Thrush or mastitis? Help

[Flightattendant]

Sorry, hope someone can advise...still bfing ds2 at almost 2 and a half, recently he's bitten my right nipple a few times and a couple of weeks ago it started to become sore - I expressed a tiny bit and massaged etc and it seemed to get better. However the other day it started to hurt again and today it is agonising to touch, whether he is feeding or not...nothing seems to relieve it.

It's always been my left breast that has had repeated blockages, never the right, and I'm not sure if it is the same thing or if it might be thrush perhaps? It's just the nipple that hurts, the pain occasionally shooting backwards but not any tender or red areas to the actual breast. The nipple keeps sticking out, slightly swollen and looks almost patchy red and cream coloured. (sorry for tmi)

I tried some massage/expressing using a hot water compress earlier and it seemed to make it worse. Have got some daktarin and am applying that, ds is still feeding from it but unsure what to do. I'm used to dealing with blocked ducts in the other one but can't bear the pain of the usual treatment this time which makes me wonder if it is something else.

Thanks for reading

Plus if it is thrush, would stopping feeding make it better or worse? I am tempted just to stop as it has been painful for ages now, since he's been biting...but would that make my boob - erm, explode or something?

ouch ouch ouch

Hi flight,
Didn't want you to go unanswered. So sorry to hear you are in pain with the bf - just here to join you in your pain!

It sounds like thrush to me - I also had daktarin, and canasten cream does seem to help too. When the inflammation / pain is really bad, I have also applied a bit of hydrocortisone cream to help take down the inflammation.

WOW for feeding for so long. My DTs are 7 and a half weeks and I am finding breastfeeding somewhere between ok and absolute torture depending on the feed. Latching is fine - but can't shake thrush and I am in total agony for about 1 feed in 3. I really am NOT enjoying breastfeeding - I so wish there was a good alternative because it really is making my life miserable. I think I might hate breastfeeding.

I have recently started expressing so I can have a break every so often and we tried the Dts with a bottle of EBM for the first time yesterday. It was such bliss to see them fill their tummies without having to grit my teeth and restrain myself from pulling them off the breast because it is so painful.

It's 4am and I am sitting here in agony again after unlatching DT1 (who has now given up and gone to sleep on my lap) due to the pain. Hoping the DTs will settle so I can go and express.

Bloody hate, hate breastfeeding. Feel like it is spoiling my first months with my beautiful babies.

Ouch for both of you.

Flight, well done on still feeding DS2, but ouch that it hurts. I've been a martyr to both blocked ducts/mastitis and thrush so I feel your pain!. Could it be a blockage up near the nipple itself or a milk blister/bleb? or possibly reynauld's?

Not sure about thrush. Typically your nipple would be pink and shiny, and although I've had thrush a few times, I've never had any swelling with it. My pain has always been much deeper with thrush as well, pain going into armpits. Have a look here for causes of nipple pain

Zippysmum, sorry you are having such a hard time. Feeding one is hard enough, I can only imagine what two must be like. At seven weeks though, you are almost over the hard part and it should get easier from here on in. If you have thrush though you need a course of oral fluconazole, plus cream for your nipples and gel/drops for the baby. There's more information on the link I posted above and also here

Oh golly you poor, poor thing

It is lovely of you to reply to my post...have had a crappy night here too after not using the RH breast yesterday due to pain, I finally gave in last night and he was on it all blardy night

No idea if it is getting betetr or not...but still. It isn't worse.
I am so sorry to hear of what you're going through. It must be HUGEly difficult with twins. I'm in awe that you are bfing them at all and am sure it has given them a wonderful start but please, please don't persevere if it is making your life miserable. I'm regarded as a bfing advocate due to the extended feeding but seriously I have wanted to stop loads of times because of repeated blocked ducts and mastitis but it's nigh on impossible to get ds2 to have anything else, so have just carried on out of despair!! I didn't intend feeding this long it's just the lesser of two evils - he screams for several nights and wastes away, or I feed him...maybe when he is 12 I'll stand a chance.

I read a bit about thrush and it sounds like you need to be really really careful about sterilising everything, making sure the baby/ies have ointment in their mouths so it doesn't go between nipples etc. I am sure you have done all this.
I know it's recommended to bf as long as possible and maybe someone else on here can help you with the thrush so you can go on longer, but if they are happy to take a bottle and you feel better giving them bottles I really wouldn't fight that.

I would say give it everything you've got for a couple of days, make sure you're happy you've exhausted all the ideas and ways around it, then if it is still agony, stop.

Hope this doesn't get me flamed but I don't think you ought to be in this much pain that it's making you miserable. I wish I knw more about it so I could help you better.

Hope things work out alright for you and I forgot to say, congratulations on your babies!!!

Ah, Daisy knows her stuff!!!! Cross posts there with you, thankyou for the advice...have had a look at the link and couldn't distinguish between the symptoms very well, they sound so similar!

But am treating for both.

Zippy I hope Daisy's links and advice can help you. Whatever happens don't let this spoil your time with your new babies x

I'm not the only madwoman up at this ungodly hour then? I hope you can get some relief from the pain soon!

I don't think you will get flamed for your advice to Zippysmum either and you are right about the fact that feeding babies shouldn't be this painful and miserable!

reading again zippysmum, if the pain is only at certain feeds, it may well be a positioning/latching issue? I know of loads of women who have been told latch is fine, when in fact it isn't and it's only been experimenting with adjusting positioning slightly that has made an improvement. Have you talked to a breastfeeding counsellor?

I've been where you are with pain and misery and it is not nice

right my charmer isn't looking like he is going to go back to sleep any time soon; time for some gentle persuasion of the dummy and a cuddle variety.

Thanks so much, flight and daisy. I now have dt2 on the painful l breast, but I expressed about 80 ml before he went on and it's not too bad.

Daisy - you are probably right about the positioning / latching issue. I have most problems at night - lights low and I'm tired and maybe don't pay as much attention as I should.

I really do appreciate your support and advice. I so, so want to exclusively breastfeed my boys, had a hard time starting out because they were in NICU but was so pleased to have them fully breastfed by the time they got out of there at 3 days, but nearly every day I have at least 1 feed where I'm in tears and cursing the fact that I ever read the Politics of Breastfeeding and feel so strongly about how I feed my boys!

My post was written during an awful feed - just one good feed and reading your encouraging words has made me feel much better - thank you.

So sorry for the hijack, flight - glad yours isn't any worse. I am consoled that in extremis I can express and give it to them from a bottle - I didn't want to use bottles at all but needs must and the thought that I can have a break does help to keep me going. Can you express and give a bottle to help your breast recover, or won't he take it?

No worries in fact I am so glad someone hijacked this thread...you need it more than me and I hope you get some more great advice

I'm going to try expressing into a bottle, and see how it goes...never tried that before.

Thanks for your support both of you...! Good luck Zippy.

Zippy, it can help when things are tough to just think of getting through the next feed and not thinking of the bigger picture.

Another quick question for you...is it more painful with one twin rather than the other, or does it vary? It could be something like a tongue tie or a lip tie causing the issue.

flight, my DS2 has bitten me a few times recently and boy did it make me yelp. I hope you can sort out the biting as well as the painfulness.

Oh, and well done on getting then fully BF after a rocky start

It sounds like you are determined to succeed, but please be careful that this isn't to the detriment of your relationship with your babies.

I failed miserably to feed my DS1 and finally gave up at 6ish weeks. there were a few times during that time when I felt resentment towards him and the crumbling point for me was when I held him up to my face and was shouting at him. I knew then something had to give, the BFing or my sanity. With more support things might have been different though.

Do you chat on the multiples board? I know there are twin BFers there who will have lots of sagely advice Might be worth starting a thread over there?