White Nipple...ow! ow! OW!!!!!!

[Imperia]

I have figured out what I think is probably the reason I still have pain while nursing from time to time...White Nipple! This isn't something I have heard talked about much, but I saw it awhile ago in a breastfeeding book (I think it was "Breastfeeding your Baby" the one with the GORGEOUS pics!) Anyway, I went to Kellymom.com and looke dup White Nipple because about once a week for a day or two I get this condition. After Maddy nurses the tip of my nipple turns WHITE and it pinches and it hurts. I know it's not thrush or anything because her mouth is clean and it goes away after awhile. It's obviously the circulation being cut off (I have Reynaud's syndrome ... a circulatory disorder too, no idea if it's related). SO , anyway I wante dto find out what the reason for this whole thing was. I knew her latch was usually fine (sometimes I would have to adjust her top lip because she likes to "tight mouth" but in general it's fine). So I come across the reasons fopr White nipple and one is over active letdown...I read the symptoms:

* Gag, choke, strangle, gulp, gasp, cough while nursing as though the milk is coming too fast
* Pull off the breast often while nursing
* Clamp down on the nipple at let-down to slow the flow of milk
* Make a clicking sound when nursing
* Spit up very often and/or tend to be very gassy
* Periodically refuse to nurse
* Dislike comfort nursing in general

Gag, choke, gulp, cough etc - check
Pull off the breast often -check
Clamp down to stop flow (didn't realize this was why but...CHECK!)
Make a clicking sound- Check! (I used to take her off and repostion when she did this, thought it was a latch problem)
Spit up often and tend to be gassy- NOPE
Periodically refuse to nurse- Nope
Disliek comfort nursing - nope (she loves nursing, even when she chokes she lunges at the breast and wants to get right back on after choking has subsided =D )

I thought I had a fast letdown, but I never realized it was what was causing her to "pinch me" (clamp down).

Does or has anyone else had this trouble, especially with white nipple. Does it really help to lean back (working against gravity)?
And I am wondering something else...she sometimes puts both hands on either side of the breast and pushes while clamping down (this HURTS a lot, trust me), and she usually makes annoyed noises while doing this. I thought she was mad at my slow secondary let down because puppies and kittens (and other little mammals) knead their mother's breasts to get the milk to flow, but is she actually getting too much milk in this case and trying to stop the flow so it doesn't choke her?

I never thought I would have "too much milk". I don't pump (well I have once or twice just to check it out), I nurse often and I have never been engorged (not even when my milk came in). Anyone have additional advice to give? I only nurse on one side per feeding also just like Kelly suggests.

Imperia

[Rachels]

Look up Raynaud's and vasospasm. You'll find lots of info. Ow! Sorry you're dealing with that.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[lynettefrancois]

My LC recommended a football hold- for as long as I could stand to do it- because of a fast letdown. I think it helped; she pulled away a lot less. We just recently went to a cradle hold because I couldn't hold her up that way anymore, but it's now more of a cross-cradle most of the time because she's pulling away again... but then she's had a stuffy nose too. Anyhoo, try a football hold- HTH!

[Imperia]

Thanks Rachel,

I think in my case it may be a combination of Raynaud's acting up (I have had this for years, my feet turn red, white and then blue if I go into the cold) and her compressing the nipple to slow the flow. I was seeing tehy reccomend calcium supplementation...I actually am not supposed to have supplemental calcium due to a history of kidney stones; I wonder if a lack of calcium is contributing. I will ask my daughter's ped about this; she is very knowledgable about BFing.

Imperia

[Imperia]

Thanks,

alas I always use football hold because I have huge boobies and DD is petite! I have only used the cradle hold a few times. Did the LC reccomend leaning back while using the football hold as well? I think I am going to try that, my PC chair tilts back, heh.

Imperia

[Rachels]

I've had kidney stones, too-- calcium oxcillate. But I do take supplemental calcium now. You don't stop needing the nutrient, and if you're not getting enough in your diet, it will show up somewhere. The trick is to drink lots and lots and lots of fluids to keep any crystals from forming.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[quikeye]

Over the past few days, I was thinking my letdown was too fast as well-- since DS was seemingly gagging when feeding at times (esp. when I am engorged), is gassy/uncomfortable b/c of gas, and because he was "fighting" my breast in a similar way you describe (DS: grunting, fussing at the breast while flailing arms and pushing/"punching" when feeding, even though he was hungry & mouthing/rooting!) I hadn't had the clamping problem (that I've noticed), but I have recently started to "lean back" when nursing (I saw the suggestion on kellymom too)-- ds basically lays on my belly with his face down/face on the side of my breast, and I hold his bum with my arm down his back while his legs lay down parallel to my torso. He's fed like this laying down since birth (night nursing) and didn't really fight the same way-- since we've been trying the leaning back nursing, he seems to pull off less and also fight less/stop turning his head away when we're nursing. He still does fight a little before getting on, but even dh commented that it doesn't seem he fights as much now before getting latched on.

Although, he did unlatch last night and a "geyser" of bm sprayed him in the face, so I'm not sure how much gravity is on my side :) Good luck! :)

Aija y Kai, 1/25/04

[stillplayswithbarbies]

I had this too, but only on one side. (It still happens sometimes) What worked for me was to clamp my hand over my nipple as soon as her mouth came off of it, to keep it warm, and hold it for awhile.

I figured out that it might be a latch problem on that side, that somehow she was compressing the nerves on that side differently. Once she started "acrobatic nursing" and changing position a lot, it pretty much went away.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[papal]

Imperia, i used to have an overactive letdown and the LC suggested that when the milk lets down to let the milk spray into a towel. Once it settles into a more steady drip then offer the nipple to the baby (in the meanwhile give her a finger or paci to suck on). Even my dd used to gag/choke etc. She managed to adjust by swallowing super-fast (my LC was VERY impressed!). My LC then told me to put cold cabbage leaves over my boobies for 2 days to reduce the amount of milk being produced. I am not sure that is your case so i would NOT do it without consulting an LC, but it sure helped me a LOT.

[houseof3boys]

I used to have the exact same thing early on. After Ryan was about 4 months old, no more pain on the nipple and my letdown adjusted and I stopped leaking, but I still have a white nipple after he nurses and he's 9.5 months old!!!

I never figured it out and just suffered through it and the LC's said it was Reynauds but didn't really have any helpful suggestions. It is the strangest thing but the nipples stays white for about 15 minutes after every nursing session and the right side (his favorite!) seems to be more affected by it.

Good luck with this Imperia.