Hole in nipple, prescribed antibiotics but unsure whether to take

[Chickchickola]

Hi

My baby is 4 weeks old today and has been EBF so far.

I've had really bad problems establishing breast feeding but I am at the point now where one side is fine, no discomfort at all. The other is very painful still and has a deep hole one side. It is not red, swollen or hot at all, but inside the hole it appears white.

I went to see my GP who prescribed me an oral course of antibiotics but she didn't take much of a look at it and I'm unsure if they are needed or the best treatment. I am scared of getting thrush and also my baby is very colicky and I fear the antibiotics will make her worse.

I have been using Lanolin on it for the last 4 weeks but it hasn't really helped. It is just so sore feeding on it I end up dreading feeds and spend most of the time feeding off that side in tears.

Anyone got experience of antibiotics for healing a sore nipple?

No experience myself but can you get your midwife or the hospital breastfeeding counsellor to take a look? It could be thrush or it could be a milk bleb (though doesn't sound like one). Whatever it is, if it's causing you pain then it needs sorting as soon as possible so you can start to enjoy feeding.

It doesn't sound good that the doctor didn't look properly.

Not got any experience no sorry. How are you getting on now? Did you decide to take them? Are things any better?

If you're not happy with the initial assessment by the GP, go back. Ask for a different GP if you think it's a better idea. But go tomorrow, first thing. You don't want your infection (if that's what it is) to get worse, you could get seriously ill.

This is one of those things that it's much better for a professional to give you advice on. As brilliant as mumsnet is, you need proper medical advice here.

I think now's the time to see if you can get an urgent outpatient's appt. with a dermatologist - agree that mumsnet can't help here except to support and encourage.

You can feed one sided and (probably hand) express on the sore side if you can't bear the pain. Call any of the bf helplines about this if you need to. YOu also need to get to the bottom of why your nipple is so damaged.

Hope things get sorted soon.

I took the antibiotics for two days but the pain was getting worse and my other nipple started to hurt. This made me worry it was thrush so I've stopped taking them and I am using daktarin cream instead - the pain has decreased although feeding is still uncomfortable, but not agonising, and the hole in the side of my nipple is no better.

The good side is also slightly uncomfortable and she keeps latching on and off the whole time, she never stays on constantly for a whoe feed.

She is also feeding for ages, I've just finished a 50 min feed and both boobs are throbbing painfully right now.

I'm going back to the doctors tomorrow but not sure I will get much help. Breast feeding is making me miserable but I really do want to persevere with it and I seem to have good supply.

Well done for wanting to persevere, if you can to the bottom of your issues then it will be worth it. I had loads of problem with DD (despite having bf DS with no issues). My problem stemmed from an imperfect latch so was constantly in pain,worse on one side like you, and had infective mastitis a few times which knocked me out for days.

I went to a breastfeeding support group which was wonderful and also got lots of helpful advice online. Dr Jack Newman's site (especially the bit about whether babies are drinking or just sucking) and kellymom were great for positioning advice.
Good luck. When I got good advice BFing became so much easier and a pleasure and I ended up BFing until my DD self-weaned aged 2!

Has anyone who knows what they are doing checked your baby for tongue tie? Several of the things you mention are consistent with tt.

list of symptoms further down

She has 15 of the symptoms listed on that link mawbroon but I have been to a breast feeding clinic three times where they have watched me feed and been seen feeding by three different midwives (not including at the hospital before I was discharged) and has had her mouth looked at by two different doctors (since we were discharged from hospital) and they have all said she is a "good feeder" and that there is no problem, just persist ...

Reading that page though it seems very likely - she has so many of those symptoms. I will go to a breast feeding clinic again tomorrow and go back to my GP. I'm not sure who else I can go to see who would be able to advise though.

have a read here you wouldn't be the first person to be told your baby wasn't tied when they actually are!!

Milk Matters who I linked to before have a virtual service to help you identify tongue tie and can tell you who is knowledgeable about tongue tie in your area. I would contact them if I were you.