Help please! I have a 12-day-old baby, second child. Breastfed the first time around and it worked well for us. I'm fine with using formula if I have to but saying that bf is really important to me and I want to keep it going until at least six months.
I have eczema on my areola on one boob. Annoyingly it's the most productive and baby-preferred boob (even when I expressed it was most productive so I know it is). I've had the eczema for the last couple of years (ever since a bad skin infection on my whole chest at the end of breastfeeding my son), but I have largely kept it at bay with occasional steroids. It got worse in pregnancy (because I tried to stop the steroid creams!) and I hoped it would go away afterwards, but after a night of hectic feeding it is now red, itchy and sore.
I wondered if anyone had any advice? I have started to put some Eumovate on after a feed on that side - and of course washing it off before the next feed there, but it hasn't had much affect yet. I don't think there is much the doctors will do other than suggest the same thing but I will go next week when I can get a lift (still recovering from c-section) if I can't get it to improve by myself.
I'm showering every day to help with said c-section recovery and I wonder if this is making things worse - when I do get dry skin it improves if I can shower less often (eg every other day). I know this is a bit controversial on MN :).
I'm using tonnes of Lanolin - I don't think I'm reacting to it. Don't want to use anything else really due to the breastfeeding.
If it gets really sore can I bf just on one side? Will I end up with one massive boob? I guess expressing is an option but I don't really like the feeling. Going to try airing it as often as possible too. BAH!