Possible Infection?

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I had that too. I treated it as a yeast infection and it's easy to get rid of. Go to a health food store and buy Maxi Baby-dophilus. It's a powdered pro-biotic (good bacteria). Put it on your nipple before you breastfeed-it's good for the baby too and will keep the yeast away in his mouth. You can even put some on his tongue to keep him healthy, that's what its for. Do that a few times and it will go away if it's a yeast infection.

M.,
This happened to me when I was nursing my son. I only nursed him for 2 months because of his colic and digestive issues. Anyway, mine hurt pretty bad, it started out as just a little pain then got worse. We determined it was a blocked duct. My lacation consultant had me put really warm wash clothes on that nipple and to use a pump to try to unblock it. It took about a week but it finally cleared up.

Hope that helps! :]

p.s. if it IS a yeast infection, you can buy some relief pills over the counter at Target called AZO. They help for regular yeast infections, so I am sure if that is what you have it would help here, too.

Yeast burns and can also give you a stabbing pain. It can show up in Mom, baby, or both - not always is it in both. Mastitis is pretty painful and may have a hard spot. Sounds like you've gotten a little fissure or split that sometimes just happens - no big deal. Yeast and mastitis or a plugged duct do not produce a cut in the skin. The pump would be harder on it than your baby's mouth, so I'd say to put a little neosporin on it with Lansinoh on top of that and keep nursing as usual. Neither should be a problem for the baby but you can wipe the stuff off before you nurse if you want to, then reapply afterward. Applying breastmilk is always worth a try, of course. If it hurts when you nurse, be sure the baby is latched on well and not just on the nipple. You can try changing positions to get more comfortable. This should heal quickly. If you get signs of infection, call your doctor. Good for you for giving your baby the very best! G. B.

when that happens to me I have great luck with breastmilk application and allowing to air dry :)

HI M.,

Has your milk supply dropped or is your son eating more solids? My son started to eat more solids and recently I had nipple pain...come to find out, about a week later I got my period. I guess this is common when babies begin to eat more solids, so I don't know if this will help you.

Good Luck!

Hi M.,
I don't think it's an infection. I think you or your son would exhibit other symptoms. He probably just bit you or you held him at an awkward angle. With my daughter, I had a horrible sore from holding her incorrectly. I finally caught on, but I was in horrible pain for 6 weeks. Just keep on eye on it & keep nursing on that side, it'll get better faster. You could also let it air out or use a nipple shield. Your clothing touching it may be making it worse.
Hope this helps.

A little about me:
SAHM of 3 (ages 9.7.3)

I know breastmilk is a 'cure' for just about anything. Wouldn't hurt to express some and applying it directly to your nipple, right?

Good Luck,
J.

Yours is not an odd question at all. I have a lot of experience nursing babies, and your situation does sound like yeast. If your baby has been feeding considerably more often lately, then that could be the reason, too. Look in your son's mouth for any sign of thrush (white patches on the gums, or white tongue). If he has thrush (yeast), then it is affecting your nipples. Sometimes the yeast is only external (only on your nipples), and since you have no internal pain, that is probably your case. The yeast can be carried internally, also. Follow the advice you have been given. I suggest researching websites with information about yeast and breastfeeding. God Bless You!

I used to get little "slits or cuts" when I was nursing too. It was never amounted to anything because I would squeeze a little breast milk on the area and leave it (squeeze let it air dry then put my bra back on. After almost every nursing). It would heal the "cut" in hours. Breast milk has a lot of good "things" in it that help with healing...try it. It can't hurt. :)
And it's cheaper than the Lansinoh Cream haha.

It may be the beginnings of a breast infection called Mastitis...most frequently caused by a clogged milk duct. Typically, mastitis progresses with a hard spot on the breast in the area of the clogged duct (that is sometimes red) and you can also get a fever (with flu like symptoms). Try a warm compress on the area and manual massage. Also, does your son still nurse fine on that side? Whenever I had mastitis my son wouldn't nurse on that side - so I had to pump. Continue to nurse or pumpm and talk to your OB - if it's mastitis, she'll prescribe an antibiotic (safe for baby as well!) Good luck.

Hi M., I read through some of the responses you've received.I recommend that you contact La Leche League for the most accurate information. You can call a leader locally or go to http://www.llli.org/ They don't charge and they really know their stuff. Good luck!

Hi M.,
Has your little one had thrush at all? If he has had it then yes, you could have a yeast infection on your nipples. I nursed 4 out of 5 kids and have had it myself when I was nursing and it is really painful. You and baby can even pass it back and forth until both have been treated at the same time. Good luck.

If it is a yeast infection your sons mouth will also exhibit signs... check the insides of his cheeks. If there are a 'cottage cheese' looking spots, then you both have Thrush...which is a type of yeast infection.

You BOTH need to be treated...otherwise, if you don't treat your son he will keep giving it back to you.

Thrush also will give the nipple a very very bright pink look.

Try the warm compresses... if it is a plugged duct that wil help. Also to help with a plugged duct, try nursing him on that side 'on all fours'. He lays down and you hover over him on all 4's to nurse and if possible, massage your breast a little. (may need hubby to help on this one) I haven't had to use this technique...but a friend of mine did. She had a really bad plugged duct that warm compresses and hot showers were not helping. The all 4's approach worked like a charm with one feeding.

Good luck!

I had trush (yeast infection) when I nursed my daughter. Lansinoh doesn't help. If it is a "yeast infection" you're going to have to get cream (for you) and antibiotics (for baby) from the baby's doctor. Trush not harmful to you or the baby, it's just uncomfortable for you.

i am still nursing my almost 1 year old, and i had a little pain a few weeks ago, it was just a little cut, and i don't remeber her bitting me it healed and i have never had a yeast infection.

Oh that's not fun. I'd say it might be a plugged duct too. I have a good friend who is a LaLeche Leader if you want to get some more advice.. PM me.

I've heard with any infections the best thing to do is continue to nurse.

You'd definetely feel it if your son bit you I think. My son bit me a couple times and it's not something you'd just not know. : )

If it doesn't hurt when he latches on, it probably is NOT yeast. Yeast tends to be known for the sudden, horrible burning sensation that happens every time it gets wet. Not fun.

I wonder if it's just a crack, not a result of a bit, but perhaps a result of very dry indoor air, or the result of allowing your breasts to air dry after feeding (which gives you the same effect as licking your lips all morning...)

You may have cause to check his positioning again, and make sure he's latching on well. As their faces change shape as they grow, often the latch and positioning get left to one side, forgetting that some of it isn't about the baby's ability to get milk, but the mom's ability to nurse pain-free, as it should be...

I agree that you would have felt it if your son had bit you but his teeth might be irritating your nipple. I would keep using the Lansinoh.

I would contact your OB, as they can/will write you a prescription for a nipple ointment that will assist with your pain. I have an 8 month old and have gone through many nipple infections where it was a nightmare when her feeding time came up! Once you get the ointment, just make sure that you start your son feeding on that nipple, and apply the ointment once he is finished on that breast. Having him nursing consistently from your infected nipple, vs. avoiding him feeding from it, will help you to get rid of the infection. Hope that helps you a bit! Good luck! Sincerely, M.

Yes, I agree with Samantha that it is a blocked duct. If it doesn't clear up in a few days with her suggested help, I'd make an appoingment with your MD.

GL:)

M.,

It sounds like something I had a problem with. I thought it was a yeast infection but it turned out to be my daughters latch on. Eventually, for some reason her latch on (just on my right side) was off and she just rubbed my nipple the wrong way or something and it was very painful even when it touched my bra, but nursing her hurt as well.

So what I did was to continue nursing her on my left side but I would pump and then feed her a bottle when it was time to nurse on my right side. I did that for 4-5 days and it cleared up and I had no problems since.

It was a pain to have to pump in the night but it was worth it after my nipple had a chance to rest and heal for a couple of days.

Maybe that will help you.

i have always gotten little cuts, too, invisible but it hurts when they nurse. and also, no notice of how it happened. might even just be a little raw spot, not a cut... if it's mastitis or yeast, it will probably get worse, then you'll know. if it's a little cut, it can help to cut down nursing on that side but just a little, otherwise you could get a plugged duct from not nursing...or maybe even stop nursing on that side for a couple of days and pump that side instead, until it heals. i've found that when i just tried to live with it and kept nursing as usual, it would not heal.