Sandpaper on nipples

[Teabagtits]

I've been bfing for nearly 7 weeks. I've had mastitis, thrush (two oral treatments and cream and baby treated too just finished yesterday), lo had tongue tie snipped at 2ish weeks and he has shallow latch when left to his own devices but we're trying to improve that and doing not so bad. I've seen multiple breast feeding consultants who say his latch is fine. I use a variety of positions, lying on side is best for feeling but lo doesn't seem to feed as much in that position and is constantly pulling off.

I have very dry nipples even although I've been slathering them with lansinoh and even using the actiform cool gel pads. They feel like they're being sandpapered when I'm not feeding and towards the end of feeding they feel like they're being sandpapered by lo's tongue. I get the same feeling when pumping too so I don't think it's just latch. Even in bras they're tender :(

It's really putting me off feeding. What can I do to stop this persistent pain? I'm so close to giving up because of this nipple pAin despite having survived the mastitis and thrush. Please help.

So sorry to hear you're experiencing such pain - can totally emphasise as I've been there with DS1 (thrush, mastitis - TWICE -, tongue tie, extremely sore cracked nipples!). You're certainly not alone if that's any consolation!

I have no easy answer - for me Lansinoh seemed to work the best, and during the sorest nipple times keeping bras and clothes off was absolutely necessary! Also express some breastmilk just after feeding and put it on both nipples, leave to air dry - breastmilk is actually really good for healing dry/cracked nipples.

If baby's latch is bad or changes during the feed pull baby off and try to get a better latch, do not allow baby to feed on a shallow latch as it will make you more sore.

What do nipples look like right after a feed - are they squished/flattened?

Pumping can be painful if nipples are already sore/cracked. :(

I would contact your breastfeeding support again if you wish to continue, tell them you are in pain and it's making you wish to stop - they should support you through this.

I have been breastfeeding for 15 months and it took around 5 painful months before I was comfortable.

I would recommend that you get back in touch with your local breastfeeding support.

I found having cold cabbage leaves in my bra helped with the chaffing feeling and rubbing any extra breast milk around the area soothed too.

Good luck

Are you SURE your thrush has cleared up? I had it too and it sometimes felt like glass and sometimes like sandpaper. I had to take a ten day course of high dose fluconazole before it (finally) cleared.

I used to express a little milk into these and place them no my nipples. I found it healed them better than anything and much much better than lansinoh, which I found made my thrush worse. Are you letting your nipples get plenty of air?

doh, forgot the link- www.breastangels.co.uk/

mohunter my nipples aren't misshapen after a feed and they aren't white either. Unfortunately I can't spend long with no clothes on top, my house has huge windows that passers by loveto look through all day :(

skylark I'm in regular contact with bf support and hv about this. They're clueless as to why :(

cardinalcat I had 10days treatment with 100mg fluconazole then 14 days with 200 - I've used daktarin cream after every feed since lo was 2 weeks old and he's had nystan. If it's still thrush I'm buggered!

I have been expressing milk and leaving to dry on my nipples but it doesn't seem to do much. I got nipple shells to try which do seem to help but they also seem to collect milk and it says not to wear for more than 40mins.

Hv came and took more swabs for thrush and bacteria from me and baby and mother referral to the bf clinic at the hospital who are now researching autoimmune disorders and bf pain to see if there's a connection. I hope not

Oh you poor poor thing. I do hope it gets better for you. A small glass of wine whilst feeding to take the edge off?

I found the large plastic nipple shells really irritated my nipples, but those silver things were very healing (although possibly a bit Wooo, who knows?)

The thing I found most soothing was fabric breastpads (I bought the Easy Peasy hemp fleece ones from Amazon) soaked with breastmilk, from the breast shells, over plenty of Lansinoh. Also, after feeding I used chilled Therapearl packs and although they didn't cover the nipple it seemed to reduce the discomfort. If you do try that, you might need to replace the lilac brushed nylon covers with something smoother and softer as I found they catch on every flake of dry skin.

My pain wasn't from thrush though, so not sure if this would help you; it was because DS seemed to suffer teething pain on and off from the age of six weeks, although his teeth were late in arriving, and would gnaw me both raw and bruised whenever he had it.

After breast feeding 3 babies the best advice I can give for saw or cracked nipples is to be topless when you can. If not topless then braless under a thin top. You need the air to get to them to help them heal.
Hope you soon start to feel better, sounds like you're doing a great job.