Woohoo! And...argh breast infections

Well, first off...I got my wee girl to take her first 'proper' feed straight from the boob today...almost. She fed completely from one side, wouldn't go to the other side so had to give her half an expressed bottle. Stoked about that.

Good thing too, because to be honest...this is getting really hard. I've got my FOURTH breast infection. It's always in the same breast (right side) and I have gotten massive (to the point they look like they're bleeding and are swollen-ish...kinda weird looking) cracks in my nipple.
This is my fourth infection breast-feeding this baby, I had two with my first...also on that same side.
I have talked to my Dr about it, and while he originally thought I just wasn't draining the breast, he suggested it could be stress causing them?? Can stress/lack of sleep cause breast infections? We have had a lot going on lately, some of which HAS been making me stress out in a massive way, and I haven't been sleeping too well...so if that's a possible cause for infections, then I think it's likely. I just don't know how to do anything about it.

Hubby thinks I should stop trying to breast-feed now, especially since I'm on my own at the moment (I think he feels bad about that) and he can't help out. I'm not ready to stop, especially now that she may be going back to the boob...it has been WAY too much work to get to this point to give up now, but the pain in my right breast is so constant, I'm almost used to it now.

Sorry, I know this is a massive pity fest and I'm not sure if I want advice on this or what, but I really want to continue breast-feeding, but at the same time I'm SO tired of it all.

Awww hugs! I feel your pain, I've had months of on and off pain with feeding lil miss, at one stage I had a crack that lasted 3 months and was so bad it would bleed when I fed her, I dreaded feeding.

I want to say hang in there and it will get better (which it will), but at the end of the day, you need to do what's best for you. If you're not ready to stop, it might be worth seeing a lactation consultant (Plunket Family Centres are good for this) to get them to have a look at your nipples and see what they recommend. I did that when lil miss was 17 weeks and it turned out I had a cracker of a dose of thrush, dermatitis on my nipples, the crack I mentioned earlier plus a bacterial infection - no wonder it was sore! But once I knew what was wrong and treated it accordingly it did eventually clear up (altho that took another 6 weeks) and I'm still breastfeeding her now at 9 1/2 mths.

Sorry I have no advice on what it could be causing it, but good for you continuing with BF I hope it all works out

You poor things - breast infections are a killer. I had 5+ in 7 months and it did my head in.

I wonder if it's worth talking to your GP about further investigation. A friend of mine had recurrent infections in the same spot and she was sent for a mammogram (ouchies when BF, don't know why old fashioned US wouldn't work) and they found the spot where the collection was and drained it with a needle. Now she has no more issues.