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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

painful breastfeeding after 13 months....

20 replies

desertgirl · 06/01/2009 21:06

ok, I thought I had this feeding business sorted this time; have made it to 13 months - but it has started to hurt and I'm not going to last much longer at this rate.... can anyone help?

DD has relatively recently acquired top teeth (4 all at once, lovely) and I have had the odd nip - but was beginning to think she was using her teeth more of the time, especially on one side. However, having now gone back to work after time off over christmas and new year, and being back on the pump, I realise it isn't just that she's chomping down at the time; my breast (one in particular) is really quite tender; and it is not taking much of a touch or much suction to have me wincing. There are no signs of trauma - no bruising, no broken skin - I'm afraid to cut down on feeding/pumping from that side as I tend to have supply issues and it's my 'good' side, quantity wise - if anyone has any advice, I'd be very grateful.

OP posts:

Joolyjoolyjoo · 06/01/2009 21:49

No great advice, I'm afraid, but bumping for you. My boobs were definitely more tender as we passed the year mark- I think because they weren't so full, so the breast tissue was less "cushioned"- does that make sense?? Only other thing I can think of is thrush- maybe worth checking that out??

Original poster

desertgirl · 07/01/2009 18:29

thanks joolyjoo - don't think it's thrush, unless it's taking a different form than the couple of times I had it before - if it's just because she's older, I'm not going to manage to keep going much longer! anyone??

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roomforthree · 07/01/2009 18:35

No advice, sorry, but is there any possibility that you are pregnant? Feeding became quite painful from about 6 weeks into pregnancy for me.

Grendle · 07/01/2009 19:08

Can you describe exactly where it hurts? Is it all the time or only at specific times? Does anything on the skin, nipple or areola look different?

FeelingLucky · 07/01/2009 19:12

any chance you could be pregnant?

WriggleJiggle · 07/01/2009 19:15

Watching this thread with great interest. I could have written exactly the same thing. After 14 easy months it is now painful to the point that unless things improve in the next couple of weeks I will be giving up . I know to get to 15 months is great, but I had really hoped to make it to 2yrs.

Grendle · 07/01/2009 19:22

Again, wriggle, can you say more about the nature of the pain you are experiencing?

Original poster

desertgirl · 07/01/2009 20:04

absolutely no chance that could be pregnant, nothing looks different, where it hurts is hard to describe - it really is more or less as though she were biting, where her lips are - but on having a poke, would say the whole areola is pretty tender.

wriggle, I wanted to get to 2 years too but if I can't sort this out, that isn't realistic! am sorry you have this too but kind of glad it isn't just me!

thank you all for taking the time.

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SleepMeNot · 07/01/2009 20:07

I'm another one experiencing this! DD 14 months now, and 2 weeks ago feeding started to really HURT.

I can say that it hurts a lot less now... am hoping it was temporary...

Original poster

desertgirl · 07/01/2009 20:12

oh, sleepmenot, I hope so, in all three cases! did you do anything different or did you just grit your teeth while it sorted itself?

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Lastyearsmodel · 07/01/2009 20:17

Have been through oddly painful patches with both of mine. With DD, it was around the time she got lots of teeth and think she changed her latch to accommodate them. Also got a sort of dry skin patch right where her teeth rubbed. Fed her til 15m, when it hurt again but that was because I was pg.
Feeding DS hurt again at about 5m because I'd gotten too relaxed about the latch, so paid more attention and it went after a few days. Then it was v painful again before Xmas and that was because I'd got a blocked duct (hard, red patch on boob and painful feeding). Lots of massage and warm baths sorted that.
Hope your pain goes away soon and you get to 2 years! I'm hoping DS feeds longer than his sister.

skidaddle · 07/01/2009 20:20

desert girl, I have this this too! My theory was that it was a milk blister see here.

although I have no blister now (did have one) and it still hurts so I may have been wrong. Also could it be because you've got your period? I think that can make a difference?

Will also be watching this to see if there are any other explanations

sherby · 07/01/2009 20:23

I am currently feeding DS 16 mths and this started with us too at about 14mths.

I realised that it was around the time I was ovulating each month some more info here

Grendle · 07/01/2009 21:51

Some suggestions: could it be related to teething? Teething changes ph of saliva and this can sometimes irritate the sensitive skin on the nipple & areola. New teeth sometimes rub and grate, though usually baby will adjust things after a short time once they're used to the new teeth.

Second thought is that it could just be basic positioning. Sometimes toddlers (and mums ) get a bit lax with positioning -just allowing baby to help themselves any way they like now that they are able. You could try really focussing on getting a nice big wide open mouth (say "open wide") and make sure that their top lip just slides over your nipple so it doesn't go in like a bullseye. uneven pressure on the ducts etc when a child is not in a optimal position can lead to referred nerve pain in the breast, which is a bit achey or maybe sharp like thrush/let-down pain.

Thirdly, as others have said, it could be linked to returning fertility, i.e. ovulation or PMT. Or pregnancy, though usually this is more nipple sensitivity, rather than breast pain.

Forthly, bit of a blocked duct? Could be cause by anything putting rpessure on breast(s) eg sleeping on side, car safety belt, bra size having changed and bra not fitting so well any more, return to underwired bras, child in front carry sling etc etc.

WriggleJiggle · 08/01/2009 00:03

THe underneath of one breast has lots of dry skin so I suspect if I can sort that out then the bruised feeling will disappear. Can anyone suggest something? The purple tube stuff?
Out of interest, what are the benefits of bf at 15+ months? I feel pretty clued up about the 0-6month stage, but have no real idea or reasons why I'd like to reach 24 months. I think I need a focus!

FinalFurlong · 08/01/2009 00:09

My DD is 10 months and has 6 teeth, i often get sore when we feed in an odd position, like the teeth have been digging in. and very very sore nipples in the week before my period starts.

benefits at 15months plus are still the same a 0-6 as far as i am aware. mainly immunity. but the longer the child is fed for the more benefits they get as far as i have been told.
take a look at the site 'howbreastfeedingworks' there is a lovely list of the benefits over time on that. (sorry i dont know how to do the fancy link thing)

walkinthewoods · 08/01/2009 06:40

Well, I logged on specifically to look for this very same problem!

I am feeding my 2.5yr old and suddenly I have sore nips. Never had it before apart from when I fell pg with no. 2 and still feeding no. 1. No chance am pg but am mid cycle. My periods returned 18 motnhs ago but I don't hink I have been ovulating (random symptom checking) So maybe this is my first ov? Thanks for the link about ov and pain, very intresting.

Grendle · 08/01/2009 08:29

Kellymom on breastfeeding past 12 months

wiggle have you tried a moisturiser? Something like aveeno perhaps? You could perhaps put it on after a feed and wipe off any still visible before next feed. It is also possible to use gentle steroids on this area if you think it could be something like eczema. Obviously you'd need to consult your GP. As an example for a different purpose, Dr Jack Newman's all purpose nipple ointment (look under the treatment for sore nipples and sore breasts link) contains betamethasone 0.1% ointment

SleepMeNot · 08/01/2009 15:05

How fascinating that this seems so common! Mine isn't/wasn't the return of ovulation/periods, as I got my periods back v early on and I know I have been ovulating, but it occurs to me that the pain did coincide with ovulation so that link would work for me.

Mine was definitely sore nipples not sore breasts.

And yes - it didnt just disappear, it got slowly better (or I got used to it??!) and now it is more or less normal again. Hope you all find this too!

Original poster

desertgirl · 08/01/2009 16:42

Ah, now that could make sense - haven't had a period yet, maybe this is an early warning! when I was having periods (seems a long time ago now - have had 2 kids with only 2 periods in between) - my breasts did tend to get quite sore generally at certain times.

And it has not been as bad today... maybe I'll manage to keep going after all; if I know it's only a few days a month might manage to grit my teeth through that.

Thanks so much for all the advice, glad it's been useful for others too.

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