Breast Infection/Sore nipples...how Do I Treat???

I was breastfeeding my daughter and was ALWAYS having sore nipples - for that I used LANSINOH CREAM - it really saved me. You can buy it in Target or Walmart.

It definitely sounds like you have a yeast infection and your baby probably has it too. (this is something I'm going through myself at the moment.) That's thrush as other mamas have already pointed out. If your breasts are tender though you could also have mastitis so I'd go to the doctor and get checked out. Do you have a fever too? Call your doctor and make an appointment. Take good care and hang in there.

Cabbage leaves in your bra can help. I know it sounds silly, but who cares? A warm compress and/or massage in a hot shower may also give you some relief. You can try ibuprofen or tylenol for pain relief and Lansinoh is a great idea as well.

If you think they might be infected, you must call your doctor immediately. You may have mastitis, and it needs to be treated with antibiotics. Good luck!

Sore nipples can be caused by lots of things. The most common is improper latch. Make sure that the entire nipple is in baby's mouth when he/she is nursing. If it's not, slide your finger into the baby's mouth to break the suction, pull your nipple out and try again. Make sure baby is opening his her mouth WIDE before you put the nipple in. In the meantime, you can use the gel pads or even a cool washcloth to relieve some of the tenderness. Lansinoh also makes a Lanolin cream that helps. It's non-toxic so you don't have to wash it off before you nurse.

Is the tenderness localized to one spot? Like is there a lump that's tender? If so, that's most likely a clogged duct. Take a hot shower and massage the area. It will hurt, but it will help to unclog the duct.

Another possibility is mastitis. Do you have a fever? Warm red spots on your breast? If so, go to your doc right away. Thrush can also cause sore red nipples. Does your baby have white spots in his/her mouth? Tongue seem white before nursing?

If you've only been nursing for a short time (less than a month) than tenderness and soreness are nothing to worry about. Honestly though, I think I might call the doctor just to be on the safe side. Mastitis and thrush can be treated with medication.

Bravo to you on seeking answers and continuing to nurse!

It sounds like it could be thrush...ouch. Contact your clinic triage nurse and they can refer you to a lactation consultant. You can get a prescription cream or try this homemade recipe (1 part hydrocortisone cream, 1 part anti-fungal cream, and 1 part triple antibiotic cream). These products are okay to use when nursing as well. I found it helpful to get through the nursing session then slab a ton of cream on (I also stored it in the fridge so it was a cooling relief). Hang in there!

If it is thrush, take a peek inside your child's mouth and look for white bumps. If you have thrush on your nipples, it’s likely your child has it in their mouth. You would have to get a prescription for your child as well. Some clinics with give you a prescription over the phone if you describe the symptoms to a nurse or doctor.

Note - my daughter and I were both prescribed Nystatin by mouth, even though the thrush was on my nipples. I was told I could use the oral Nystatin topically as well. Because of all the sugar in the syrup, this caused even more stinging, burning pain and is NOT recommended.

Does your breast also ache or feel hot? Are you running a fever? Watch out for that. You may want to call your OB or Dr to get double checked in case you have an infection or thrush. When I had mastitis, I had all the symptoms you mention. Antibiotics helped and I was better in no time.A lactation consultant could definitely help to prevent these sorts of things. Good luck!

Have you tried to put lanolen (?) cream on your nipples every time. Try also warm compresses, and make sure the baby is latching on properly. The babies lips need to be curved outward when they are properly latched on. How old is your 2nd baby?

Have you tried nipple shields? I use them when I was raw and I SWEAR by them!! They were a LIFE SAVER!! Try them first. Target has them, Medela brand I think.

I used lanolin cream (bought it at Target) when I was sore. Make sure the baby is latching properly. I found the only time I was sore was after I'd been lazy about making sure he latched on properly.

It definitely could be an improper latch. It shouldn't hurt that bad if the baby is latched on correctly and there are no underlying issues.

I had recurring clogged ducts and the pain was almost unbearable. If you don't have a fever, but you do have hard lumps, it may be that. I agree with Shaun C that taking a hot shower and massaging them helps to loosen the clogs, then you must continue to feed (and pump in between if you can) to get it out. It hurts like heck, but it works.

Good luck!

The best thing I found for the sore nipples was to get the gel pads (Lansinoh makes them, etc. which you can get at Target or Medical Supply stores), put them in the refrigerator, and use them a few minutes at a time to help alleviate the pain.

You can also purchase the lanolin gel that helps to moisturize your nipples and is completely safe for your baby to ingest. A little bit goes a long way.

I'd also call your OB/GYN - they will NOT mess around with any concerns about breast health. They thought I had mastitis after my daughter was born. Even though they believed it to be a simple infection, they had me do a breast ultrasound to be safe. In my case, it was something different, but I'd still call just to be safe and give you peace of mind. You need all the sanity and comfort you can get with little ones at home.

Good luck.

Talk to a lactation consultant or make an appointment to see one. If you're in Ohio, here is a list of consultants: http://www.ohio-olca.org/contrib/memb/dir-fast.shtml.

Definitely try the cabbage leaves between feedings, and warm compresses/massage of the breast. For the nipples, I used Lanisoh lanolin on my nipples after every nursing (the whole nipple area, not just the nipple itself) and before showering.

My son's mouth shape made it essentially painful and caused sore nipples, but he was also not latching properly at first, which made it excrutiating (sp?). Anyway, with the Lanisoh and the help of lactation consultants (I had to have 4 visits in the hospital and and 2 afterward, when he was a month old and again at 4 months), I was able to nurse him till he was 18 months.