Allergic reaction in BF mum? help needed

[Noggermum]

I am breast feeding my eight day old and its going well. However, last night i could see a red, hot rash spreading across both breasts, not localised, but covering both breasts entirely. Woke up this morning to find that it had spread over tummy, chest, neck, even to my hands and feet. It looks like an allergic reaction but I haven't eaten/worn/used anything likely to provoke a reaction. Read somewhere that its possible to have a reaction to oxytocin produced by breastfeeding - but seems unlikely? Anyone got any experience/ideas?

This seems unlikely - oxytocin is produced by lots of things, including falling in love.

You haven't used any sort of nipple cream? Has your baby had any medicine or anything in his/her mouth that you might react to? (I've heard of excema on nipples being caused by what the baby eats ... I'm assuming your 8-day-old isn't on solids yet, though!)

Do you feel generally unwell? Are you getting better or worse? Congratulations on the new baby and bf going well, by the way.

Really, I have no idea, but I'm hoping mears or tiktok or someone will see this and have a better idea.

Wow, Nogger, sounds most unpleasant. Hope you're feeling okay. Have you tried calling NHS Direct if you can't reach your midwives at the weekend?

Sounds like a reaction to something but highly unlikely to be oxytocin. Have you taken any medication or herbal remedy? New soap. bubble bath? Eaten anything citurs?

I don't think the rash is BF related.
Oxytocyn is relased througout labour (massively) so it wouldn't come 8 days later.
I'll put my thinking cap on !

It's also active during sex - do you get a rash with sex, noggermum? I have certainly heard of an oxytocin reaction, but it seems odd to get it now if you have never had it before.

ooooh, i used to get a rash sometimes after i'd had sex.... years ago though. it didn't appear during labour or breastfeeding though. interesting.

No, never had anything like this before, and no reaction during labour, despite having a syntocinon drip which you would have thought would have brought any reaction to oxytocin on. I am stumped. have used no creams, lotions potions, baby not on any medication, have had no food different to usual (other than my first glass of wine in 9 months but this has never brought me out in a rash before!) so all a big mystery. I am most perplexed by the fact that it has definitely started from the breast area. oh well. FIL is GP and is ariving soon so will get medical advice. Thanks all for the help anyway

could be the wine?

Any sulfites in it?

You are not using any cream on baby?
Have you got an open wound?

I once (pre-ds) had a red rash which spread everywhere (can't remember where it started). I don't have any food allergies, hadn't done or eaten anything unusual and was mystified. It disappeared quickly though and has never recurred - just one of those freaky things. Maybe yours is too and not bf-related at all?

just wanted to update this. when i was in labour last week i had a synotocin drip, & the same rash i used to get appeared again. no evidence of it during breastfeeding so far though.

I've got exactly the same as you, rashes over both breasts which has now covered my legs and arms. I've been feeding for three months with no problems and don't want to stop breastfeeding but think I might have to if this gets any worse. Just wondering if Noggermum found an answer because I can't think of anything that could cause this. Ideas please?

Me too! It started at abou 12 weeks and it itched like mad. But has started to die down now (after about 5 weeks) and the itching has stopped too. I asked my HV about it and she was mystified too, so I put it down to "just one of those things". Hope yours clears up quickly - it's a pig while it last, isn't it?