My nipples are on fire!

[VictorianSqualor]

Arghhhh, they bloody kill, nearly three weeks into feeding DS2 they are agony, I've been using Lansinoh but although it makes them feel better when I use it as soon as DS feeds again they're sore again, well not sore during the feed but after
Never had this with DS1 so why is it happening this time?
Any tips on fixing it??

Poor you - thrush is a nightmare. I second the fluconazole. Until I brought the breastfeeding network leaflet to my doctor I was getting nowhere. I needed the biggest dose they could give, for about 2 weeks before it cleared up. Persist with your GP for more if thrush doesn't clear soon. Still feeding at 7 mths and all good, but it was really tough to keep going. I found a brilliant bf counsellor at my maternity hospital who I visited from week 6 to 8 and she gave me the confidence to be demanding with my GP for appropriate treatment.

Picallily yes it can because, though many doctors don't seem to believe this, it can get into the milk ducts. Very painful. Total nightmare.

Lots of stuff on the Breastfeeding Network website about this. It got me through.

I had the same problem with number 2!

He was sucking so hard, it was incredibly painful. What worked for me was to jam one of my fingers between my breast and his mouth to break the clamp, and then to get him to latch on again in a better position.

I found the only way to endure it and continue with breast feeding was to use avent nipple shields and to express - giving my nipples time to heal. We cup fed our girl at first so she wouldn't be confused from a tiny beaker that the hospital gave us.

after reading this thread, I'm wondering whether me and ds2 have thrush too. He has a constant white coating on his tongue - would he have this if he didn't have thrush? (he is 4 weeks old).

(I also have pain in my breast after feeding and a sore nipple, which doesn't appear to be caused by positioning).

Also my girl was so eager she was not getting a good enough latch so it made things way worse with being overly full and making my nipple that much harder to get into her mouth. I meant nipple protectors like this: www.nurseryessentials.co.uk/avent-nipple-protectors-x2-489-p.asp

definitely sounds like thrush which I had for six weeks (took four to get diagnosed!) If your GP will not prescribe fluconnazole then try getting some grapefruit seed extract which works a treat! you can buy in any health food shop for about five quid. you take it diluted in water and it tastes rank so have a glass of something else handy! this worked for me when daktarin didn't so it is powerful stuff... don't be tempted to put it on your nips or they'll blister! this is a good website to read more www.breastfeedingmums.com/dr_jack_newman_candida_protocol.htm or kellymom.com they both talk about gentian violet which is not available in the UK but are really good abiut other things you can do help like wash your towel every day and use disposable breastpads. Goood luck - i agree the pain is worse than childbirth !

Sorry if anyone else has said this, but I am (sadly) an expert in breast thrush having battled it with both of mine. I find the main battle to be with the GP, as they don't like prescribing the best treatment, which is a course of fluconazole combined with treatment for the baby too. Sometimes topical (nystatin, daktarin gel etc) is good enough for the baby, sometimes it's not, and they need flocunazole too. The course for mum is 50mg twice a day for at least 10-14 days, not a couple of ""canasten once" tablets. The BfN drug info has all this written down, and you may need to print it off and take it too your GP in order to convince him/her.

Good luck, it's horrible but it will go away once you get the right treatment.

Monkies

I had the same problem - smothered in lansinoh, been to a breastfeeding councillor (does your nipple look like the cherry on the top of a cake after feeding???)Sometimes attachment can be fine and then the baby changes, grows etc.. and the attachment needs tweaking.

In the end I resorted to using parafin gauze on my nipples between feeds (you can get it from the chemists), to help with the healing and used nipple shields. I know they are unpopular - but they really were the only thing that kept me going, we have now reached the seventh month of breastfeeding. Success!!!

The only other thing to check for, and I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this is thrush - you might need to get the HV to check their mouth

Used Daktarin cream for me, gel for my son, after every feed, and industrial quantities of lansinoh, finally got onto fluconazole which did the trick, though I needed it for about 3 weeks. Also new breastpad every time as they can hang onto the infection too. HV was fab and forced me to get the latch right, and if it hurt, to keep taking him off and putting him on again till we got it right. Absolutely feel your excruciating pain - very very nasty. I came so close to giving up several times, but so glad I got through it. Boy now 11 months and still bf morning and evening! Hang on in there.....

It's got more painful again, I'm going to call my GP and see if I can get him to prescribe more tablets, he's normally pretty good about doing prescriptions to be collected if I know what the problem is.

Just reading this and noticed VS mentioned baby feeding a lot - don't know if it's a common thing, but both my kids went from having a feed every 3-4 hours (from birth), to wanting to feed constantly at a couple of weeks old - basically they weren't hungry, they were just using me as a human pacifier, I guess it was nice being cuddled up with Mum all the time. Having eventually worked out that this was what they were up to, to solve the problem I went through the pain of only letting them feed at more sensible intervals and after a few days they got the message and settled into a more appropriate interval between feeds.

To all you new Mums, do try to keep up the bfing as long as you can (and want to) - it really is easier when you're past the early days, no bottles to make/sterilise, and if you're out and about you don't have to lug bottles with you (as well as everything else!) or worry about getting home or buying some if you're out longer than expected. If you're off on holiday this Summer it's a godsend, no worries in travel hold-ups etc. I fed ds for 13 months and dd for nearly 2 years - neither of them ever had formula. Mostly I found it easy but had a few bouts of blocked ducts and mastitis in the first few months, so know what the pain's like and how tempting it is to give up! Do seek pofessional help and support if you need it, if necessary getting second and third opinions 'cos you'll get different advice from different people, some of it will work for you and some of it won't. Good luck, hope everyone's sore boobs are healed very soon!

Oooh remember the pain, second time around I put tea strainers in my bra(with the handles cut off)which meant that nipples stayed dry & didnt rub on my bra between feeds. Sounds odd but it works!

Lucy used a purified form of lanolin produced by Lansinoh when she had sore nipples. A friend recommended it and it worked miracles while Lucy was breastfeeding our first child. A tiny amount goes a long way and the one tube lasted Lucy through 18 months of breastfeeding our daughter, who was born three years after our son. We also used it for various minor skin complaints. Highly recommended!

Ok, I see some people have already mentioned Lansinoh ? remember, I'm just the bloke half of PeterandLucy so by definition several light years behind the average mum I'd still recommend it ? it worked for us, at any rate.

VS, hope you are ok.

Lansinoh is good, and rubbing a wee bit of breastmilk in and letting it dry helped me too. And make sure you get antibiotics for your mastitis; stupid me, I thought I was getting repeated bouts of flu plus (coincidentally) a sore breast, till finally it dawned on me that's what mastitis feels like!
But one thing that might be worth thinking about; if the baby's on and off the breast a lot, be careful that he's not 'grazing' your nipple as he comes off or sucks it back into his mouth; this can make you very sore very quickly. my first girl did this in the first week, I was given gauze etc by a lovely midwife, which helped, but was in agony. But stick with it, keeping seeking help until something works; it's worth it. I fed no.1 for 14 months in the end, now on eighth month with no.2, and think it has helped her survive and come out blossoming from a couple of serious health crises. Good for you for keeping going.

Can I be controversial here and suggest that it might not be thrush?

I developed Raynaud's disease of the nipple at 2-3 weeks and it was absolutely excruciatingly painful. I dreaded each feed, my nipples were so painful I couldn't even stand the water in the shower touching them. The pain was like someone driving a skewer through my nipple and out through my back.

I found it got better spontaneously without treatment at 5 weeks, although some people use Nifedipine tablets to improve it.

VS have you seen a bf counsellor? It's just I had thrush when dd was 2 months, and I also had agonizing nipples - the thrush pain was shooting pain in the breasts but not nipples, between feeds, whereas the nipple agony was just in the first few weeks after birth and was caused by dd not opening her mouth wide enough and by doing very long feeds where she ended up dozing and just sucking. You might have combination of both, but probably important to cover all angles...

Victoiansqualor, haven't read all thread so don't know if this has been suggested; ask your doc if he/she can prescribe a cream with the active ingredient jaluronic acid. It will sort it in one day and it's safe for baby

VS, I suffered from thrush deep in the breast with DD1 and DD2 in the early days. Second time round the GP I saw was great and very knowledgeable. She prescribed an intitial 10 day course of fluconazole which was then increased to 20 days as it hadn't quite cleared up, along with Daktarin for both myself and DD2. That seemed to clear it up and I haven't had any problems since.

Hope things are getting better for you

I remember it well, like having your nipples sawn off with a blunt breadknife. I used Camillosan. Best of luck, stick with it, it does get better, and then those lovely moments are passed.