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Postnatal health

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Cracked nipple advice needed

4 replies

Lilfabet · 04/10/2019 19:44

I pump milk for my lo (had a tongue-tie and by the time of got fixed he'd decided bottles are easier) and have ended up with a very sore/cracked/infected wound around the edge of my nipple.

I've been to the doctors today and he's given me antibiotics and told me not to feed my lo from milk from that side. I can't see anything anywhere that advises to pump and dump if this happens - everything I've read says carry on feeding and let it air dry (which my dp is finding hilarious). I'm just a bit reluctant to listen to the advice when the doctor didn't realise I'd get engorged and possibly end up with mastitis if I didn't pump from the poorly side...Hmm

What would you do?

OP posts:
MakeLemonade · 04/10/2019 19:49

I found jelonet - it’s liquid paraffin in a medical gauze that you put on your nipples - amazing when my nipples were cracked and bleeding, healed them in no time. My midwife said that “wet healing” was recommended now for healing nipples so not air drying, lots of nipple cream instead. I don’t know if your infection changes the advice though.

Can you try one of the breastfeeding helplines, or could you call the postnatal ward if you delivered quite recently re the pumping and dumping vs feeding?

My milk was pink at one stage as it had so much blood in from my shredded by tongue tie nipples and I was advised it was fine to feed but not sure about how the infection could complicate things.

Capybaras · 06/10/2019 08:58

Definitely keep on feeding from that breast as you'll be so engorged/risk mastitis if you don't. I used jelonet on my cracked nipples and applied lanolin after every feed. It was painful for about a week but after that they healed nicely and had no problems since.

Are you using the correct size flange when pumping?

JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff · 06/10/2019 09:02

Jelonet!!! Get it off Amazon. Continue to feed or pump off that side as far as you can without pain. It will heal.

I pumped for twins and completely removed the skin off one nipple - it was wrong size flange as PP says - and that is what worked for me.

And don't use GP for BF stuff, find a local BF support group or lactation consultant.

Lilfabet · 06/10/2019 10:07

Thanks everyone!
It's starting to heal and I've switched up a flange size so fingers crossed I'm passed the worst of it.
I rang the bf helpline previously and they can't get over the fact I'm expressing and kept telling me to put my lo to the breast. I got really fed up with them because if he could feed that way I wouldn't be expressing every 2/3 hours, would I?!
I think I'll carry on muddling through and steer clear of the gp and the helplines if I can!

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