Couple of Questions

Hi

Sorry to start a new post instead of replying to the other one, but for some
reason my newsreader will only let me see 10 headers and I just can't find
out how to change it.

Anway - thanks for your replies Mary and Anne. It's deffo not inverted, not
thrush or a milk blister - I haven't bf for 10 months now. After a few
experiements with various creams I will use vaseline again this time
straightaway. Definitely keeping them soft helped, so perhaps I'll try doing
that before the baby arrives. I looked up Montegomery's Tubicle and it's not
that because it's much bigger than. It kind of looks like skin has grown
over something - like a wound - except that it's round. Anyway, it doesn't
look like it's anything to get in the way of bf'ing though, which is good!

Cheers

Jeni

Anway - thanks for your replies Mary and Anne. It's deffo not inverted, not
thrush or a milk blister - I haven't bf for 10 months now. After a few
experiements with various creams I will use vaseline again this time
straightaway. Definitely keeping them soft helped, so perhaps I'll try doing
that before the baby arrives. I looked up Montegomery's Tubicle and it's not
that because it's much bigger than. It kind of looks like skin has grown
over something - like a wound - except that it's round. Anyway, it doesn't
look like it's anything to get in the way of bf'ing though, which is good!

I can't remember, did you see a doctor, if it's bigger than a
montgomery's tubicle, I think you really do need to confirm what it is.

Cheers
Anne

Hi Jeni,

The first few weeks were agony for me, dd once threw up blood from my
cracked nipples, and I think I only just turned the corner on a
beginning mastitis. Lansinoh, applied after every feed, finally did the
trick and allowed my nipples to heal. I only got a tube after four
weeks; next time I'll start after the first feed. Although it might also
work, I haven't tried Vaseline, as petroleum jelly can't be very healthy
for the baby (and mother), whereas wool fat is fine.
When it was very bad, I used nipple shields. And I stopped feeding while
lying on our sides (and thus unable to see her lower lip) until we had
properly figured out the latch. I also rubbed in drops of breast milk
and let them dry - nice, but, contrary to a recent post, not as helpful
for me as Lansinoh.

Following the advice from a midwife-written book, I attempted to harden
my nipples in the third trimester by vigorously rubbing them with a hard
towel after each shower. That was successful at first - until the
hardened skin peeled off, leaving my nipples softer and more sensitive
than ever. Although I haven't tried this, softening and massaging them
might work. After almost four months of nursing, my nipples and areolas
are certainly more flexible now, and I guess that's the state one should
aim towards. If the skin around my nipples is dry, I use non-toxic,
hypoallergenic nipple cream (Boots brand). That might work for the
massage, or massage/stretch mark/olive oil on wet skin.

Please report back when the time comes whether any of your preparations
are successful. Good luck for the final weeks, the birth, and the first
weeks with your new baby. Are you going for a water birth in the MLBU?

Karen


--
remove underscore and nine from my email address

"Anne Rogers" wrote in message
. ..

Anway - thanks for your replies Mary and Anne. It's deffo not inverted,
not thrush or a milk blister - I haven't bf for 10 months now. After a
few experiements with various creams I will use vaseline again this time
straightaway. Definitely keeping them soft helped, so perhaps I'll try
doing that before the baby arrives. I looked up Montegomery's Tubicle and
it's not that because it's much bigger than. It kind of looks like skin
has grown over something - like a wound - except that it's round. Anyway,
it doesn't look like it's anything to get in the way of bf'ing though,
which is good!

I can't remember, did you see a doctor, if it's bigger than a montgomery's
tubicle, I think you really do need to confirm what it is.

I thknk I'll wait and see how bf'ing goes first. When I problems with bf'ing
before I found the docs unhelpful but the midwives were better.

Jeni

Hi Karen

The first few weeks were agony for me, dd once threw up blood from my
cracked nipples, and I think I only just turned the corner on a beginning
mastitis. Lansinoh, applied after every feed, finally did the trick and
allowed my nipples to heal. I only got a tube after four weeks; next time
I'll start after the first feed. Although it might also work, I haven't
tried Vaseline, as petroleum jelly can't be very healthy for the baby (and
mother), whereas wool fat is fine.

I did try Lansinoh which worked for softening the nipple but I found it
stuck the breastpads so I ended up covered in cotton wool! Even the good
makes left bits.
One of the midwives suggested vaseline and said it was safe. In fact one
gave me a kind of material mesh that was covered in vaseline. I cut it into
small squares to place over the nipple. The mesh trapped the vaseline so it
stayed on my nipples longer instead of soaking into the nipple pads. It came
in a foil apack nd is designed for that purpose. I'll deffo ask for one of
those again.

When it was very bad, I used nipple shields.

Me too. Got me out a crisis they did!

And I stopped feeding while
lying on our sides (and thus unable to see her lower lip) until we had
properly figured out the latch.

Never managed side lying. I did try everything suggested but I just don't
think I'm built for it.

I also rubbed in drops of breast milk
and let them dry - nice, but, contrary to a recent post, not as helpful
for me as Lansinoh.

Me either. In fact I was told or read that the milk can actually dry the
skin. Either way it didn't help.

Following the advice from a midwife-written book, I attempted to harden my
nipples in the third trimester by vigorously rubbing them with a hard
towel after each shower. That was successful at first - until the hardened
skin peeled off, leaving my nipples softer and more sensitive than ever.

Ouch. That doesn't sound good at all!

Although I haven't tried this, softening and massaging them
might work. After almost four months of nursing, my nipples and areolas
are certainly more flexible now, and I guess that's the state one should
aim towards.

Tt sounds like that's what I'm aiming for.

If the skin around my nipples is dry, I use non-toxic,
hypoallergenic nipple cream (Boots brand). That might work for the
massage, or massage/stretch mark/olive oil on wet skin.

Thanks. I'll give that a try.

Please report back when the time comes whether any of your preparations
are successful.

I will do!! And thanks for your response. It's been really helpful.

Good luck for the final weeks, the birth, and the first
weeks with your new baby. Are you going for a water birth in the MLBU?

Thanks. I'm going for a home birth this time- fingers crossed!! The MLBU was
great but I feel more confident about staying at home now - which my midwife
is very supportive of.

Cheers

Jeni

I can't remember, did you see a doctor, if it's bigger than a montgomery's
tubicle, I think you really do need to confirm what it is.

I thknk I'll wait and see how bf'ing goes first. When I problems with bf'ing
before I found the docs unhelpful but the midwives were better.

please please don't do that, you're over 35 (I think..), even if you
weren't a breast lump in any women is worth checking and you may say
this isn't a lump, but there are many many different kinds of breast
cancer and some do present as nipple problems, often dismissed as they
aren't a classic lump and only diagnosed once it's spread. It's very
unlikely that you do have a problem, but better to find out sooner
rather than later if you do.

Cheers
Anne

Jeni Steers wrote:

I did try Lansinoh which worked for softening the nipple but I found it
stuck the breastpads so I ended up covered in cotton wool! Even the good
makes left bits.

When was this? Tommee Tippee "freedom" breast pads have a sheet of soft
paper covering a gel filling. I think the Lansinoh ones are exactly the
same, just more expensive. There is no cotton wool that could come off.
Or you could try washable ones, although I found they leak very quickly.


Never managed side lying. I did try everything suggested but I just don't
think I'm built for it.

Sorry to hear that. Now almost half the feeds are in the side lying
position for us, and frequently we both fall asleep. You could give it
another try when your baby is a couple of weeks old. Who knows, your
breasts might have changed, and this baby is different.


Thanks. I'm going for a home birth this time- fingers crossed!! The MLBU was
great but I feel more confident about staying at home now - which my midwife
is very supportive of.

Lots of luck, strength and the right support,
Karen

"Anne Rogers" wrote in message
. ..

I can't remember, did you see a doctor, if it's bigger than a
montgomery's tubicle, I think you really do need to confirm what it is.

I thknk I'll wait and see how bf'ing goes first. When I problems with
bf'ing before I found the docs unhelpful but the midwives were better.

please please don't do that, you're over 35 (I think..), even if you
weren't a breast lump in any women is worth checking and you may say this
isn't a lump, but there are many many different kinds of breast cancer and
some do present as nipple problems, often dismissed as they aren't a
classic lump and only diagnosed once it's spread. It's very unlikely that
you do have a problem, but better to find out sooner rather than later if
you do.

Thanks for the advice. I've had a good Google and though I can't find
anything that specifically fits what my 'thing' looks like, there's enough
vagueness to think it might be an idea to get it checked out.

Jeni

Well I got my strange spot/lump thing checked out yesterday and the doc
reckoned it was just a fat lump. There was nothing suspcious about the cells
so she was happy it was ok. Even said it was the second one she'd seen that
day. So I'm happy with that. Glad I got it checked out though. A good friend
of mine has just been diagnosed with breast cancer through a routine scan,
so it has been on my mind when Anne mentioned it *could* be suspicious.

Cheers

Jeni