do your boobs itch?

[deenass]

my son is 4 weeks old and I am BF. My breasts itch all the time! Does this go away?

[brubeck]

Mine used to itch a lot right after a feeding. I don't know why, maybe they were growing from all the use! It did eventually go away, but all I could do was scratch while I fed. Of course this probably helped with letdown... :-)

Make sure this is an itching sensation on the surface and not a burning sensation below the skin. The latter could be a yeast infection and you would need to get that treated by a doctor, plus talk to your pediatrician about it. (I had that too!)

[COElizabeth]

I hear you! I found that the slightest bit of stitching in my bra made my boobs itch like crazy, and the only bra in a whole nursing bra store that was comfortable was the Bravado, because it has absolutely no little thread touching the main part of the breast. Most of the other bras have some stitching at the edge of the "frames" that stay up when you pull the cup down, if that makes sense. After several months I could wear a few other bras, too, but they still make me itch some, so I pretty much wear th em only when my 3 Bravados are all dirty!

Elizabeth
Mom to James
9-20-02

[ginalc]

My itched like crazy for a time, too. I think it was related to a yeast infection in and on the tissue. My signs were pain with nursing and itchiness! Nystatin never did work for me, but Gentian Violet seemed to clear it up. Also, DS never showed signs of thrush in his mouth but needed to be treated at the same time.

Gentian Violet is used once daily for 3 days on baby and yourself.

Recently, I found that Lasinoh nursing pads caused lots of itchiness and some skin irritation when I used them. Bummer, because I liked that brand! I now use Johnson & Johnson instead.

Also, I agree with trying different styles of nursing bras. I find the Bravado is very comfortable but I have to switch brands each day to avoid plugged ducts. The Bravado just doesn't seem to fit me as well as some of the other brands and plugged ducts quickly lead to mastitis if I'm not careful!

gina, mom to 3

[Rachels]

Itching all the time sounds like thrush. If they itch only as your milk lets down, or only right after a feeding, that can be pretty normal. But an intense itching, or itching that doesn't really let up, is more likely to be thrush. You can have yeast in one breast or both, and your baby may or may not show symptoms. If it's in the breast tissue (as opposed to just on the surface), you may need something more systemic to treat it. I found that Diflucan was the only thing that worked for me when I had bad thrush. Call your OB or midwife to talk about your options.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[telewill]

If you are allergic to wool, it could be a reaction to lanolin (PurLan, etc.) use. Just something to consider. An LC recommended that I just use EBM and let my nipples air dry.