Could I have thrush? Or just sensitive nipples?

[KnockedUpMell]

My DS is 10w now and although things have gotten easier, they are not easy, and i don't find bf comfortable.

We've had our latch checked and that doesn't seem to be the problem. He isn't an easy baby to feed as he has reflux (on ranitidine) and is quite a windy baby. Since starting ranitidine, he is a lot calmer on the breast, but he will still tug and pull while on the breast during most feeds. Sometimes this is if there is a fart brewing, and sometimes there is no obvious reason for his fussing. He will fuss on both breasts and it can be either at the beginning / end of a feed so I do not think it is flow related.

I do not have pain when he latches on, or during the feed, but still find drying off in the shower / going out in the cold / having anything that puts sideways pressure on my nipples quite uncomfortable. I also sometimes feel a ?stinging? (that's the closest word I can use to describe it) feeling along the area where the areola meets the rest of the breast. I don't have deep breast pain unless the breast is particularly full (i think this is because baby is still starting sleep better now that he is on ranitidine and my supply hasn't yet adjusted to the less frequent feeds). I sometimes find it uncomfortable if I compress my breast. I find using a manual breast pump uncomfortable (even with me using the gentlest pressure). These symptoms have been there since the birth, but are a lot less severe. They are also worse on one side (this is the same side where I had a crack and I fed baby less from tat breast in the first few weeks). In the past 2 weeks I have started to feel what I believe is a painful let down (didn't feel let down at all in the first 8w), but only in the opposite breast.

We were treated for thrush (daktarin cream & gel as well as a fluconazole course) 2 weeks ago as I started getting shooting pains, and a burning in the nipple after feeds. The shooting pains and burning have settled but the underlying discomfort is still there.

Could we have had thrush for the past 10 weeks that has only partly resolved with the daktarin and fluconazole? Or could I just have really sensitive nipples?

Sorry for such a long post!

I don't know much but from my own experience of feeding DD1, tongue-tie can cause a lot of pain for the mother without appearing to affect the baby particularly, which makes it less likely to be diagnosed - I had repeated mastitis, a crack that wouldn't heal, and pains that felt deep within the breast, and was treated for thrush (which I'm not convinced now that I definitely had) before DD's tongue-tie was finally picked up. Once it was diagnosed and treated I went on to feed her without problems until she was 13mths and I had no issues at all with DD2.

Hello, I don't know if I can help but I am currently going through exactly what you are describing, and am finding it really frustrating because I breast fed my first two babies for a year and know how good it can be. But I have the stinging/stabbing pains in nipples and have a huge crack which refuses to heal. Have tried expressing on really bad boob to help cope with pain which has been great but still not sure best way to move forward. Sorry I am being no help but you are not alone.