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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Vasospasm/Raynauds in nipples

18 replies

Triskaidekaphilia · 23/03/2019 17:28

Anyone else experiencing this? I've had it since very early on in the pregnancy, it's so incredibly painful. I've been using these self heating breast pad things which I'm not fully sure help, but I didn't put them in today, and just had one lasting about half an hour. I can't find an awful lot about this online, aside from the pain I'm worried it'll affect bfing.

OP posts:
DointItForTheKids · 23/03/2019 17:31

What happens OP?

Is it like a muscular contraction thing or just the vessels?

VixenAndCub · 23/03/2019 17:53

I'm having the exact same issue. Like you, I've had it since very early on. I'm 36 weeks now and it's not gotten any better. My nipples are super sensitive, the cold gets to them more. It's a race when I get out of my warm bed to find my dressing gown and sit in front of my heater before the pain starts...

Like you, it hurts for 30 mins on average. I brought this up with my midwife but she didn't really say much that helped. Just "keep warm". But as we know, that doesn't always stop it...

It's really put me off breastfeeding now. I've been told if it keeps going after birth to go to the GPs. Might be to do with the nerves over reacting. It could go away when all the pregnancy hormones disappear - but it may stick around too.

Unfortunately that's all I've been told. Nothing much of help I'm afraid. If your healthcare people have better advice for you, chuck it my way because I'd love to be able to walk around without wearing 5 layers... I boil to death but I don't dare remove a layer...

Raynaudsbf · 23/03/2019 18:02

I had this... So so incredibly painful
It got a lot worse when I breastfed, took me a long time to realise it was Raynauds otherwise I'd have pushed for more help from the GP
I used to make sure to put a heat pad on after feeding and kept well wrapped up but feeding was agony
It did go away when my baby was maybe six or nine months old, I had started taking high dose evening primrose oil (3 x 1000mg) which the breastfeeding network advised was safe to do. I'd read this can help the Raynauds and it did seem to (or it was a total coincidence)
Fed for three years in the end but still not sure what made me stick with it in those initial months!!

Triskaidekaphilia · 23/03/2019 18:39

@DointItForTheKids I don't know the exact mechanism behind it, I believe it's to do with blood vessels constricting and tends to happen when the nipples get cold- but as @VixenAndCub said, it still seems to happen even when you don't think you're getting cold. I often get it at work after lunch- I don't feel cold at all but the temperature drop from sitting down for half an hour is enough to trigger it.
I think its most common while bfing but occurs in pregnancy too.

@VixenAndCub I've not really mentioned it to GP or MW yet as it doesn't seem like they can do much about it, but will probably mention to MW next time because I've had two particularly painful ones in the last couple of weeks. The self heating pads may be helping, it's hard to tell yet- I need new bras (for the third time!) so couldn't really fit them in properly, but I'm wearing a crop top thing today so I've put them back in. They don't feel warm but I do think they deflect some of the heat back. Will have to see how they help out day to day when I have bras that fit them!

@Raynaudsbf I'm glad to hear you were able to breastfeed, it must have been so hard to push through! I'm 22 weeks and hoping being due in summer means it's not as bad, but seeing as tiny temperature drops seem to cause it, I guess this might not make any difference!

OP posts:
DointItForTheKids · 23/03/2019 18:42

It sounds dreadful Trisk. I hope it doesn't turn out to be too much of a barrier to BF if that's your wish. It's hard enough without that (if you've got a baby that gives up sucking after about 2 goes!!!) on top. Wish you all the best Flowers.

ParadiseLaundry · 23/03/2019 18:57

I'm so pleased I've found this thread. I've had this but thought I was just weird! I'm 20 weeks and have still been bf DS (3) I thought it was just nursing aversion but made a lot worse by being pregnant. It only happens in one nipple mostly ands it's so painful when I get cold and as a pp said, when I don't even know I'm getting cold. Does anyone have and more info on it? I had a quick google but I couldn't see anything specific.

Triskaidekaphilia · 23/03/2019 20:41

@DointItForTheKids thank you. I don't judge people who don't or stop bf for whatever reason and I know there's plenty of reasons it can be hard, but it is something that is quite important to me... I think my own mum made it sound too easy!

@ParadiseLaundry this is where I first learnt what it was:
www.thewomens.org.au/health-information/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-problems/nipple-vasospasm
I'd had the pain since about 6 weeks, but it was only later on, when I got one at home, that I realised my nipples were turning blue/white which prompted me to look it up. I'm 22 weeks now and I think because it hasn't been as cold, I've not been wrapping up warm enough so they've got worse.

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AltogetherAndrews · 23/03/2019 20:52

I had this with both pregnancies and through breastfeeding, so I know your pain. I used to walk around with a hot water bottle down my top, which helped, but not much use when out and about. I found the refrigerated aisle in the supermarket particularly challenging.

ParadiseLaundry · 24/03/2019 06:25

Thank you for the link @Triskaidekaphilia, interesting that it suggests magnesium supplements to help. Funnily enough I started taking them a few weeks ago for something else.

Newyearnewunicorn · 24/03/2019 06:39

I had this during pregnancy but it didn’t affect bf. I always had washable breast pads in my bra and a thick woolly cardigan didn’t solve the problem though.

HalfBloodPrincess · 24/03/2019 07:23

I’m having my 4th baby and have this for the first time. It’s excruciating! Like someone’s poking tiny daggers of fire in your nips.

Midwife just said heat helps - I’ve been warming my hands on a cup of coffee and massaging my boobs, or having a hot shower if I’m home and have time. Both solutions seem to help but not cure.

Curlywurly3 · 24/03/2019 08:00

Oh god I have this and it’s awful, happened again last night. As PP said it feels like hot pokers in your nipples or someone has put those little crocodile clips on them! I’ve had to her on the bath boobs down to warm them up, get in bed with all my clothes on and walk around holding my boobs! I’m also worried about breastfeeding as the pain really is unreal. A few weeks ago we had a beautiful sunny and warm weekend. DP and I were in Waitrose and I had to run outside to warm up in the sunshine as walking down the fridge aisle set it off. Horrible.

Daffodil77 · 24/03/2019 08:33

I've suffered from this whilst feeding. I have Raynaud's in normal life which means it was highly likely I'd suffer whilst feeding too. I tried to get medication from my GP but it isn't available in the 5mg tablets at the moment. She tried to get 10mg ones for me but these are capsules so can't be split. :(

I wear a hoodie or dressing gown in bed so I don't get too cold whilst feeding overnight.

I don't think it has affected my bf'ing though. I just try not to latch her on until they are pink again.

BetterEatCheese · 24/03/2019 08:36

I had it before pregnancy and occasionally now afterwards and it didn't interfere with feeding at all. So so painful

Triskaidekaphilia · 25/03/2019 19:49

I'm glad to hear that most of you are getting on ok with feeding, as much as the pain sucks. I described it to DH as someone putting ice on your nipples then twisting them really hard!

I actually didn't read the part about supplements in the link I posted. I've been slack with taking my vitamins (pregnacare and vegan omega 3) lately so maybe that will help. I managed to squeeze my warmers into my bra today but my boobs started to get extremely sweaty as it was quite warm. Not had one today so far, just a mild one last night while in the shower- my water wasn't staying hot enough!

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typingcake · 27/02/2021 09:38

I know this is from a good while ago but incase anyone is reading it now, because they are suffering similar…

I had terrible nipple pain from about 3 weeks pregnant and when I mentioned it to any of the midwives they all said it was normal to have achy boobs during pregnancy… and I always maintained it wasn’t my boobs - it was like the devil himself pressing a hot poker to both nipples!

Got it 6 or 7 times a day and it would last 20-40 minutes and I found it quite debilitating and really excruciating.

The midwives then said it wasn’t pregnancy related and NHS24 said they could not advise as it was pregnancy related and I had to speak to the midwives…

As a last resort I went to my GP ans she said she’d never heard of it but it sounded like all the symptoms of reynaud’s! So she told me to call the 24hr midwives line and to tell them that - the midwive was a bit flabbergasted and said it wasn’t reynaud’s but she would just go and see if she could find a consultant to reassure me… in the break room she found 3 doctors, one was a trainee GP and she confirmed it was, she had seen it once before in Birmingham! And she knew how to treat it!

I had to call back my GP for a phone appointment and it was agreed I’d take a small dose of nifedipine that i was prescribed that day!

I then saw a consultant on the maternity ward every week and she upped the dose a bit.

And it worked!

It didn’t disappear but it didn’t hurt so bad or last as long and sometimes it was just a light tingle.

I think the trouble is that it’s not that common or it is but people just put up with it and don’t report it so the midwives haven’t seen it or know what to do.

Nifedipine is safe for pregnancy. It’s what they give you when you have high blood pressure.

bethonaboat · 09/12/2021 10:09

Hello, so pleased to find other people who have experienced this, the pain I've been in throughout pregnancy has been really isolating and all I kept getting from NHS was there is nothing physiological wrong and it was just 'normal' breast pain... sort of implying it was in my head?!? But there was nothing normal about the pain! I've had a hot water bottle on my breast for months! Going to work, in zoom meetings, taking to shops. In screaming, crying pain most days, 5 spasms during day and awake 3/4 times a night, each lasting 10-30 mins. When at work or on public transport it was humiliating just hiding under my coat crying. It made life really limited, not wanting to go out.

It took a lot of research to find out what it is and had to be quite pushy. I had a cyst a few years ago which may have interacted with it. Breast clinic didn't want to know, GP had no clue, Midwife referred me to infant feeding team (3 times) who didn't pick up the referral, consultant didn't know/didn't really listen just prescribed co-dydramol which was often too slow to kick in. Ended up signed off as couldn't focus or reliably work.

It was only after I got an email address for a midwife friend of my antenatal class teacher and sent them all my research and symptoms that finally the consultant prescribed nifedepine. It has been an absolute life transformation.

Just demand it! It's safe and has ended months of really not enjoying pregnancy. Feels liberating to actually start thinking about baby and me now not being in pain so much.

Other things that helped - a vigorous massage of the upper chest with almond oil before bed, stable temperatures, tried magnesium oil but can't tell if that helped. Flask of water and hot flannel to warm up in the loos if out and about.

Anyway just sharing in case useful.

This website also great: ibconline.ca/information-sheets/vasospasm/

X b

JoyApple · 27/06/2023 13:29

Hi, i was wondering if any of you could help please with my problem which seems to be nipple vasapisam too, I'm so desperate: www.mumsnet.com/talk/pregnancy/4836447-deep-stabbing-pain-in-nipples-breasts

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