Cracked nipples & milk blister-ouch

[CheeseEnforcementAgency]

after a few months of continous feeding I've had a few bad latches ( I think) in the night when I've been half asleep.

Now have v sore cracked nipples which I've been using lanosoh and they were looking better but now I have a blister too. Every feed hurts to latch but is bearable to feed.

Oh dear, sorry to hear about your problems Cheese.

I had very sore nipples when I began breastfeeding, and remember not being able to speak because of the pain when DS latched on. I'm still breastfeeding 7 months later, and everything's fine now.

Keep up with the lanolin!

Just to add - I used a nipple shield on 1 nipple for a few days because of a particularly deep fissure. I know some people would discourage this, but I think it was responsible for me being able to continue breastfeeding at the time.

Ah the painful memories! Best thing is to keep at it (unfortunately). I actually found NOT putting the salve on helped mine more; I smeared them with breast milk and went about topless as much as I could and smeared the milk whenever I thought of it...
a little paracetamol at key times/ when the pain was particularly bad also helped

I can't do topless, I constantly leak! One lot of cracks did get better but then started again. She's feeding 1.2-2 hourly during the day & 2 hours at night so not getting much break for them to recover.

No chance of me giving up. Hate bottles too much!

Shields helped me too - I just used them for a few feeds at a time to give me a break. Haven't used them in months now.

Are you applying warmth before a feed and gently rubbing with a warm wet flannel to help clear the blister?

I agree with all the above advice but have you thought about thrush if it's just not getting better. Ask your health visitor or gp easily treated but remember to treat both you and babe or you'll keep passing it back and forwards

Mo signs of thrush in either us of us but I'm not 100% what to look for in me

Are you sure the latch, in the daytime, is good? Are you feeding in a different position at night? Or what's going wrong?

One thing that helps some mums to heal, is to put clingfilm, or similar, over their nipples, and skin tape (around the nipple). This is because if you put clothes (or breastpads) on, then they end up taking some nipple with them, when you remove them. And nipples heal better when kept moist - leaking milk will sort it out for you, as it's antibacterial.

The milk blister, I've read it can help to use a hot wet compress on it, just before feeding, to encourage it to break. Otherwise, you can end up with a blocked duct.

I was feeding every 2 or less hours to with 45min feeds/latches and felt I that not having the breaks to let the nipples heal was causing trouble...At first I was only offering on breast at each feed, thinking that at least the other had more time to recover however when I started offering both it helped too (not sure if you are or not). I think it helped offering both because then in reality there was less time for the breast to actually get damaged...
The other thing one sister suggested was getting gauze/bandage, cutting it into the appropriate sizes to cover nipple, and lathering the bandage with the salve and sticking it on the nipple...helped to keep leaks at bay while still allowing topless walking about (in the house) I also took a crappy bra and would lather the inside of it with the salve for nighttime/long sleeps.

Cling film a good idea wonder if I can get it to stay without tape if I vlothe on top as usual? I'm all allergic to tape.also starting to react to the plasticy stuff on the breast pads.

During the day I feed in a cradle hold but at night mainly lying down. It's an ok latch if I'm conscious but after a few feeds I'm not concentrating the same so that's when it's gone wrong. She's also helping herself which doesn't help, though it wakes me up with the pain atm

I would practice feeding lying down when you're more awake, maybe find ways she can help herself and still have a good latch? How old is your baby?

A better latch means she gets more milk with less effort, so she'll see a benefit to a better latch, too!

Hmm, not sure what to recommend re the tape issue - can you use a plaster or two to hold on the cling film, if skin tape isn't an option? Or do you react to those too?

Breast pads don't all have plasticy stuff on them, the washable ones can be just fabric, fwiw. But I don't think breast pads are a great idea when your nipples are damaged.

She's 6 months(well almost).

Can't use fabric pads as they don't soak enough, I go through about 8 in 24 hours.

Am allergic to all tapey/plastery things. Lots of plasticky things too every pregnancy/hospital/ stay/op my allergies expand

Are you engorged behind the milk blister?

DS is seven months and I've had a couple so far (coinciding with growth spurts and lazy night feeds). I tried rubbing with clean wet flannel to burst them - this didn't work so on both occasions popped them myself which probably isn't recommended but was much less painful than the blockage itself. The resulting dam burst was most satisfactory for me and ds!

Don't appear to be

Blister seems to have gone today. Slept without a top last night but on a towel which had to be changed in the night. Fed sitting up the last twice but struggled to get back to sleep after so not that successful!