Severely cracked nipple won't heal

[whoopwhoopbib]

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?

Yes but would you eat savlon or put it on your nipples if bfing? It's not for oral use or ingesting from what I have looked at so I wouldn't risk baby getting it either from bfing directly or from expressed milk.

The udder cream or savlon would be ok in my situation as there is no chance of her feeding from it for a while and I'm sure it would be washed away by the time I get back to feeding her.

Are you not expressing from that side at all? If you don't it may well stop making milk or be hard work to get it up to 'speed' so to speak. How long have you been 'resting' that side, a few hours or days/weeks?

Hand expressing is a lot more gentle than using a pump and it will increase oxytocin & pro-lactin levels a bit more than pumping will. It doesn't really matter what the yield is just that it is done about 8 times a day (although any you do is better than not doing it at all).

I have tried to hand express this morning but didn't get alot out and have been wearing a breast shell which I have had to empty twice and I will try some more hand expressing tonight.

I have only rested it today and it does look better because it hasn't been opened up but I will only give it a couple of days and then I will be brave and put dd on it.

I am currently in same situation, dd is 13 days old. I have started to feed in rugby ball position which is helping me cope as feeds are much quicker. dd doesn't just fall asleep like in other positions but gets a good feed. Apparently this is the best position for fully draining the boob which has helped with my mastitis also. Still doesn't seem to be helping my nipples heal though, but I have just bought from Boots some compresses by Multi-mam which claim to help with healing so we shall see...

I'll have a look for the compresses maybe they will help as GP couldn't come up with anything.

I have just done part of a feed on the left cracked nipple and it didn't hurt so I will use it again at the next feed after she has had a go on the right so she won't be starving and likely to be rougher.

Just a thought but are you sure the tongue tue was snipped and still is?
I only aske because both my dc had them. Both had then snipped on numerous occasions and they always reattached!
That meant they never did 'normal' feeding and while they got plenty of milk and grew like mad I was in agony constantly. After stopping bf dd it took 6 weeks for the bruising to go down and tbh in not sure my nipples will every recover and dd is 1yo!
I switched to ff as I couldn't stand the pain and when the consultant at Southampton hospital (mr griffiths) tried and failed to snip fully (attempt no 5 in total) I called it a day.

Can you get someone to recheck the tongue tie to make sure it's still snipped?

Hope you recover soon! :)

Wow poor you and them whenisitmysleepytime, the doctor told me it couldn't reattach or grow again but after your experience I'll keep a look out. I don't think it has as of yet because she is still showing off her tongue by sticking it out a lot and her sucking is so much stronger.

I just need to help her learn the correct way to latch now which is proving to be easier said than done.

I think the consultant said the chance of it reattaching was something like 1/1000. And it happened to both my dc!
Ds cut his own at 18mo while running with a brick in his mouth and falling.
Dd still has hers but as she's an adrenaline junkie like her brother no doubt she'll have a similar outcome

Hope your dd is a fast learner! :)

Have you heard of Mult-Mam products? They are all natural and the compresses are really amazing. They aren't greasy like the other products out there. The compresses helped me loads because I could leave it against the nipple between feeds and the ointment didn't rub off on my clothes! Think you can get them from Boots www.multi-mam.co.uk

I know this is an old thread but thought I'd say that I got Novogel pads prescribed by my GP for my severely cracked nipples and they healed within a few days. They were like big scabs - bleeding and extremely painful. But the Novogel were magic. They are v expensive so GP might be reluctant to prescribe them but worth asking for anyone suffering out there :)

Have you tried Wound Shields? I was given them by the hospital feeding specialist for my crack. They are very similar to hydrogel pads, which you can buy.

Remember to keep it clean. I got infective mastitis through my nipple crack and ended up with blood poisoning which required an 8 day hospital stay.

Breast shells also helped me get air about the wound without having to be half naked all day.