My nipple is falling to bits...

[KirstyAnn]

Hi

Any help or advice would be most appreciated. My daughter is a week old now and only just latched on about 48 hours ago.

I took off my bra earlier and a large chunk of skin from my nipple peeled off into the breast pad. I've put Lansinoh on it and tried to feed her and the pain was so bad I'm in tears.

Can I feed from just one breast until it feels better? Also any ideas how to make it heal quickly? the milk is still pouring out (I have a puddle on the floor underneath me) so it still works!

I dont want to have to go back to the ebm i have in the freezer and the syringes as we are doing so well.

thanks x

Sorry to hear you are having a tough time. I'm afraid I can't much any advice, I just wanted to say it sounds like you are doing a sterling job!

Lanosh and plenty of air should help heal it as quickly as possible. Do you have any breast shells? They are fab for airing sore nipples without going topless.

Maybe you could try a silicone nipple shield for a few days, but I'm not sure if that's ok. I know nipple shields can cause supply problems.

I'm sure someone will be along with better advice soon...

Keep up the good work

Oh, what a thing to happen....

Please don't just persevere. You need proper help to fix the breastfeeding....yes, this might mean laying off the 'bad' side for a few days, and using one side only, expressing (prob by hand) the bad side.

Call any of the bf telephone lines and/or see a midwife and get good real life help*.

See, someone sensible!

Breastfeeding helplines:

National Breastfeeding Helpline 0300 100 0212
National Childbirth Trust 0300 330 0771
Breastfeeding Network 0300 100 0210
La Leche League 0845 1202918
Association of Breastfeeding Mothers 08444 122949

ouch. What an awful thing to happen. No advice but just to say am very impressed that you are trying to carry on. When I came home I was told to contact the hospital maternity section if I had any feeding issues for a few weeks post birth - may not be the same everywhere tho. Good luck.

Thanks for the messages, I'm on the phone to the breast feeding helpline as we speak

Definitely get some support and if you're up for carrying on, good on you. But remember babies need happy mummies too so don't sacrifice yourself to the cause.

I had a tough time with bits dropping off and bleeding nipples. As crazy as it may feel I did the topless thing to get as much air to my nips as possible and allowed milk to flow through sore nipples and leave that to dry before putting on nipple cream. It's definitley a picture sat in bed, boobs out, dripping milk onto a teatowel while watching trashy tele for hours at a time, but needs must.

I didn't have to leave one side or anything but remember being very upset when I had to feed from the 'bad boob'especially though the night when the whole thing can seem quite lonely.

Take it one day/night one night at a time. In two or three weeks everything will have toughened up and that toe curling feeling will have passed too.

If you decide to hit the bottle there's no shame .

I hope you have received some sensible advice from the helpline and are feeling better about things

I experienced this with DD2, luckily for me it only lasted a week at the really painful stage - I put the Lansinoh cream on and i aslo used cabbage leaves which really really seemed to help me

I would feed DD2 on the 'good' side and then express from the 'painful' side, and either myself or dp feed her the expressed milk from a bottle to give me a break from the pain or i would feed from the 'good' side and freeze the EBM

you will get through it but make sure you have good support too either at home, on here whereever - at least on here you know someone will be about at anytime of the day or night to chat

So sorry to hear about your pain. I went through a similar thing when feeding DS.

Lathering on the Lansinoh at all times, even before the shower to stop it drying out.

I did use breast shells (great for keeping the clothes / pads from sticking to your clothes) and also a nipple shield on the sore side (though be cautious as they can interfere with supply).

I gave up in the end, but I thoroughly regret it.

Good luck xx

That should read 'I did use breast shells (great for keeping the clothes / pads from sticking to your nipple)

gawd i remember the severe pain.

i used kamilosan form Boots, it was such a great soft, healing cream.

I remember having to let dd latch on despite the pain, my gosh.

Breast shells breast shells breast shells!!

Also Lansinoh breastpads don't stick to your nips.

I second the Lansinoh breast pads. They're pricier than some brands, but FABULOUS and worth every penny.... I remember having to shower the cheaper ones off so they didn't peel my nips off when I tried to remove them.....

I bought some Tesco ones when I had ds... and ended up using them to clean the algae off the inside of my fishtank.

Lansinoh pads, Lansinoh cream and lots of fresh air.
Then try to feed less on the sore breast and express so supply isn't interrupted, although I don't think you have to do it religiously ie at each feeding, if you come back to feeding on both breasts in a few days it will even out.
When I had DS 7 years ago bf was a piece of cake, no pain etc. Now, with DD 7 months ago: torture for first 3 or 4 weeks horrible, horrible, sore nipples, had to really brace myself every time she was about to latch on.
Having had the benefit of experience of successful bf with ds I just stuck with it knowing it will be ok in the end. After few weeks my nipples healed and now at 7 months we still bf and it's perfect. For all advice you'll get , you will probably have to go through few days/ couple of weeks of toe-curling, lip-biting feedings, but I promise you it will get absolutely fine very fast and then it's great. Don't give up!

I had this problem too. My DD2 is 6 weeks old now and I'm all healed up.

Agree use Lansinoh. Try not to let air at them as I find it just dries the skin out and makes the scabs worse and they just end up peeling off and you're back to square one.

I bought some nipple protector thingies you wear in your bra, they stop your bra/breast pads from sticking to your nipples therefore stopping you ripping the scab off (ouch!!)

I also found that the first 10 seconds of a latch REALLY hurt but after the initial toe curling bit, it stopped hurting!!

Good luck and you're doing an amazing job!!!

I had this last time. I used lansinoh.

I'm thinking of getting some of those silverette nipple cups for this time (due march) as i've heard they're great for helping you heal. Maybe give them a go?

Hey

I've been using Lansinoh and that stuff could end wars Its brilliant.

I spent most of yesterday with my boobs out, or with breast shells on or with the Lansinoh pads on. I got some free at the Baby Show and they are good.

Any idea where I can buy them? Do Boots stock them?

Tried a feed today on my bad side and it was toe curling for the first while, but its a lot better now. Thanks for all the support!

Norktasticninja - 'someone sensible' what does that mean?

Mothercare stock Lansinoh pads, so do big Boots stores....