BF - Lots of pain in one side only

[alex8]

Have a 10 day old baby and the pain on one breast is really bad. Its excrutiating for a few mins then just goes down to just about bearable. The midwife in hospital helped me with my positioning and gave me jelonet to help with the soreness and 2 midwives have said positioning ok. I have tried different postions, lying down and that under arm rugby hold. Evidently I have v big nipples and its hard for him to latch on. (on that side he sometimes goes on and off 5-10 times to begin with which only adds to the pain). The other side is fine and I breastfed my older child for a year with no pain. I'm getting so depressed and feel ill at the thought of him feeding on that side. For the first few days before my milk came in he bf almost 24 hours round the clock which must have added to my soreness.

The nipple is still sore the rest of the time and I get the odd bit of breast pain and tenderness.

I was thinking of getting a bf counsellor but of all the organistations only the nct are in my area and am not a member anymore and I need to see someone not just talk on the phone. There are bf sessions at my maternity hospital but the woman who runs them is on holiday and I don't know how much longer I can go on like this.

Any ideas?

Or try this number
NCT Breastfeeding Line: 0870 444 8708 8am to 10pm every day - they will try to put you in touch with someone local?

aha thats an idea (its amazing what sleep deprivation does to your brain!). I think it was a sure start thing too. Trouble is loads of their posters are out of date. I'll give them a call tomorrow.

Baby Cafe list for London:

this

Alex Baby Cafes are excellent. I went to visit the one in Kilburn once to volunteer. Defo. worth getting in touch with them even if you can't go to one immediately. Yes many are Sure Start sponsored. I have actually posted the whole website for you below.

thanks for that. Theres one in Kingston which isn't that far an Richmond too. I found the Acton one too its in a health centre and is run by sure start. Will call to see if I can go if I am not living in their area.

You don't have to live in their area. Just call any of them first and tell them you want to go. That is what I did.

went to gp today got Flucolxacillin antibiotics and canestan cream for the nipples. So we shall see!

alex - sorry to keep butting in, but did gp give you anything for baby's mouth ? It is really important that you treat the baby's mouth simultaneously due to cross infection. Whatever is on your nipples/milk ducts or in baby's mouth will just go back and forth if you don't treat both of you.

I had to INSIST that my gp give me something for my nipples when she just gave me nystan for my son's mouth. In the end the nystan did sod all and I switched to DAKTARIN oral gel (you buy it off the counter in chemists, no prescription required), which several bf orgs. recommend as being more effective for baby's mouth.

This is a well-know info sheet on thrush by the Breastfeeding Network - I used it when ds and I got thrush at 3 months:

this

They recommend daktarin for baby's mouth.

Miconazole oral gel = is the same thing as Daktarin oral gel

No he didn't. I completely forgot about that. He doesn't have white patches in his mouth (I don't know if they always do) and the other breast doesn't have any pain but I see what you mean about cross infection. I shall get some at the chemist tomorrow. I think I may just move into my local chemist! Actually I shall go to the one I used to live near as they are very friendly and will coo about the baby which always makes me feel better.

Oh good alex - that leaflet I posted is absolutely fantastic, isnt it ?

The white patch thing, ds NEVER had it either. I just knew we had thrush because of the shooting pains in both boobs after every feed. I self-diagnosed, GP didn't have a clue.

The thrush got into my milk ducts but never apperaed in his mouth, I still treated both of us for 4 weeks solid. It never came back

I had printed it off then did my usual being pathetic with drs thing and forgot to show it to him.

Do you know if flucloxacillin is the same as fluconazole that they mention in the leaflet?

NO - I have just checked on the net those two are NOT the same. I have copied and pasted.

Flucloxacillin - is a antibiotic which is part of the penicillin group. It works by breaking down the wall of the bacteria cells invading the body and therefore forcing them break up and dye. Flucloxacillin is used when the bacteria present in the body is a penicillin resistant bacteria call staphylococci. This can be used to break down this bacteria as it is not broken down by the penicillinase enzyme that is produced by this group of bacteria.

Alex - what you need for thrush according to that info. sheet is this:

Fluconazole - is available under the trade names of Diflucan and Loitin. It can be used for yeast infections in a single dose of 150mg, or for more persistent infections at a dose of 50mg once or twice daily for up to 14-days.

I still think you would be better off seeing a bf expert than your GP. Call one of the helplines even. I think they understand thrush better than a GP. Why not call the people who put that info. sheet together = The Breastfeeding Network.

The Breastfeeding Network no:

0870 900 8787

Tell you GP: The World Health Organisation recognises fluconazole as compatible with breastfeeding (WHO).

It says so in that info. sheet. They don't give it out easily in the UK apparently, but if you show your GP that sheet next time, he will.

I have had resistence to being given sleeping tablets recently, but pretty much forced a GP to prescribe me something that the AAP says is safe. I showed him what I had printed off

alex8, have just read this thread. You poor thing! Well done for sticking with it! I had no problems with my 1st, but similar problems breastfeeding my 2nd. I had cracked nipples and was in agony whenever she latched on - both sides - eventually ended up bleeding, and had mastitis. Just kept hassling midwives to come and check whether she was latching on properly. Also have big nipples and pain from nipples made it hard to know whether latch was ok or not. It took three weeks, antibiotics and tube of lanisoh to sort out feeds completely and be pain free. Best advice I was given was to stay calm when latching on (hard when you're expecting toe-curling agony!)and make sure her mouth was WIDE open. I'm sorry I can't be of more use, but send you big hugs and sympathy. It won't be long before it's sorted out. Good luck xx

thanks for that everyone. I am off to a baby cafe this lunchtime to talk to someone.

I think you can get diflucan over the counter I think I may have got it when I had normal thrush

Any tips for getting a wide mouth? He's ok when I'm sitting up but lying down he seems to always have pursed lips. I have tried tickling his chin and also closing his mouth which I think I read about on kellymom. Evidently closing it makes them open it sometimes.

good alex - let us know what your baby cafe is like.

Oh yes - I want to know how the baby cafe is too (never been to one!) (Tis me - abominablesnowmum btw)

oops sorry the woman from the bf workshop in acton rang me back so am going there instead as its a bit nearer and the timing is better as I would have missed half the cafe picking my son up from school. I think they have an antenatal bf class going on too so I hope I don't put too many people off if they use me as a live model!

live models and babies are good !

bf class was great. it was for pregnant woman but the midwife running it knew her stuff and I don't think I frightened them off too much. Of course as someone was there to help me, my baby latched on perfectly with virtually no pain! She said he should have all the areole (can't spell) below the nipple in his mouth which I know sometimes he didn't. She also agreed with all the bfn stuff about thrush and gave me some more leaflets to give to the gp and even said the gp could phone her if he queried it. Also watched a video which had a few interesting techniques for getting baby latched on. It also said if nipple was mishapen after a feed it means attachment wasn't good and mine often is mishapen.

So think its probably an attachment problem and residual nipple soreness from 2 wks of poor attachment (but now am on antibiotics its probably sods law I'll give myself thrush). Will see how we go; don't want to speak too soon.

Thanks again for everyone who replied to this thread. Its been so helpful and mumsnet at its very best (I must remember that when the argumentative threads get me down!)

Oh alex, that is the greatest post I have read all day. I am so glad you are getting it sorted. The women who work in these places are angels !

Oh how brilliant!