Nipple still hurts

I posted a few days ago about what turned out to be a bleb. I popped it and
have been slathering Lansinoh on the nipple for days (it also had a crack on
it) but it's still really, really sore. I didn't expect this to happen with
an eight month old.

Is there anything I should be doing to make it better? I know it happened
because DD is teething and was chomping (but not biting) particularly hard
last weekend, but should I be doing something different? How long can I
expect this to continue? I don't want to wean, but the agony of feeding from
the right breast is torture.

--
Melissa (in Los Angeles)
Mum to Elizabeth 4/13/03

"Melissa" wrote in message
news:lK1Db.539221$HS4.4102498@attbi_s01...
I posted a few days ago about what turned out to be a bleb. I popped it
and
have been slathering Lansinoh on the nipple for days (it also had a crack
on
it) but it's still really, really sore. I didn't expect this to happen
with
an eight month old.

Is there anything I should be doing to make it better? I know it happened
because DD is teething and was chomping (but not biting) particularly hard
last weekend, but should I be doing something different? How long can I
expect this to continue? I don't want to wean, but the agony of feeding
from
the right breast is torture.

In my experience, a bleb can close up again promptly. At least it did for
me. As I related previously, I had a bleb about 6 or 8 weeks ago that I had
to re-open at least once a day for a week. If yours still hurts, my guess
is that you got it open, drained some of the milk that was backed up behind
it, and then it re-closed. If the pain is sharp-sharp-sharp, that's doubly
my guess, because that's what happened to me. The answer is to just do it
again..and again, and as many times again as you must do, until it stops
closing back up again.

Now, here's a bit of advice. It might work for you: once you get the bleb
open and drain the milk behind it, get a dab of plain mineral oil (not the
kind with perfume, etc) and rub it into your nipple at the problem spot.
*Sometimes*, it seems, there's a physical blockage inside the nipple pore -
fats, or calcium, or I have no idea what - and you can lubricate the tissue
so that this blockage works its way out. I have done this with success in
the past, though it was less help this recent time.

If, however, it's the crack that's causing the pain, run don't walk to your
nearest Walgreens or other pharmacy that carries 'Soothies'. Use one of
these inside your bra over the injured nipple (with or without Lansinoh).
I'm convinced that's how I got the crack in my nipple healed. It took time,
though. Took 35 days for my crack to heal completely!

Also, be as careful as possible about your baby latching on properly. I know
my 4 1/2 month old gets careless about her latch, and I wind up with sore
nipples from it.

I'm sorry this is so painful for you. I know exactly how it feels! I do
believe there's something you can do for it, though, you just have to be
persistent.

--angela

there anything I should be doing to make it better? I know it happened
because DD is teething and was chomping (but not biting) particularly hard
last weekend, but should I be doing something different? How long can I

expect this to continue? I don't want to wean, but the agony of feeding from
the right breast is torture.

--
Melissa (in Los Angeles)
Mum to Elizabeth 4/13/03

About a month ago, I had a crack again from CHristopher biting, too. I know how
awful it is. The best things for it are to nurse off the other side first,
apply breastmilk to it and leave the area to air dry, and I actually applied a
tiny drop of bacitracin *after* nursing (don't want baby to eat that, though
lansinoh is ok) and I found that it worked better and healed faster than with
lansinoh. Because I caught it and treated it fast, it was better within a few
days. 3 or 4.

Good luck, I know how awful that pain is!

laurie
mommy to Jessica, 2.5 years and
Christopher, 7.5 months

Of course, once I posted this I found that the nipple was finally starting
to heal. When she latched on last night I didn't cry and it barely hurt in
the middle of the night. Thanks to everyone because a week of pain was
really starting to get me down and me think (for the first time) about
weaning. Now we're back on track and bf'ing easily.

And....completely off topic...DD actually sucked on a piece of raw broccoli
last night. She might even have swallowed some of it. I didn't actually
offer it to her, but I was eating raw veggies and dip and she really wanted
the piece of broccoli. I broke off a smaller piece, but she clearly wanted
the big one. Since she's still not eating, we figured we'd see what would
happen when we gave it to her. She sucked on it for about five minutes and
may have swallowed a few bits. Yipee! Perhaps I need to get to go to the
market and buy something else that can be softened a bit and she'll want to
eat that too.

--
Melissa (in Los Angeles)
Mum to Elizabeth 4/13/03

"laurie" wrote in message
...
there anything I should be doing to make it better? I know it happened
because DD is teething and was chomping (but not biting) particularly
hard
last weekend, but should I be doing something different? How long can I

expect this to continue? I don't want to wean, but the agony of feeding
from
the right breast is torture.

--
Melissa (in Los Angeles)
Mum to Elizabeth 4/13/03

About a month ago, I had a crack again from CHristopher biting, too. I
know how
awful it is. The best things for it are to nurse off the other side
first,
apply breastmilk to it and leave the area to air dry, and I actually
applied a
tiny drop of bacitracin *after* nursing (don't want baby to eat that,
though
lansinoh is ok) and I found that it worked better and healed faster than
with
lansinoh. Because I caught it and treated it fast, it was better within a
few
days. 3 or 4.

Good luck, I know how awful that pain is!

laurie
mommy to Jessica, 2.5 years and
Christopher, 7.5 months

Hey Melissa,

I know you say elsewhere that you are all healed, :-) but for anyone else
reading this thread I wanted to add that using Neosporin on the spot after you
pop the bleb is helpful.

Leslie