Wondered if anyone can help.
I EBF-ed DS1 for 7 months and loved it. DS2 came along 10 weeks ago and at first all was fine, but slowly I started to feel uncomfy on the right breast with each feed; nipple pain, then deeper breast pain, during and throughout each feed. There was blistering on the nipple and white stuff on it. I also noticed white stuff on DS's tongue. Thought it was clearly thrush so got some stuff from doc.
Got Nystatin for DS and Dactarin for me but it kept recurring every few days. Was at end of tether last week and cried to doc, who prescribed antibs plus fluconazole. He also rec'd letting the breast heal for a few days (there was a permanent blister by now) by expressing.
Luckily, DS took the bottle and in the eves when he is always starving, I was topping up with formula. So, for the last 5 days I've been feeding from the left as usual, express feeding from the right (expressing doesn't hurt me like breastfeeding was) and giving formula where he seemed extra hungry. Plan was to resume breastfeeding as normal today. Nipple now looks pink and healthy so assumed all good and cured.
But it STILL hurts as before. I don't think continuing to always express from the right and bottle feeding that milk is sustainable longer term and my supply must be all over the place. Does the fluconazole take a long time to work, or could there be some other issue that makes feeding awful on one side only?
Am at my wits' end and really want to continue bfeeding, but not prepared to be wincing in pain every other feed for the next 4 months!
Have really found that these issues seem to fall between three stools; my doctor says I should speak to the HVs, the HVs just wank on about mastitis (which I don't think I have, but am taking antibs anyway) and breastfeeding counsellors seems to really be mainly about getting the latch right. Feel like there is no one who really is an expert when it comes to thrush and other breast infections.