vasospasm hell!

[november90]

Breast feeding my second BF baby who is 15 months. No issues until around 13 months when I started with mastitis, then thrush, then infected cuts, the thrush then the worst mastitis EVER and now I'm left with vasospasm due to trauma. I'm not ready to stop feeding, he loves it so I was continue but I am after some relief from this vasospasm. I've tried all the normal thjngs... message, hot drinks, hot compress, keeping warm, nipple sheild..... but I'm having no joy. Anyone experienced this and have any advice? Any medication I can request?
I'm under the infant feeding team but it's a slower process and I'm getting really down with this now.

Wow that sounds like a lot to deal with!

I've no idea on the vasospasm sorry but have you phoned one of the BFing Helplines? They may be able to help

I suffered from this when my eldest was.born and it was excruciating. It didn't help that it was autumn/winter! I used to wear two soft bf bras at a time and put those gel handwarmers in between them to keep my nipples warm, and I used to spend quite a lot of time warming up my boobs with a hairdryer!! I really sympathise.

It will probably get a bit easier as your nipples toughen up but TBH - I think it took mine a few months and bf was never that easy. On the plus side I had no problems at all feeding my second, and that was in the depths of even colder winter! Best of luck.

Hi,

I also had this with when I was breastfeeding. It was really painful and with some advice from a breastfeeding counsellor, my doctor prescribed me Nifedipine, which is used to treat Reynauds disease. It really helped me. You can find more information at: www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/raynauds/

I had it in combination with and after nipple thrush after baby and I needed antibiotics. I also wore ludicrous silver nipple shields between feeds to prevent chafing and encourage healing.

Good luck. I hope this helps you.

Thanks so much for the remixes! I've spoken to our local BF team and I'm under the infant feeding team at the minute so I'm hoping to get somewhere but they just keep recommending what I'm already doing. They are wonderful though and it's still on going!
I use the sheilds too because the thought of it touching anything makes me cringe!! Luckily I only feed from one side so it's only an issue on that side.
How long was it before you were prescribed the medication @Wistfulthinking ?

Hi again,

I think I got the medicine quite quickly as I had a hard time with the thrush and pain which my doctor was aware of due to the prescriptions needed. I definitely got the medicine within in 10 days of the pain really establishing itself and I took the breastfeeding network information sheet with me and asked my doctor to prescribe it on the spot. My baby was still young and exclusively breastfed round the clock. It really really helped me and I could feel the medicine work instantly.

The sensitivity remained by was not the frequent sharp pains I was experiencing before.