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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Severely cracked nipple won't heal

38 replies

whoopwhoopbib · 19/04/2012 20:46

My left nipple has had a huge crack it in for the last 3 weeks to the point that I have been told it will never join back together.

I have stopped feeding dd on that side but am expressing 6 times a day to keep the milk going but each time I use the pump the crack re-opens and is now starting to get bigger and spread further round the nipple.

I have been using Lanisoh, Kamillosan, Vaseline, Jelonet and am now on antibiotics incase of infection but it has not improved.

I don't want to stop expressing as I don't want the milk to dry up but will it actually heal if I continue?

Does anyone have any ideas on what to do please?

OP posts:

whenwill · 19/04/2012 21:12

don't really know about cracked nipples. Sound horrendous. Think your milk should still be fine if you just use one side? it will adapt?

fridayfreedom · 19/04/2012 21:19

have you tried hand expressing? maybe that won't put as much pressure on the nipple as using the pump??

Original poster

whoopwhoopbib · 19/04/2012 21:21

I have heard that people can feed just from one side but I'm afraid that that side will dry up and I will be left with nothing (completely irrational I know but I have suffered for the last 4 weeks with an undiagnosed tongue-tie and really really want it to be ok now that it has been snipped).

OP posts:

Original poster

whoopwhoopbib · 19/04/2012 21:22

No i haven't tried hand expressing more than a couple of drops, would I be able to express enough to keep it going?

OP posts:

suzikettles · 19/04/2012 21:28

How old is dd?

I had a similar problem (and the scar to prove it, not that my nipple gets much scrutiny...) and it did heal eventually, albeit slowly. I had the same problem with pumps opening the wound.

Anyway, hand expressing is definitely worth a try as it's a different action on the breast and shouldn't really affect the nipple at all. I also found that feeding ds directly was actually less damaging than the pump.

Also, do check that there's no infection there that could be inhibiting healing. Might be worth getting a swab. I had a dreadful strep infection in one nipple a couple of weeks in that needed antibiotics to clear it.

If it comes to it, then it is definitely possible just to feed from one side, and it is also possible to relactate (with very frequent expressing/feeding) so it's not the end of the world if you decide to just give it a rest on that side for a week to let it start to heal (watch out for mastitis/blockages though).

Good luck. It's horrid I know.

bebemoojem · 19/04/2012 21:29

When I had an absolutely terrible crack/blood/agnoy etc, my sister suggested (at the suggestion of her lactation consultant -in the States) that I put gauze smothered in lanisoh on it and then some clingfilm over it after every use also I had to stop expressing (as this made mine FAR worse) and just put the baby on it (F N HELL!) I did it. It healed; I was agony tho I will admit it. Paracetmol and Ibuprophen mix for pain...

That being said, no one ever told my mine was unlikely to heal I do have a crack (not opened) where the crack originally was tho... It didn't hinder feeding my second at all.

suzikettles · 19/04/2012 21:30

I know someone who could easily hand express whole feeds. She used a pint glass to collect the milk (classy ). It takes practice to learn the technique but it's possible. You eventually get a feel for where the milk ducts are and how to drain them - much further up the breast than I would have thought actually, which is why it's much gentler on the nipple area.

HerrenatheHHHarridan · 19/04/2012 21:37

I've heard of people just feeding off one side for months at a time - it is possible.

If I were you I'd do whatever I could to let it heal i.e. stop using the pump on that side! I had problems with cracked and bleeding nipples myself right at the start but since DS was ordered onto formula after 24hrs they healed up quite fast (clouds with silver linings etc I suppose).

Midwives are always banging on about the magical powers of breastmilk and say that spreading some of the milk on inflamed areas of the nipple helps those areas to heal. Might be worth a try if you're desperate.

Good luck :)

HerrenatheHHHarridan · 19/04/2012 21:37

And when I say people, I mean 'people feeding their babies'!!

bebemoojem · 19/04/2012 21:39

Oh yes, hand expressing. In the end I learned this and it is imo a good option. I had terrible times pumping anyhow, my nipples enlarged for no good reason, even with different pumps and sizes of 'cup' for the pump. BUT with hand expressing I had and have no trouble. I can easily express a whole feed. It can take a little while to get it all down, and having the baby nearby at first helped... but now I can do it any time. Tho I do have fast letdown once it gets going... so that may fact into it too.

Original poster

whoopwhoopbib · 19/04/2012 21:42

I will give hand expressing a go tomorrow, was told by GP today not to let dd use it and when I explained about the pump he didn't have an answer. I'm not sure that I am brave enough to let her back on that side as I am now terrified of it :(

A medical student who was observing the tt snip today was shocked by the state of my nipple as the doctor asked to see it his face was a picture as he was asking me if it was as sore as it looked.

Dd is 4.5 weeks and thankfully it seems as though the tt snip has worked as I am in far less pain on the right, just got to wait for the bruising to go on the areola and then all should be fine.

OP posts:

bebemoojem · 19/04/2012 21:50

Hmm... my GPs were not helpful tbh. And the male ones even less so...I remember the look on one of the male gps face and felt I needed to reassure him that I wasn't going to be septic or keel over if he examined it... I kinda wanted to go back in there after it healed and flash him to say: see! not bad any more
Don't let them discourage you.
You might try contacting a lactating specialist group like lalecheleague and chat with them about it too.

TruthSweet · 19/04/2012 22:04

Moist wound healing is the recommended way for healing nipple cracks - you can get Jelonet (only brand name I know) though there is almost certainly other moist wound dressings available, your pharmacist should be able to advise you.

Moist wound healing works by the healing happens from the inside of the wound with no scab forming, healing also happens twice as fast as air healing. If scabs form they can get pulled off/sucked off and this forms a slightly larger wound which if allowed to form a scab can get sucked/pulled off forming again a slightly bigger wound and so on.....

PestoPenguin · 19/04/2012 23:28

Might it be worth asking the GP to do a swab to check for infection? It sounds like that's possible if you've already been given antibiotics, and if it's not healing perhaps it might be worth seeing if they are the right antibiotics for any bugs they find?

Other than that, yes keep it moist and OUCH!!

I hope it heals soon for you.

DoesItWearingWellies · 19/04/2012 23:49

How about trying this?. There are other suppliers so it might be cheaper elsewhere - Google is your friend.

(Disclaimer I am in no way implying you are a cow nor that you have udders, but if this can soothe and heal some of the hardest working nipples in the world, it might help yours!)

I also agree with the hand expressing. Anything to give your nipple a break!

TruthSweet · 20/04/2012 10:20

DoesItWearingWellies - cetrimide (the active ingredient in that cream) is suitable for external use only and this says ''Insufficient information available about CETRIMIDE in breast feeding. If treatment is essential alternative methods of feeding the infant should be considered'' so I think it might be one to avoid!

DoesItWearingWellies · 20/04/2012 12:46

Oops, probably best to give that a miss then!

RecursiveMoon · 20/04/2012 12:54

I had a similar problem, and it did eventually heal. It took months though, and it was bloody agony. It just seemed to be opened up by DS's top teeth every time he BF. I didn't actually see my GP about that crack, but I saw her about a previous 1, which she described as a fissure .

Good luck OP, I really do feel your pain. BF should be fine on one side if you have to though. DS and I favour my right side, but everything seems to work well anyway.

fantagrape · 20/04/2012 12:55

I'm going against the grain here, but I am speaking from experience. My nipple was split open too (more than a crack, more like a laceration).

I tried lansinoh, it didn't help. After about three weeks of it, someone suggested not putting anything on it, just expose it to air as much as possible.

It worked, almost immediately the skin edges began to join, the pain began to lessen with each feed.

I can see why you put cream on cracks but for a wound like you describe, it needs air to heal.

RecursiveMoon · 20/04/2012 12:58

Hmm, I used Lansinoh on fissure %23 1, which took ages to heal. I didn't use anything on fissure %23 2 (I was probably too knackered to think of it), which also took ages to heal. So who knows .

RecursiveMoon · 20/04/2012 12:59

Excuse nonsense in last post, should read 'number'.

suzikettles · 20/04/2012 13:09

As a last resort (because it's expensive), I remember some people on here waxing lyrical about the healing powers of silver when I was having my problems. This was the product they were using.

Have a search of the archives for more info.

I didn't try this because at the time I'd already shelled out a fortune on pads, creams, pumps - you name it, I'd given it a go.

sassytoo · 20/04/2012 13:41

Not sure if this is the 'done' thing anymore but I had a bad crack around my nipple with DS1 (7 years ago). A midwife recommended a nipple shield which you can buy in most pharmacies. She did say that they don't always recomend them as some babies get too used to them, but I carried on using a shield on the cracked side, and then normal feeding on the other. It stopped most of the pain straight away and it also started healing very quickly too. Must admit I wasn't worried about DS getting attached to it as every feed was so painful I would have used them for the rest of his time breast feeding rather than have that pain for any longer. As it was he was back to normal feeding after two weeks when I had healed enough.
They worked for me but other mumsnetters might be more informed about whether these are a good idea or not though.

Original poster

whoopwhoopbib · 20/04/2012 15:46

doesitwearingwellies my df has already offered me some udder cream as he is a dairy farmer so I will politely say no thank you now to him.

I spoke to a feeding consultant today and she suggested allowing dd to feed from the cracked side but I'm not feeling brave enough just yet until we perfect our 'new' latch with our 'new' tongue.

Next problem seems to be that she never appears to be satisfied when feeding on the right, as soon as she comes off she puts her fist in her mouth and crys so I am concerned that she isn't getting enough milk as she can easily feed for 2+ hours at a time.

OP posts:

DoesItWearingWellies · 20/04/2012 16:04

One of my reasons for suggesting the udder cream was because cetrimide is the active ingredient in Savlon, something I wouldn't think twice about using iyswim. Hope it heals soon!

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