Nipple damage woes - how long will this take to heal?

[marinkitty]

Sadly, I am back in familiar territory on the nipple front. My nipples are burning and tingling and I have a couple of scabby raw spots on each and a couple of sort of blistered looking areas (sorry if TMI). I really thought our latch had improved but in the last day or so we seem to have hit another little hiccup.

So far today I don't think it is getting worse, but I'm wondering - those of you who had moderate or worse damage when you first started out - how long until your nipples didn't hurt anymore?

The nursing itself does not hurt (other than sometimes a pain when he first latches) provided I'm diligent about pulling him off and relatching if it feels wrong - but after nursing the burning, tingling sensation starts and continues throughout the day.

I've been airing them as much as I can - pretty much all night while sleeping and for a good 10 minutes after each feeding. I was putting Lansinoh on after each feed, but stopped a couple of days ago because (1) I was worried it was affecting the latch (slippage since our issue is he isn't staying low enough below the nipple) and (2) I was worried it was slowing healing by keeping things so moist.

I also have some Soothies, but have been hesitant to use them b/c I'm afraid of infection from keeping things trapped in.

Any suggestions anyone has for promoting the fastest possible healing or predictions how long it might take are SO SO WELCOME! Even just a vote of confidence from someone in my shoes who made it would help get me through the worst times.

After my failed nursing experience with Mia (that resulted in 6 months of exclusively pumping, which I will not do again) I really really want to succeed this time. I've seen 2 LCs about the latch and gotten good tips but for some reason I seem to be a slow learner on this front, and I am eagerly looking forward to a day in the near future where I am not constantly aware of my nipples, if you know what I mean!

TIA!
Holly
Mom to Mia (3.17.03) and baby brother Jack (3.23.05)

[barbarhow]

My midwife prescribed "triple nipple cream". It was the only thing that provided me relief. It has some steroid but when used in small amts I am told it is fine. I did not care for the Lansinoh at all and don't plan on using it this time around.
Good luck to you and big hugs. I am dreading those bleeding cracked nipples.
Barbara-mom to Jack 3/27/03, a Red Sox fan
expecting #2, a Yankee fan, around 5/6/05!

[Karenn]

Holly,
I *do* know exactly what you mean! It took 6 weeks with DS and closer to 4 weeks with DD before I was completely healed. I'd reconsider the soothies. I didn't use them the first time but I did the second. They really did help me, and I think they helped things heal faster.

I wouldn't consider you a slow learner at all. I nursed DS for over a year (latch issues in the beginning) and still had latch problems with DD. We had to see an LC to get it straightened out, and it still took a lot of practice, and that was with a year of nursing experience under my belt! Getting a newborn to latch correctly is just plain tough sometimes!

You can do this! It will get easy. Before you know it, Jack will be doing all the work and you'll barely remember the days when it took 15 minutes just to get a good latch!

[westchicagomom]

It took weeks and really for the first 6 months, my nipples were really sensitive to fabric (they were aired out quite a bit during that time actually).

I had really bad damage on one side (the ped's lc gasped a bit when she saw it) and it took about a week to heal - maybe longer as every time she nursed on that side, it reaggravated it. The best thing I did do was every-other-side nursing for a few days (it didn't affect my supply and the one w/ the most damage was always my major producer) Keep using the lanolin as the moisture does help healing (or did in my case). And if you can, keep it uncovered even more then you are already doing.

If you had an epidural, his latch could be affected or so I was told. I forget the reason, but the ped's LC said epi babies sometimes have issues w/ latching. Gosh my memory is fuzzy - but we basically had to train her by putting our fingertip towards the roof of her mouth before nursing to stop her from clamping down on me which was what was causing the damage in the first place.

I was a slow learner too as I was not good juggling all the darn pillows and the baby and my breasts - and then trying to remember all the tips and techniques. Fortunately my DH was home and able to help me w/ all of it and sit w/ me during those feedings in the middle of the night which were the worst - I felt so alone.

The ped's LC was what really saved our nursing - she was awesome and made me feel that it was not my fault that my nipples were in bad shape (unlike the hospital LC's who told me if it still hurt to nurse after the first few days, then I was doing something wrong). I really do think that there is a definite break-in period for your breasts and it will definitely get easier as they toughen up a bit.

I know it is tough and problems w/ nursing were not what I needed topped on the PP hormones and c/s recovery woes. I spent many a nursing sesson crying and I hope that is not the case for you. You can definitely do this Holly - just hang in there! This is nothing compared to 6 months of pumping!

[aliceinwonderland]

Holly:
My nipples cracked and bled pretty badly in the hospital, as my son's latch was horrible, and he gummed me (HARD!) in frustration.

Anyway, it was my first baby and the pain was unimaginable (even after giving birth), but I want to say it did not last long--I say I "want to say" because I was so focused on getting a good latch so he could eat--At any rate, I remember the day we left the hospital the LC looked at mthem and said they already looked better (no fresh blood), and I know by the time I got home, I was ok...

SO hopefully not too long for you, mama! By the time I got home, my BIGGEST breastfeeding challenge was that I got so VERY thirsty the moment he latched on, and literally screamed at DH for water--LOL, so the nippled must have been healed by then :)

[Laurelsmom2002]

Oh yeah mama, I know exactly what you mean- I was so there w/ dd, but w/ ds it has been much better. The soothies do help especially that first week, and after that i love dr newmans nipple cream http://www.bflrc.com/newman/overhead...20Ointment.htm

(which sounds like the tripple nipple cream pp mentioned) It works so much better than lanisoh- IMO, keeping the nipples clean and moist will actually help the healing- think of it as its easier for the cells to walk across and make new tissue in a moist area than a dry area that will actually increase scaring.
W/ dd it was probably close to 4 months before i didn't always think of my boobs- it also didn't help that I went from an A cup prepreg to a D nursing, and got a yeast infection after a bout w/ mastitis- but i digress

My only questions are w/ the burning tingling feeling- is the nipple white when he pulls off- could it be renauds??
Are your breast pads real dry - lanisoh are the only ones that i found that really keep the moisture away from the nipple, and that keeps the burning away
Oh and did the lc actually check ds suck- all the lc told me that dd had good latch as I thought she was trying to suck my toes out of my boob, but the private lc i saw stuck her finger in her mouth and checked the suck- saw she had weak suck- sent us to speech therapy- and after exercises that i preformed for 3 weeks- it was much better


I do understand your pain so well- I would go to the store and price the formula and go - nope cant do it- or i would think of all the allergies dh has and go ok one more feed- and do it one day at a time and suddenly it was ok and we made it to 15 months w/ dd and I'm at 7 w/ ds.

I just saw the date of ds birth- congrats and I do remember vividly w/ dd that day 5 was the worst!!! Your hormones are dropping and their eating is increasing and it hurts the most right around day 5- yes it doses get better!
Good luck mama- hope this made sense NAK

[mommy_someday]

Oh, Holly, I feel for you! My first three weeks of nursing were so painful that my toes curled every time DS latched on. It was all I could do to not burst into tears. I had bloody, cracked, blistered nipples. It was pretty awful, but I did a couple of things that seemed to help. Before each nursing session, I put a hot, wet compress on for a minute or so - it helps to loosen the blebs (blisters) so that they will come out and unclog the duct during BFing. It stimulates letdown, so have a towel handy! The other thing I did (suggestion from the kellymom website) sounds a little strange, but it actually felt pretty good. I mixed a cup of the hottest water I could stand with a half teaspoon of salt, poured this into two shallow bowls, set them on my dining room table and bent over them until my nipples were completely submerged. You're supposed to do it after each nursing session. I didn't, but I usually did it several times a day. After a week, things were noticeably better, although not great. I would recommend trying this, but just be aware that your DH may give you some seriously weird looks - mine did! Hang in there, Mama, it WILL get better eventually!

HTH!

[kozachka]

I had cracked bleading nipples before we even left the hospital. It took me about almost month, to figure things out, recognize that I had mastitis and treat it with antibiotics. Initially, I used Lanshinoh but it did not seem to work.

What helped heal my nipples was breast milk . I expressed a bit after nursing and put it on the nipples and let them air as much as possible. This method was recommended by both my mom, who nursed my brother for two years, and a LLL leader. I also tried to take hot shower just before nursing to get the let-down, that way DS did not have to suck as much for the milk to start flowing.

You might want to see your Ob-gyn if things don't improve soon to make sure you don't have an infection. I was 'hanging in there' and treating east infection on my nipples, which I did not have, since DS had thrush. After more than two weeks of crying while nursing :( I have finally seen my doctor and he put me on antibiotics because I had breast infection!

[marinkitty]

typing w/ 1 hand, but wanted to say thank you so much for the replies -it really helps to know i'm not alone and that we can make it thru this.

now on day 12things are much improved. healing has happened faster than i thought it would - only a couple of scabs left now and no new blood or raw spots the past few days. and, right after i posted this, it occured to me we had thrush so we got on meds fri nite and yhe burning is greatly reduced now, so i think it was at least partially that, plus the nystatin creme sees to be helping my nipples heal faster.

latching in anything other than football is still not going well, but i will see the lc again in a week and by then hopefully will be healed and ready to tackle x-cradle sio at some point i can nip or multi-task instead of being imprisoned in my glider/pillow nest 8 hours a day!!

thanks again!!!

Holly
Mom to Mia (3.17.03) and baby brother Jack (3.23.05)

[butterflyjen]

Glad to hear things are better for you. I had severely damaged nipples for, oh, about the first two months. I finally called an LC, who made me rest one side for about two weeks (pump only) and feed DD off the other exclusively. It was so hard, but it did save our BFing relationship!
I'm so glad things are healing quickly! Yay!