a page on kellymom here www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/nipplebleb.html#Treatment about treating a milk blister.

Winter - you really need to give that side a break to heal. If it's a milk blister, then follow the link on treating it but consider feedling DS from your good side and expressing with a pump from your sore side. If you express at every feed, your supply on your bad side will still be maintained and you could even freeze your expressed milk for a later date.

You could consider feeding in a different position once the problem has eased - has anyone shown you the rugby ball position? Let me know if you've not heard of it and I'll try and find a link.

It's crap that you have no Trust support - what a let down! Give the NCT a call to see if there are any local BF Counsellors or Peer Supporters in your area. Wish I could help more - you've been an absolute legend feeding through this pain. Hats off to you.

You can sustain this break for about 3 days or so - it may be just what you need. It will be a faff, but well worth it.

What area are you? I know a few Counsellors around the UK.....

Thanks for the link moonunit, I've tried the suggestions on that page and it's not shifted. I've also tried popping it myself but nothing, tbh I'm not convinced it is a milk blister but I can't think how else to describe it. Milk still squeezes out very slowly unless DS has a biting day and then it clogs up and I get a blockage.
welshSara I'm in Hereford, there is a bf support group but on the occasions I've been there's not been any counsellor there. Gutted really cos I had a fantastic support group in Dorset but we moved :( Expressing hurts just as much as feeding and DS doesn't take a bottle. I'm working on a cup but it's so much effort I'm not very committed! I have a 24 mth old too so expressing isn't the easiest. I should've tried it over the holidays when DH was off.

Winter are you sure it's a milk blister and not a patch of thrush?

Sounds like thrush tbh and also vaseospasm x

That's the thing, it could be thrush except I've had it for ages, it's not spread to the other side or to DS which makes me suspicious. Then again when I have tried to pop it I just get a hole in my nipple but the white lump is still there. Maybe I should crack out the daktarin for a week and see if it makes a difference.

Give it a try, but unless you get treatment drops for your son, it's unlikely to clear up. Even if he doesn't break out in symptomatic thrush, he may still be able to carry it back to you thus it won't ever clear up. See your GP for drops for your son. Hope this helps x

It sounds like white spot? I had this and it was excruciating, and it was only on one side. No one, not even the HV or the doctor could help, a very lovely Scottish lady on the BF helpline diagnosed it. But it's very easy to cure! I suffered for two weeks before getting it sorted - how you have done 11 is a miracle!! The blister may be incidental.

Is the spot on the outside of the nipple? White spot is often not even a spot, just dried milk inside the nipple, which then sort of blocks up the duct as skin grows over it. Or does it just look like there's nothing there at all, but when you feed, it's like a hot knife being pushed into your nipple? I thought I had thrush as there was no other answer, but sounds like you know you don't as you have no other symptoms either.

Have a hot bath and get the nipple nice and soft and soaked. Then, with clean fingers, sort of try and look inside the top of your nipple, sort of gently pulling it open - you should be able to see some milky deposits - either a tiny spot, or just 'gunk'. Keep looking at the healthy nipple so you can see the difference. You should be able to gently scrape the spot/gunk with your nail, or, if you're feeling brave (and have gone beyond caring as i had), you can use a sterilized needle to just dig it out and gently push though. You'll know it's worked because you'll get the built up milk behind coming through.

It will still feel sore for a few days, but just keep doing the batch routine and it should go. I still check each time I have a bath as I seem prone to it!

Good luck! xx

I've still got some Daktarin gel leftover from when we had it last time. I'll use that on DS if I go down that route.
vino I've had a dig around a couple of times and it ends up looking like a mini volcano - I end up with a sizeable hole with white underneath it but no matter how I poke it I can't get anything out. The spot looks like I should be able to squeeze and stuff will pop out except nothing does. It looks like it's under the skin and when it gets blocked I can feel the milk right up to the end of the nipple so the blockage isn't far down. The pain after I've had a go at it though is excruciating so I'm wary of doing that again. I had DH try and suck it out last night and it was agony for about 4 hours.
Maybe it's a white spot with thrush just to compound things...thanks for the suggestions, might try both approaches, starting with the Daktarin cos it's less painful! If that doesn't work I'll try the needle again.

At the risk of telling you how to suck eggs, remember to work on DS's dummies too, should he have them that is.

I feel for you, I do. When I had it it was like the start of BF all over again, I used to cry!

please call the breastfeeding helpline - they really were so amazing with my issue. You don't want to suffer any longer!

www.nationalbreastfeedinghelpline.org.uk/

xx