Pumping and cracked nipples

I have been pumping for over a month at work now.
I was doing quite well (12 to 15oz/day) for my baby's need (almost 11
months now and heavily into solids).
About a week ago my left nipple started cracking and now it's bleeding
when I pump.
It hurts when the kids latch too.....
I thought it was thrush but can it affect only one nipple and not the
other?
I have been using the same pump (Avent Isis) for both breasts and the
kids nurse on both breast but the problem didn't spread to the right
breast.....
What could this be??
Also....is it normal for a baby to have a bottle strike???
DS won't take a bottle during the day anymore.....

FayeC

A lot of women who experience thrush on their breasts report a burning
sensation in the breast itself when the baby is feeding or when they are
expressing. I think a friend described it as lines of burning pain going
from the meaty part of the breast towards the nipple. Are you experiencing
anything like this?

Also, breast thrush will usually transfer into the mouth of the baby. Have a
look in there for a white patches on the roof of the mouth, though obviously
not right after you feed!

If you are still concerned, talk to your GP and they can have a look for you
and make a more accurate diagnosis (maybe). Treatment of breast thrush is
fairly simple. You can use a normal thrush cream on the nipple, just make
sure you wipe it off before expressing or feeding. The baby gets a specific
cream that you put in their mouth. Not sure if those are by prescription or
over the counter where you live. If the doctor says you are fine but you
experience that burning sensation, you can give the thrush creams a go
anyway if they are over the counter. A friend had gone undiagnosed even
though she went to a GP and the cream helped her. GPs are not infallible,
just human

One way I used to deal with cracked nipples was to smear breast milk over
them after feeding/expressing. The milk softens the nipple. You can also do
this in between feeding and expressing. Or you can use a nipple cream. In
Australia there is one called Bepanthen, not sure what is available
elsewhere.

See this article for a description of a thrush infection on the breast and
ways of dealing with it:

http://www.parentingweb.com/lounge/thrush.htm

HTH!

Kasia

"FayeC" wrote in message
...
I have been pumping for over a month at work now.
I was doing quite well (12 to 15oz/day) for my baby's need (almost 11
months now and heavily into solids).
About a week ago my left nipple started cracking and now it's bleeding
when I pump.
It hurts when the kids latch too.....
I thought it was thrush but can it affect only one nipple and not the
other?
I have been using the same pump (Avent Isis) for both breasts and the
kids nurse on both breast but the problem didn't spread to the right
breast.....
What could this be??
Also....is it normal for a baby to have a bottle strike???
DS won't take a bottle during the day anymore.....

FayeC

No burning pain here.....it hurts to latch but after that it's all
good....
Neither he or DD have no white patches in their mouths
I am using the milk and a lanolin cream too but it hasn't helped too
much....
Thanks for the tip about using the thrush cream even without a
diagnosis.

FayeC

On Fri, 5 May 2006 10:34:54 +1000, "Engram"
wrote:

A lot of women who experience thrush on their breasts report a burning
sensation in the breast itself when the baby is feeding or when they are
expressing. I think a friend described it as lines of burning pain going
from the meaty part of the breast towards the nipple. Are you experiencing
anything like this?

Also, breast thrush will usually transfer into the mouth of the baby. Have a
look in there for a white patches on the roof of the mouth, though obviously
not right after you feed!

If you are still concerned, talk to your GP and they can have a look for you
and make a more accurate diagnosis (maybe). Treatment of breast thrush is
fairly simple. You can use a normal thrush cream on the nipple, just make
sure you wipe it off before expressing or feeding. The baby gets a specific
cream that you put in their mouth. Not sure if those are by prescription or
over the counter where you live. If the doctor says you are fine but you
experience that burning sensation, you can give the thrush creams a go
anyway if they are over the counter. A friend had gone undiagnosed even
though she went to a GP and the cream helped her. GPs are not infallible,
just human

One way I used to deal with cracked nipples was to smear breast milk over
them after feeding/expressing. The milk softens the nipple. You can also do
this in between feeding and expressing. Or you can use a nipple cream. In
Australia there is one called Bepanthen, not sure what is available
elsewhere.

See this article for a description of a thrush infection on the breast and
ways of dealing with it:

http://www.parentingweb.com/lounge/thrush.htm

HTH!

Kasia

"FayeC" wrote in message
.. .
I have been pumping for over a month at work now.
I was doing quite well (12 to 15oz/day) for my baby's need (almost 11
months now and heavily into solids).
About a week ago my left nipple started cracking and now it's bleeding
when I pump.
It hurts when the kids latch too.....
I thought it was thrush but can it affect only one nipple and not the
other?
I have been using the same pump (Avent Isis) for both breasts and the
kids nurse on both breast but the problem didn't spread to the right
breast.....
What could this be??
Also....is it normal for a baby to have a bottle strike???
DS won't take a bottle during the day anymore.....

FayeC

FayeC wrote:
I have been pumping for over a month at work now.
I was doing quite well (12 to 15oz/day) for my baby's need (almost 11
months now and heavily into solids).
About a week ago my left nipple started cracking and now it's bleeding
when I pump.
It hurts when the kids latch too.....
I thought it was thrush but can it affect only one nipple and not the
other?

I think it can.

I have been using the same pump (Avent Isis) for both breasts and the
kids nurse on both breast but the problem didn't spread to the right
breast.....
What could this be??

I second the idea of using a thrush cream - you should know quite
quickly if it's working. The only time I've had cracked nipples was
when DD2 was first born. I didn't think it was thrush, just thought
it was the normal, new nursing thing. When white spots
showed up in her mouth, we started treatment and the cracks
healed really quickly after that (the point being that thrush seemed
to prevent the cracks from healing).

I've had a couple of bouts with thrush that have me affected but
my baby not have any signs of it. I've never had it on just one side,
but I think its possible. Also, be sure to sterilize your pump
nightly while you are treating so that you don't reinfect if it is
thrush.

Best of luck

Mary W.