help with sore nipples
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Forum Name: First baby? Second or more?
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Topic: help with sore nipples
Posted By: peanut butter
Subject: help with sore nipples
Date Posted: 30 January 2009 at 8:10am
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Ok, they arent bleeding etc so cant be that bad but my god do they hurt!!!! He is not latching well on one side and keeps pulling off and it takes us about 10 min to get him going....with him screaming etc.
But what can I do to soothe these nips? I am using lansinoh between feeds, not airing them yet as we have my mum staying and I just dont feel right walking topless round the house dripping everywhere.
I dread each feed, especially off the right breast. Is there any cunning tricks people have for coping? |
Replies:
Posted By: Chickoin
Date Posted: 30 January 2009 at 8:19am
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Oooooh ouchy, my nips got so sore too, not cracked, just blistered.
Everyone is different, but I found they got better after I stopped using the lansinoh. I used Nipple Sheilds on my sorest side and I too couldnt walk around dripping everywhere so after a feed I would stay with bubs on me breathing on my wet nip for about 5 mins. If bubs is good and milk drunk he should just lie there and no one suspects a thing as the head hide the nip. Just be extra careful with latching (I'm sure you already know that though) And know that is will get better. Things magically improved for me at about 3 weeks where I changed position just slightly to improve the latch and soon I couldn't feel a thing. ETA for coping, I would take big slow breaths like you are supposed to during labour. It also helped me (this sounds silly), if I imagined the crying is a happy and healthy sign and nothing to worry about, it seemed to stop me getting tooooo stressed and just concentrate on latching. -------------   
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Posted By: FionaO
Date Posted: 30 January 2009 at 8:24am
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It DOES get better after time and I remember how sore it is. Try rubbing some breask milk on the sore side and its soooooooooooooo important to try and get him latched ok, because not doing so can make it worse, are you able to perhaps ask your mw for help showing you how to get him on. We had problems as I had flat nipples and getting him latched was a nightmare and he did some real damage to the right side, I used cream and then used to sit in my room for a bit top off just having an air out. To make it really heal I stopped feeding him on the right side for a day just expressing it instead so it had time to recover and that helped a bit, I also got help from an LC about the latch and that stopped the problem happening again
It does get easier it really does, I know what you mean about dreading it though, it used to bring tears to my eyes. ------------- 
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Posted By: FionaO
Date Posted: 30 January 2009 at 8:24am
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Oh and huge congrats on your wee man!! -------------
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Posted By: kezplanet
Date Posted: 30 January 2009 at 11:32am
Try putting him on the sore side when he isn't so frantic, I also expressed off the sore side for a couple of feeds to give them a break as they do heal quickly when they have the chance. Something to look forward to in a few weeks  ------------- Kerryn, Mum to Ashlyn(29/3/04), Anastasia(1/11/05) & Abigail (24/02/09) |
Posted By: mrshouse
Date Posted: 30 January 2009 at 12:26pm
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also when you put lansinoh or purelan on cover it with a piece of gladwrap- that keeps the purelan etc from rubbing off and keeps your nipples soft.
my inverted left nipple still has a gash on it so im expressing today to give it a break. goodluck and it will get better for you ------------- http://www.baby-gaga.com/"> 
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Posted By: busyissy
Date Posted: 30 January 2009 at 12:39pm
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Oooh its so painful when they won't latch properly! My boy gave me big blisters on my nipples I can still remember the pain when they popped during his feed, luckily no one was home because I screamed the house down! I found purelan to be the best thing and a nipple shield might help too, just til you can get that latching sorted. Make sure you put the purelan on the breast pad too that will stop it absorbing on to pad.
If you can stand it rub a bit of ice on the nipple just before you latch him, nubs it a bit while you get him on right. Good luck, hope they are better soon. |
Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 30 January 2009 at 8:13pm
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Does the pain stop once he actually latches and suckles? (It should.) Next time your mw comes around, latch on and get her to check. Nothing like a good follow-up to check you aren't missing anything. (Yes, even with subsequent babies - it's what I did with #3.) -------------  |
Posted By: busyissy
Date Posted: 30 January 2009 at 8:18pm
| Just remembered that with a baby as young as yours and up to 6wks you can get free visits with a lactation consultant too, might be worth asking your midwife about. |
Posted By: FreeSpirit
Date Posted: 30 January 2009 at 8:18pm
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If you can find it, Palmer's Nursing cream is lovely relief on sore nipples, I used it all the time in the beginning, and if you can't air your boobs out then make sure you change your breastpads more often to ty and keep the nipples dry. They will toughen up over the next few weeks, just be as kind to yourself (and your boobies) as possible. Maybe when you have a nap you could put towels down on the bed and nap topless? ------------- http://www.babysfirstsite.com"> 
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Posted By: Rachael21
Date Posted: 30 January 2009 at 8:40pm
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Sounds like its a latch thing, possibly even see a LLL leader or something because until he latches right nothings going to stop the pain. In the mean time take a panadol or two 20 mins before a feed so the pains not so bad, it might even help him latch better if your more relaxed. Hopefully it doesn't last much longer
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Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 31 January 2009 at 11:39am
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We seem to making progress. I have been using shields and when my MW came he latched perfectly first time (typical!). Nipples still feel a bit sore. Not to bad once he is on. I think we have turned a corner |
Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 31 January 2009 at 3:59pm
No sooner that I post that post I discover a split on the side of my "good" nipple. And it has ached for the last 4 hours.
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Posted By: busyissy
Date Posted: 01 February 2009 at 6:17pm
Oh you poor thing! Hope they get better soon. 
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Posted By: Siananigan
Date Posted: 02 February 2009 at 7:28pm
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Gosh I remember those days - the tears has he latched and trying not to tense up or cry out. I found giving cracked nippled a nice warm saline soak in between feeds really helpful and putting olive oil on them before getting into the shower to protect them also worked wonders. Nothing improves properly though until the latch is perfect.
I have a blog on this site - nature mum on the cheap that has a saline soak recipe. |
Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 02 February 2009 at 9:57pm
| We seem to be surviving with a combo of LOADS of Lansinoh before a feed (helps stick the nipple shield down on the left side), shield for the left, LOADS of lansinoh after feed. The right seems to be coping just with the Lansinoh....its sore but ok once he gets going and fine once he is off. I was expressing off the left for a while but it hurt to pull my nipple out of the pump afterwards as the split is on the side. In the end I was hppy enough with the shield. |
Posted By: cat007
Date Posted: 02 February 2009 at 10:58pm
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Keep using the nipple shields too. They were my life saver! Express for the odd feed if you need to, to give them a break. If nipples heal but still painful - check with your mw that you dont have thrush on your nipples!
All the best. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  [/url http://lilypie.com">
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