Sore nips, side not end!

[Chelly71]

I've seen loads of great advice on here for healing sore nips and I'm using lanosil and jelonet. So just after some reassurance I suppose.... I have a slightly flat left nipple but dc2 has managed to latch on using sheer force and an iron jaw! It is very painful on the latch and the suck although I can see she is on correctly I think it is the nipple shape that makes it's that way. But it is the sides of my nipple that are raw and split. They aren,t getting worse but no better either. Will they improve or is this my lot given how the latch needs to work? Any advice welcome and apologies if I'm slow getting back as cluster feeding too, dc2 is only 2 weeks old.

Thanks in advance x

Me too...sides of nipples are chewed...right is worse than than the left...been told latch is fine by midwife and health visitor but my nearly 4 week old son is defo chewing/biting/grazing the nipple...going to a BF support group tomorrow to see if someone can advise on the latch as I am sure there is something wrong. I have wondered if this is just the way it will be and my nips need to toughen up!
No advice really as i think I am in a similar situation...hope it heals for you...

Thanks, I feel your pain! I think it looks worse than it feels but the pain is still toe curling and after a feed the open wounds worry me. Hoping for some more advice for both of us. Good luck

If you have open wounds moist wound healing is the way to go (this helps healing without scabs forming and helps to heal wounds twice as quick as dry healing). You can get MWH dressings from pharmacies - one brand is jelonet though there may be others your pharmacist can recommend.

Does your nipple come out squashed looking, perhaps with a ridge around the sides or lipstick/wedged end/bullet shaped? Does your nipple change colour post feed (white or purple) or change colour a while after a feed?

Has baby been assessed for tongue tie - that is not a HCP having a quick look and going 'that looks fine to me' but a full assessment of the scuk, tongue and underneath the tongue and perhaps checking for a lip tie (band of tissue connecting the top lip to the gum)?

Have you seen a Breastfeeding counsellor or IBCLC (qualified lactation consultant) to check for tongue tie and to check latch? The whole feed would need to be assessed from latching on, through to the baby unlatching at the end of the feed?

Thanks truth, good checklist to consider. Saw a bf counsellor today and looked at positioning whilst feeding. Got some good tips but also confirmed that it is hard to heal with frequent feeding so to try and reduce any faffing on that boob to aid healing. Using the jelonet which I do think is helping. Tongue tie is fine as latch is no bother on other boob and pretty pain free, no injuries! Hoping time will tell as it is getting easier but wishing anyone else in this position luck

Have you tried the rugby ball position? I had a cracked nipple on the same side with both my babies and found alternating the hold gives sores nips a little bit of a rest.

yeah, i wish i could advise on this.

dd is now 18 weeks, and that's how she holds on on my left.
she's being held perfectly well by me, but she doesn't believe it and grips on.

thank fuck she's doesn't have teeth (NO idea how we'll resolve that one)
when i try to unlatch her by undoing the suck (finger in mouth etc), all i see is a pair of gums gripping for dear life onto my nipple.

oh, rugby ball hold does work, but when we got to about 12 weeks, it didn't work anymore because she got too long ::(