breatfeeding problems at 17 weeks

[smcmuffin]

In the past week my dd has started refusing my left breast. After a minute or two she starts fussing and crying. Sometimes this has felt blocked, not at other times. I can't get much milk out when expressing either. Nipple is now sore and feeding / expressing hurts. DD has no obvious signs of thrush. Any ideas?

could you have a touch of mastitis now because she has not fed much from that breast? babies often prefer one side to the other and it is easy to let them feed more from their preferred side meaning that the supply from the other side decreases so then they feed even less from that side.

could you have a blocked duct? Is your breast red/swollen/have a sore lump? I had this a couple of weeks ago, and read that it can make the milk taste different. I also couldn't get anything expressing. Try putting warm/hot flannels on the breast before feeding to encourage letdown, and in between feeds, and also try to keep encouraging her to feed off that side. Also, warm baths and massaging the breast might help if that's what it is.

If it doesn't improve quickly, ie this weekend, go to the doctor and get it checked out as soon as you can.

I hope it gets better soon.

maybe she is teething? have you tried the rugby position? if she isn't latching on properly because of pain in her mouth it could cause pain to you. ability to express means nothing really.

Maybe. Don't have temperature though...

don't have to have a temp. teething can start to bother them long before teeth erupt.

If she was teething I suppose she would have problems latching on to both sides, wouldn't she? I think blocked duct is a possibility, today boob is generally hard and lumpy rather than just one lump though. Did you have to get something from docs or did it go on its own?

if she isn't feeding from the left side it means that the boob is filling up. the hard lumpiness is the milk ducts full of milk. i am not saying teething is the problem. try the rugby hold to see what happens. as far as i know, teething pain can affect feeding on one side or not another. i could be wrong though.

I had a definite red lump, and redness round the nipple, and the breast was REALLY sore to touch. I managed to get it to go on its own, but spent several days feeding DS from that side first (although don't stop using the other side, as then you might get the same problem there), using lots of hot flannels, trying to express a lot and sitting in warm baths! I think you can take ibuprofen for the pain as well. The doctor will give antibiotics I think if it is mastitis. Best to get it checked out if it doesn't go.

could you try hand expressing to see if the pain is still there? i never had mastitis and thrush is usually described as a stabbing pain that begins at the end of the feed and linger afterwards for quite a while.

Thanks for the speedy suggestions. I'm off to have another go now, I'll try a new position and see how we go.

make sure you check latch as well while you feed to make sure she's getting her mouth round it all! Good luck.