What is this pain?

[AnnaPotter]

Hoping someone can advise, I’m beside myself.

I’ve been breastfeeding for 12 weeks. After the first week or so, once we had figured out the latch, there was no pain and all was going well. But for the last week or so I’ve had a horrific burning pain in one breast / nipple. It happens every time my baby feeds from that side, and lasts for ages after.

I originally thought mastitis, but there are no lumps or hot spots. Then I thought thrush, but does that ever strike one breast only?

I had surgery last week and got a bit engorged due to being away from my baby for the day, and also had antibiotics (in case it’s relevant).

Any advice would be so welcome, the pain is so awful I’m crying at every feed. Since my baby was born I’ve had to deal with c-section recovery, gallstones, gallbladder surgery and now this. I just want to enjoy my baby without being in pain for once

Gawd, poor you.
It might be thrush you know, antibiotics can upset balances in your body and make you more likely to get thrush. You can get swabbed at the GP and then they give you a cream, I think. Kellymom has some useful guidance too www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/thrush/
Or maybe is it a positioning thing because you are holding baby slightly differently after your surgery?
You could take painkillers for a bit too, though of course better to sort the problem. I used to take painkillers sometimes when bf hurt.
Hopefully someone more useful than me will be along in a bit but I hope things get better soon, sounds like you have been through a lot.

La leche league has some advice on thrush too, and a helpline.
www.laleche.org.uk/thrush/

Sounds like thrush. I had a really painful case only affecting one boob...you have my sympathies.

If it is one breast it may not be thrush.

Perhaps it is vasospasms? Do you notice your nipple changing colour to whitish or even purple?

I had the same. I had nipple trauma due to baby biting and while it was healing I developed vasospasm in that breast only. The pain was not there during the feed but came about afterwards.