Hi, I'm new to mamsource and new to being a mama too. I would like to know what to do about a sore ON MY nipple (looks like a whitehead) due to what I think is a clogged duct??? I'm putting Lansinoh ointment on it and have used hydrogels to sooth the pain. I have also tried positioning my baby in different holds when feeding, however it doesn't seem to be healing and hurts very badly when nursing. I am confident my sons latch on is correct and it is solely the sore that is causing the pain. Can anyone tell me how to get it to open and heal?
Hi, Michelle, sorry you're going through this - it's pretty common though. When I had a clogged ducts, I held a warm, wet washcloth against the side that was clogged as often as I could and let my baby nurse as much and as often as possible. It might take a couple of days, but should clear up. If you develop a fever, though, see your doc because it could be mastitis and you'd need antibiotics to clear that up. I hope it clears up soon because it's just not fun, is it?!
A clogged duct will not really be sore at the nipple. It will be a bit out from it, and it will feel harder than anywhere else, because it's full of milk. I think what you're supposed to do is to rotate your baby so his top lip lines up with the clogged duct.
Hot showers also helped, as it usually causes let-down and you can spray the whole shower down :) When/if that happens, massage the part that's hard and sore.
Lansinoh won't help with a clogged duct. That's just for feeling raw. Although I highly recommend putting it on after ever feeding so you don't GET raw!
Sorry, I don't know what hydrogels are.
I just went through to this and the lactation consultant said warm compresses and massaging while nursing with the baby's nose towards the clogged duct. I ended up on antibiotics for mastitis anyway, but it did help with the pain. If you start to feel sick, don't wait to see how it goes. Mastitis is horrible and can progress to a systemic infection very easily. Congratulations on your new little one!
I would have your doctor take a look at it. Mastitis can happen so quickly and is considered serious. Why take a chance?
I get blocked skin ducts all the time in all different places. Try putting hot compresses on it to try and make it come to a head. If you are able to do that it should be able to be easier to squeeze and get the goo out, or it'll dissolve. If it doesn't do either one in about a week then maybe go to the dr. and have them take care of it.
OWWWWWWWWWWW! Michelle, I feel for you, sweetie! BEEN THERE! I went to a lactation consultant at Penrose (the old Community one which has since closed when they moved to their new location on Powers but I am sure they have a lactation consultant there and maybe one at Penrose Main? I also went to one at the Memorial Hospital downtown at a different time (different insurance plans) and was VERY pleased with both places...ALSO, Annie Peterson is a local lactation consultant and VERY good and I also went to Darryl in '95-CANNOT remember her last name for the life of me but if she is still practicing, La Leche League might know-as of a few years back, I know I saw something about Annie being around still...my baby is now over 11, so that let's you know how much time has passed!)
ANYWAY, the consultant massaged my nipple and we were not able to get the blockage to loosen (she said that sometimes they will spontaneously and it will look like a piece of spaghetti-sometimes happens with nursing) and she told me that she could tell my OB/GYN how to open it with a needle (sounds MUCH worse than it was!) but that she couldn't do it herself as she wasn't a practitioner. And that is what we did, I nursed the babe immediately after and it never happened again.
BUT! This sore was on the tip of the nipple, not on the side-I think you are describing something similar to what I had, but wanted to be sure. I would call a lactation consultant TODAY and ask them to take a look. And don't be afraid to ask your OB/GYN for help if they suggest opening it with a needle-the consultant talked to mine on the phone and told him how to do it. It was really quick and in comparison to the pain I had had, it was NOTHING.
Congrats on the baby and on your health! GO, MOM! HUGS to you! Nursing should not hurt, once baby gets a bit older (past a few days, I found with my three) and you are smart to keep the nipples lubricated-I SWORE by Lansinoh (also olive oil, if you are out of the other) and a warm wet tea bag can also help with the pain. Don't let a doc tell you this is normal (which happened to me-never saw her again as a patient as I KNEW it was NOT).
Have to go wake kiddos for school, but let us know what happens! And kiss that babe for me!
Cathy
p.s. a girlfriend who had mastitis said that her lactation consultant advised using a disposable diaper that you have run hot water over as a compress against the breast that is affected...could work for a blocked duct, too, me thinks, at least for pain relief...and the internet has lacataion consultants listed for Colorado Springs area...
Hi Michelle!
Congratulations on your baby! You've had quite a journey getting to this point, it seems!
I am sorry to hear about your breast issues- how very uncomfortable!
I suggest Wishgarden Herbs Mastitis Remedy... yes I know you said a sore on your nipple and not mastitis. This tincture is awesome at taking care of infections of all sorts. This remedy is really amazing. This is one that I think every breastfeeding Mom needs to have in the medicine cabinet at all times!
To help draw out the infection, I recommend a compress- either Wishgarden Herbs Mastitis Compress or Motherlove's Breast-ease. This will help draw out the infection and speed healing.
Also, I am not a fan of the Lansinoh, maybe trying a natural, herbal salve would help, I personally like the salves from Earth Mama Angel Baby, Motherlove Herbal and Wishgarden Herbs.
To find all of these products, go to http://www.naturalchoices4baby.com/catalog.php?category=58 And as luck would have it, all Lactation Support Products are on sale this month!
I hope you find relief soon! If you have any questions, please feel free to let me know!
Hannah Gaitten
Owner, Natural Choices
www.naturalchoices4baby.com
Another thing to try is warm compresses and keep nursing to help it drain. If you start noticing redness around the area, streaking or getting achy fever symptoms, then it could be developing into mastitis and should see your doc. Good luck!
I feel your pain! If it looks like a bunch of little white bumps, it could be thrush. My son got thrush in his mouth and then transferred it onto my breast. That was a horrible pain. It actually made my nipple crack and split open, but I continued to nurse, with my fingers and toes curled from the pain. Our pediatrician actually prescibed a cream for me and oral for him, and that took care of it. I don't know if that's it, but maybe check the inside of your babies mouth for white spots just in case you can't find another solution. Good luck, and keep up the nursing!!!
Hi Michelle,
I had exactly the same thing happen (twice in one month!). I poked the white area with a sterilized needle. It sounds much worse than it is - but this will unclog the duct and the pain will go away quickly. Good luck!
Sounds like a "bleb" or a milk blister. Kellymom has GREAT info on it, check this linkhttp://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/nipplebleb.html and it will tell you everything you could possibly want to know about it. Plus it has a photo of one, so you can have a visual to make sure that this is actually what it is.
This happened to me....Lansonoh did not work at all. What it ended up being is a yeast infection on my nipple AKA Thrush. My son has no symptoms and so no doctor would help me. So I asked other moms. What worked for me is I took...Monistate (yes, yeast infection cream) put in on my nipple with in one day I felt better Just make sure you wash it off before you nurse. I stuggled with the pain of breastfeeding my son with this yeast infection for almost 3 months. It was awful. I almost gave up. I would recommend also getting on a pro/prebiotic. Get in in a capsule not liquid.
First off, I can feel your pain. It sounds like you have what is called a milk blister. I too suffered them and know how extremely painful they can be. You can check some websites that suggest heat therapy, or of you are brave enough to actually pop it with a sterile needle. (eek!) Unfortunately for me I tried it all and the only thing that really helped was time. In 2-3 days althougth the blister was still visible the pain decreased gradually. Also, for me I do think it was due to poor latch, it first appeared as I tried a new position (side lying) which I do not think my daughter was big enough for. It started happening again when she became more alert and wanted to nurse then pull off, nurse again and pull off, etc. I always tell people that I would rather go through 10 labor & deliveries if I did not have to expeience 1 breastfeeding pain. But if you can beat cancer I know you can beat the breastfeeding pains too. Hang in there, it should get better!
Hi, Michelle-- You are a trooper! Nursing in a variety of positions is smart, to help keep milk flowing through all the ducts. Let me just remind you that ibuprofen is compatible with breastfeeding and may help you stay more comfortable while you heal.
This sore could be a blister from Baby sliding off the nipple and slurping it like a straw instead of coming at it with a big open mouth, but since you are confident in your latch, I doubt that's the trouble.
It could also be thrush, but thrush often hurts all the time, not just with nursing, and the entire affected area is red, shiny, or covered with tiny blister-like sores. Sometimes it is white and has a mother-of-pearl sheen and also looks like a milky coating inside the baby's mouth. Moms describe it as feeling like an awful sunburn on their nipples. It needs to be seen by your health care provider if this is it, since it's hard to kick without a prescription treatment.
But what I think this is, is a "bleb." Here's the information on blebs from the Breastfeeding Answer Book, which is La Leche League's medical text:
"White spots on the nipple (also called "blebs" or milk blisters) have been observed for as long as women have been breastfeeding but have not yet been fully explained. Some think they may be caused by a plug, such as a granule of thickened milk blocking the milk flow near the opening of the nipple. Some think they may be caused by a thin layer of skin blocking the opening of a milk duct from the outside. In 'The Breastfeeding Atlas,' Wilson-Clay and Hoover observe that sometimes mothers notice a bleb after the baby has bitten the nipple and suggest that they may be a wound over which a callus has formed. Ruth Lawrence, MD, suggests that it may be a small pressure cyst formed at the end of the milk duct.
Many have observed that these white spots sometimes coincide with bouts of mastitis, but the cause and effect is unclear. Either the bleb itself causes the mastitis by blocking the flow of milk from the duct or perhaps the bleb forms as a result of the mastitis, which caused the milk to thicken in a blocked duct.
"If the bleb is painful, consider applying wet heat, either with warm compresses or by soaking the nipple in warm water. Another approach is to wear a cotton ball soaked in olive oil in your bra to soften the skin and then attempt to peel away the thickened layer of skin. Then, attempt to express from the nipple any remaining material by compressing the nipple behind the plug. Sometimes it is possible to express a thickened string of milk, which will help open the duct and keep it open.
"If the above treatment does not bring quick relief, consider going to your health care professional to open the blister. (If you try to open it yourself, it may result in an infection.) In some cases, opening the blister will cause the milk from behind it to start flowing and bring relief. In other cases, the bleb will be dry. If so, continue the previous treatment to help express it out until you get some relief.
"Once the blister has opened, take steps to prevent infection. . . avoid strong smelling soaps which may casue baby to reject the breast. . . .consider applying a thin layer of topical antibiotic ointment sucha s Bactroban or Polysporin after feedings alternated with ultra-purified lanolin, such as Lansinoh to prevent the formation of more thickened skin. Because the antibiotic ointment is only minimally absorbed into the skin, almost none passes into the milk. . . If you continue to experience recurring blebs and/or plugged ducts, some suggest reducing or eliminating saturated fats in the diet and taking a lecithin supplement."
Mastitis is a generic name for any infection taht settles in the breast tissue. You can avoid it by nursing often and having excellent self-care--good food, resting, etc.
I hope this helps! I am sorry nursing is hard right now--this is just a speed bump and you will be enjoying your snuggly time with you baby again soon. I notice you are in Syracuse--I am in Ogden and if you have other breastfeeding questions I might be able to help you with, you can find my number on the La Leche League Web site at www.llli.org. All phone help and other services are completely free.
Best wishes!
I had this happen to me as well. It is a blocked duct right at the surface. It is so painful! What worked for me was to apply a hot washcloth (as warm as I could stand) to the area at least 15 minutes before feeding. Try to do this prior to every feeding and also in between if you can. I did this for a few days and it went away. It was very sore so I tried to do my best to relax while my son was eating on that side.
My thoughts on trying to keep this from occuring again is to continue to monitor your son's latch (making sure he is not just sucking on the tip of your nipple but bringing your areola in his mouth as well). This also may seem like DUH but also keep your breasts clean and wash your nursing bras regularly. Also change your nursing pads regularly if you are experiencing leakage. Applying the lanolin cream is also great as it not only soothes and softens but also forms a barrier. Good luck!
It has been a long time since I nursed my kids, but one tip that I feel was critical is to air yourself out (go topless) for a bit after breastfeeding to help the nipples heal. I also remember heating up tea bags, ringing them out and sticking them on my nipples (use pads as they will stain your clothes). Air out afterwards. Use the cream as well. Don't give up.
Good luck.
Susan
first, i would recommend stopping by the nursing clinic at your hospital and let one of the lactation consultants take a look.
I am thinking it is not a clogged duct (those aren't visible.. just a hard lump in your breast... nursing, massage and hot compresses usually help with those)
have you tried using a nipple shield for a while to protect it while you let it heal? also have you tried putting some breast milk on it and letting it dry? breastmilk itself does wonders for sore nipples.
WOW...God bless you and your baby. Please consult with your doctor. It could just be a clogged milk duct but it could also be a breast infection which is very painful and requires antibiotics.
Since we are on the subject of breasts and this is breast cancer awareness month...recently I received an e-mail informing me of IBC (inflammatory breast cancer)This is a very aggressive form and symptoms are very different from what most of us think of when we hear the term breast cancer. To all ladies please google search and be aware!
Don't use Lansinoh or probably anything but breast milk on the nipple. Just let it dry out completely in between feedings. Believe me, I'm on my fourth nursing baby and I have had a load of problems in the past with sore nipples. After some time, I realized that if my nipple was constantly moist, I had even more problems. Then I read up on it and actually found doctors who said the same thing. It needs to stay dry as long as possible in between.