Help my nipple is pulling apart...

[Fly]

Quick question...

My left nipple was inverted prior to Henry being born. I took my nipplette thingy into hospital and i made sure to use it to draw the nipple out, wearing it between feeds so nipple was erectish for a feed...anyways the nipple drew out quite nicely and other than initial soreness in first few days we've managed to establish breastfeeding really well... however in last few days, my left nipple is causing me massive amounts of pain as little man latches on. It's like part of the nipple has pulled apart leaving a raw patch...i nearly shoot through the roof every time he latches on it's so sore. I'm slatherin on kamillosan after a feed and squeezing a drop of milk onto the nipple before that... also lettin the air get to it as much as possible but its excrutiating and hurts between feeds too

I've checked my latch with the midwives and its fine... midwife says this sometimes happens so i guess we just grin n bare it? my other nipple is absolutely fine.

anyone got any advice please?

love Sarah and Henry xxxxxx

 

[keli]

Sounds like your doing everything you can i understand your pain, i got really bad blisters after his first feed on my left breast it was agony when he latched on and it would throb after he fed. Think your MW is right and the grin and bear it is the only way. If your nipples been checked and also his latch. I even tried expressing off my left breast but TBH it was just as painful. There is light at the end of the tunnel tho your nips will toughen up it will just take time and i can totally assure you it is sooooooooooooooooooooo worth getting through them first few weeks xxxxx

 

[Fly]

Thanks for that reassurance Keli i just fed him from that side and it made me cry it was so sore! I thought about expressing but I think what you said bout it hurting just as bad would be the same for me too cos the sucking action would pull the nipple apart just like he does when he latches on..

I was wondering about whether to try another hold ? we've got tummy to mummy sussed though and its working so well (other than the pain on one side) that am loathe to try anything else really... might give that side a go in rugby ball hold next time i feed him from that side

Love Sarah x x x x

 

[Bee]

Have you thought about using nipple shields? I did the whole way through breastfeeding as I have small nipples

Even if you use them just while your nipple gets better

They also may help to pull out your nipple more

 

[*Star*]

yeah the shields might work well.

although you could maybe try hand expressing for the start of the feed, and then put him on that boob when the let down has come in, that way he doesn't have to suck as hard to get the initial milk and hopefully will be gentler on the nipple

 

[keli]

Thanks for that reassurance Keli i just fed him from that side and it made me cry it was so sore! I thought about expressing but I think what you said bout it hurting just as bad would be the same for me too cos the sucking action would pull the nipple apart just like he does when he latches on..

I was wondering about whether to try another hold ? we've got tummy to mummy sussed though and its working so well (other than the pain on one side) that am loathe to try anything else really... might give that side a go in rugby ball hold next time i feed him from that side

Love Sarah x x x x

The MW said trying different holds would help as LO is sucking from a different angle.. you can only try. I just gritted my teeth threw the toe curling pain when he first latched on. I never tried nipple shields but again you can try. Good luck, as i said in my last post it does get better xxxx

 

[Fly]

Thanks Bee and Claire...someone else has recommended shields to me so i may see bout gettin some if it gets too much to bare...am already doin the hand express thing on that boob so he doesn't mess about so much gettin the milk to come down - he is a mess about feeder n likes to nudge the nipple around loads before he gets on with it n i found expressing a little cuts down on the play time quite considerably...

just tried rugby hold on both boobs durin the last feed.. he took to it really well on the good boob but on the bad boob he wasn't havin a bar of it n wouldn't latch on at all - went back to our usual position and he latched straight away

will keep tryin though

thanks girls xxxx

 

[leckershell]

nipple shields for the win 8)

 

[Sherlock]

Lansinoh nipple cream is just about the best thing ever for sore nipples. Worth the £10 for sure. I had an almost full tube floating round but passed it on to Suzie and Faith (for her LO's cradle cap). Maybe she has lots left? Worth asking perhaps.

 

[KERRYGOLD00]

Deleted

 

[Fly]

ahhhh thanks for all the advice ladies...was chattin with my midwife friend yesterday evening and she said it sounded to her like the latch was slightly out n from where i told her where i was sore and it was pullin apart she recommended how to move little man so the latch was adjusted slightly... and it worked!!! what a diamond!!! It's still sore don't get me wrong but not tear-inducing!! phew! am amazed at how slight the adjustment was but how much it improved the initial pain on latching... i have managed to feed him twice now off that breast with just a wince istead of toe curling and breath holding pain

Gonna go breastfeeding club next week - we're lucky we got two clubs in this town - be nice to get some support from other mum's locally and health visitor just rang and is coming out to us today so am gonna get her to look at my nipple!

 

[Tadpole]

Glad to hear it is a bit better. You have my full sympathy for that lip-biting pain. It will get better, I promise! I didn't try nipple shields but did use the lansinoh which helped soothe it and stop it getting worse.

 

[Redshoes]

Great to hear you've worked it out and Henry is doing so well, sending very best wishes, hope it all goes smoothly from now on for you