Nipple ouch: Breastfeeding pain strikes late in the game
Ouch! A few days ago, out of the blue, my right nipple started hurting like crazy every time Monroe would nurse. My right breast has always been my "main" one; if you look at me in a t-shirt when I haven't fed him for a few hours, you'll notice a decidedly enormous off-centeredness about me. (During Hood-to-Coast this year I had to express the breast by hand in the ditch after not feeding him for 20-some hours just to get some relief!)
I can't figure it out -- the nipple doesn't look like it's been bitten, though he does pull off hard sometimes, leaving me hurting for a little while afterward. I don't remember any unusually strong latches. It's getting to the point that I'm mostly feeding him from the left breast. Has anyone else experienced late-onset nipple pain? Should I be worried or is this just one more (ahem) "interesting" phase of my development as a mama?
Hey cafemama - nipple pain can often mean a bad latch... if he's at the "wiggly" stage, he could be getting impatient and not doing it right. Try to get him to slow down/focus, and keep a close eye on what he's doing so you can see even a slight difference. If the pain goes up into the breast it could be thrush, you might want to check in with a IBCLC or Dr.... Good Luck!
Posted by: Nif | December 08, 2008 at 09:36 AM
I can't believe you posted this...I have been having the same exact problem (same right nipple too!) for the last week or so! And it really hurts! He nurses much less frequently these days so I've been wondering if I'm out of milk and maybe he's just sucking so hard and getting nothing and it's all just very irritated? He still seems comforted and relaxed but man, it hurts, I've been trying to avoid nursing because of it, and several times in the last week we've gone 20-24 hours without nursing at all. Lately, I just thought maybe our nursing days are coming to an end because of it...
Posted by: Leah | December 08, 2008 at 10:11 AM
Is the nipple brighter-than-normal pink? Any possibility of thrush/yeast? When my daughter goes on antibiotics I sometimes get it. A few days worth of Dr-prescribed cream usually does the trick.
Posted by: LilRed | December 08, 2008 at 10:20 AM
Yeah, I have to say that you should check out the thrush possibility. I had it for a very long time with my first son. The pain was very bad when he first latched on, then it subsided somewhat during, then came back after he was finished. Not pleasant. If it IS thrush, may I recommend what helped me? Make a jar of of white vinegar and water mixture and use a cotton ball to dab it on your nipple after every nursing. It's the only thing that worked for me. Thrush really sucked. Ha.
Posted by: AnEmily | December 08, 2008 at 11:11 AM
You might want to go to a Le Leche League meeting. I've gotten so much great advice from the local one I go to. If you go to the LLL website, they also have a number you can call to talk to someone right away.
Posted by: Jessica | December 08, 2008 at 11:27 AM
Is there any chance you could be pregnant? This was one of the first signs that I was (unknown to me!) pregnant with my second child.
Posted by: anon | December 08, 2008 at 11:29 AM
How old is Monroe now?
Is he bottle feeding at all? If so, It could be that he's got nipple confusion.
I recently started working late so my husband was giving my daughter a bottle to get her to sleep. Then, when she nursed, she would forget which nipple she was on and clamp down. It started to hurt!
Is he teething?
If it's none of the above, you can call Nursing Mothers Counsel @ 503-282-3338.
They are a great resource to help mamas reach their breastfeeding goals!
Posted by: lea | December 08, 2008 at 11:57 AM
I used to get plugged ducts in one nipple (not the breast itself) and it sounds very similar. At first I mistook it for thrush, but it wasn't. A lactation consultant suggested Lechithin, which I took everyday and it solved the problem. Any time I stopped, it would come back!
Posted by: mom22 | December 08, 2008 at 12:40 PM
Does the pain feel sharp? I had something very similar occur, as did my good friend- it felt like having glass shards in my nipple. and after seeing the lactation consultant and my OB, no-one had any idea what was wrong. However, a 10 minute self diagnosis using the world wide webular yielded a conclusive response- yeast infection. I treated it with over the counter vaginal yeast infection cream and the pain was gone in two days! Good luck!
Posted by: cheekylewis | December 08, 2008 at 01:03 PM
thanks for all the ideas, everyone. it *could* be thrush but I hope not! both nipples look the same as far as I can tell. I'll try that vinegar idea just in case, it certainly can't hurt.
Monroe's 17 months old and he's my third child. I'm definitely not pregnant :) (it would be a minor miracle and I took a test just to be sure! hehe) he's not bottle feeding, though he drinks milk from a sigg bottle occasionally, and he eats a ton with his usual champion latch (though the bad-latch nipple pain happened lots when my second son, truman, was an infant, so definitely a good call). he's got a head full of teeth and we've had lots of biting but he's learned not to. it's just... oww. i'm actually feeding him as i type.
lechithin couldn't hurt either, right? it's in egg yolks yes? maybe I just need to eat more eggs? the chickens are only laying one a day b/c of the short days so i'm not getting much egg in my diet.
Posted by: cafemama | December 08, 2008 at 01:16 PM
oh, and more feedback from my twitter friends I thought I'd share: @bloggingniki suggests OTC fungal ointments if it's thrush and carrie spritzer suggests gentian violet (but warns it stains everything purple). the other recommendation: lots of plain yogurt.
Posted by: cafemama | December 08, 2008 at 01:34 PM
Keep us posted, Sarah.
Just to toss it out there I had a really painful infection in my left nipple after breastfeeding my son for 9+ months. I tried pretty much everything but when a scrip for a yeast infection didn't work, I finally begged for an antibiotic (and I avoid them at all costs). It cleared up in a snap and my oh-so-painful nursing sessions were over.
It was just in time for our trip to Spain where I promptly got too much sun and broke out in hives because of the antibiotics. But I digress...
Posted by: Christina/Seeger | December 08, 2008 at 05:20 PM
I don't think this is necessarily what you have but just to put this out there - I have Raynaud's Phenomenon. It's often misdiagnosed as thrush because it feels a lot like it, but with Raynaud's the nipple turns white and then purple or dark red for a while after a nursing session. Cold makes the pain worse. Mine flared up when the weather turned cold, well after I thought I had this whole breastfeeding thing figured out.
Posted by: mom2two | December 08, 2008 at 07:52 PM
I had mastitis when Cristobal was about 6 months old. It was extremely painful, the infected portion of my breast was just above the nipple. Antibiotics was the only thing that worked in the end for me. Is your breast hot? That was another symptom of mine. I also have fungus under my breasts currently, which is itchy mostly and bright red. I don't know what works for that, seems like tea tree oil might be helping. Good luck to you!
Posted by: Liz and baby Cristobal | December 08, 2008 at 10:06 PM
I have a 17 month old, and a couple of months ago I started getting extremely tender for about a week at a time. Then it goes away for a few weeks. I'm guessing it is hormonal, although its timing is a little off for PMS. No other symptoms.
Posted by: Sara | December 09, 2008 at 10:45 AM
Have your periods come back? I get ouchy around mid-cycle.
Posted by: Lydia | December 09, 2008 at 03:47 PM
I had horrible thrush for 4 months when my son was first born. And I had two instances where I thought it was back - the same sharp pain. It turned out to be pre-menstrual, and it didn't start with my first post-partum cycle, but rather my second or third. I hope that's all it is!
Another thrush remedy - Grapefruit Seed Extract (citricidal - at New Seasons in a white bottle with red writing). Mix with water at a 5-10 drops per ounce ratio and swab on nipples before and after feeding. Wouldn't hurt to swab your son's mouth as well. You can also take it internally at the same ration.
FYI, with my thrush, I had 4 rounds of diflucan (that's 150mg a day for two weeks EACH ROUND), gentian violet, GSE drops, Dr. Newman's All Purpose Nipple Ointment, nystatin cream, OTC fungal cream...finally a tincture from my ND plus a strict no sugar, grains or fruit diet kicked it. But it was awful in the meantime!
Posted by: karen | December 09, 2008 at 08:28 PM
Recently I had a painful nipple that was causing me to avoid nursing on that side. It was a sharp pain that felt like it was coming from the top, but when I looked at the nipple carefully after a couple of days I found a VERY small nick on the bottom side. I didn't remember being bitten, but he does tend to rest his teeth on me. I put PureLan on it and was fine the next day.
Posted by: cg | December 10, 2008 at 07:33 AM
Hey, just an fyi - despite the name, Gentian Violet isn't an herb... The name just comes from the color. So if you're looking for a natural remedy, you might want to go with milder options first.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentian_violet
Posted by: Nif | December 10, 2008 at 08:11 AM
Yes, I had this with my boy when he was about Monroe's age. My son was actually kind of gnawing! I found that the only way to let that damn thing heal was to nurse him in a football hold (hard with a larger baby) as that changed things enough to not hurt ... didn't solve the problem, but allowed my nipple to heal.
Posted by: kathyT | December 10, 2008 at 12:46 PM
just to update you all on what I ended up doing was @thisKat's advice and getting candidase, which is essentially all the sorts of live/active cultures in yogurt and other lacto-bactilic foods. it's super expensive but after two days of that and lots and lots of plain yogurt, my pain is starting to diminish.
i haven't yet gone the gentian violet route (partly because i had a hard time finding it), and may not if i can kick this thing without it! i'll try the grapefruit seed extract first if needed. i'm wondering if now is the time to start eating a bunch of that super-spicy kimchi i made a few weeks ago.
oh, and after doing lots of research, it turns out that you *can* have internal yeast without having any white yeasty evidence, and without having your nipple change color. those are just typical signs. evidently i'm special :)
thanks to all the mamas who responded!
Posted by: sarah gilbert | December 11, 2008 at 02:13 AM
I've had yeast with no outward signs, so I second what you said that the nipple changes are just typical.
One thing that hasn't been mentioned (I think, there've been a lot of posts): it seemed to help me and my daughter get rid of the thrush (along with treatments mentioned above) for me to always wash my bras after wearing them for a day. I used color-safe bleach in the wash.
I also made sure to pat my nipples dry with a clean washcloth after every feeding, since breastmilk is a lovely, sugary food for yeast to eat.
Good luck!
Posted by: mamanomnom | December 11, 2008 at 07:57 AM
I need some help with thrush. I have had it for two months and can't kick it. Currently I am washing my nipples in water or 50/50 vinegar/water mix, then blow drying them and then applying anti-fungal cream. At night I apply gentian violet. I am giving my son Daktarin Oral Gel (but he has no visible symptoms of thrush). I am also taking 200mg of Daktarin a day (and have been for almost a month now), ginger, grapeseed extract, probiotic and echinacea tablets(to boost my system)and still I can't get rid of the thrush. Today I have cut out all dairy (except yogurt), yeast and sugar from my diet. I have been recommended to try tee tree oil but I am worried it will affect my son negatively. If anyone has any good advice or other ideas please let me know. I am desperate! Thanks.
Posted by: Sharon Eshmade | February 20, 2009 at 05:37 AM
Hi,
I have been dealing with late onset nipple pain since it started with my oldest son. Now, with my fourth, it has started again, 2 1/2 years after her birth. I have figured out for me, and I strongly suspect for many others, that it is hormonally related. It is worse as ovulation approaches, starting the week after my period. The best indicator for me was that it was due to hormones was that the pain (and sores) stopped after I got pregnant each time (I nursed throughout my pregnancies).
I had a saliva test for natural hormone treatment and it indicated significantly low levels of progesterone. VERY LOW. Progesterone increases significantly during pregnancy and drops off after birth until it stabilizes. In my case it just keeps dropping off. Progesterone is the hormone that our body needs to withstand the hardships of birth and labor and breastfeeding. I believe the pain is due to the skin's inability to withstand the stress of nursing. It looses it's elasticity and toughness. With my second and third children I used natural hormonal treatment (from yams) as a last resort. It went away within 6 weeks (after nothing else worked for years). I tried everything else before (thrush, antibiotics,candidiasis shots, no carb diet, even chortison). As it has only just started again, and until I can get back on treatment, I am using a soothing olive oil, calandula and hypericum cream to help the skin heal itself between feedings. I also try to let the nipples air out (no bra or only cotton). The cream doesn't cure, but it helps me endure.
It helps to know it is not the child (his teeth or his saliva or his candida). It is frustrating for me to still not understand why I have this hormonal problem. I thought my new vegan diet would help (and it may have, since this is the longest I have gone without it starting). But alas, there seems to be no information out there and when I have suggested it to the experts (the hormonal relationship to nipple pain), I get the response of "and so?"
I would love to hear from anyone who resonates with my post. I think the more the idea of this link gets out there, the more likely some experts might start thinking of exploring it deeper. And women like us could get some help.
Oh, just a side note. Thyroid problems run in my family and I have been told to watch for hypothyroidism. I wonder if it is related.
Finally, I believe that one of the reasons there is so little information about this problem is because so few women stick to nursing once the pain starts. They think the baby is biting them and since they can't deal with the pain they stop. Or they are told it is thrush and no thrush treatment works. Or the doctors tell them to stop nursing since it's been long enough anyway. I was told I became allergic to my son's saliva. And of course, so few women actually nurse long enough to actually develop symptoms in the first place.
Hope this helps!!!
Posted by: Leigh | March 26, 2009 at 01:12 AM
Hi mamas! I'm actually not from Portland but just happened onto this thread after my late-onset oh so very fun shooting nipple pain just started with my 15 month old son. Just wanted to stop in and say how helpful your responses were for me... particularly Leigh! I too have hypothyroid issues as well as other hormonal problems (too much estrogen, not enough progesterone, endometriosis, yada yada) and have been feeling the past few weeks as if I'm undergoing a major hormonal shift. I'm going to lower the sugar intake and up the yam intake! Thanks so much for your words mamas.
Posted by: Deb | March 27, 2009 at 08:03 PM
After three months, I am finally free of thrush. I found that the liquid Canesten really worked well. I cleaned my nipples after each feed, rubbed in the liquid drops and then blow dried my nipples. The diet was a killer (as I am also a veggie) but after a month of all the remedies (see post above), I finally kicked the thrush. I am on top of the moon and thoroughly enjoying pain free breastfeeding. Please don't use tee tree oil as it has not been cleared as safe for little ones.
Posted by: Sharon Eshmade | April 06, 2009 at 05:07 AM
Oh my goodness...so many with the same problem. I have had horrible nipple pain for 2 months. Cracks, sometimes some bleeding when I pump, I just thought my daughter was super aggressive and hurting me. But also my nipples itched really badly after I pumped or breastfed. I finally went to see a lactation consultant today who diagnosed thrush (most likely) but wants me to check with a doctor on monday to see if she thinks it could be bacterial. ANyway, I'm doing nyastin for the baby and for me, OTC clotrimazole an OTC hydrocortizone. I'm so hopeful I'll enjoy breastfeeding again instead of dreading it. Anyone else have an issue with the very tips of their nipples "blanching" after feeding or pumping?
Posted by: RJZ | April 23, 2010 at 05:18 PM
Yes, mine blanch a good part of the time, but no other symptoms, so I don't think it's Raynaud's. No idea what causes it, although I certainly find it curious.
Posted by: k's mama | April 23, 2010 at 08:22 PM
Oh my goodness! I'm up in the wee hours of the morning after having what I will call a white-hot-blazing-pain nursing session. I had a plugged duct a few days ago. I had the milk bleb, which I rubbed with a clean cloth till it opened up (and my bad, I pinched the skin with my fingernail, to help it open up) and then the lumpiness and slight redness went away. But the pain in my nipple, which wasn't very much then, has just gotten worse and worse. It's definitely as bad as initial nursing pain, and then some.
It really blows my mind how bad it is. Thankfully I'm on vicodin for a tooth I just got pulled, and incidentally another tooth I got worked on lately is causing me tremendous pain due to nerve damgage. But it just dulls the pain the slightest bit! I feel so vulnerable and plain awful. I wish it was a weekday so I could call my care provider and get some help about the nipple :(
Posted by: Bonnie | November 05, 2011 at 04:17 AM
I had really sore cracked nipples the first week I was nursing my daughter. I was putting Lasinoh cream on my nipples, but it was so thick that putting it on was painful. Then, a friend suggested the Made from Earth Aloe & Jojoba Creme Therapy.
Wow, what a difference, it is oily but goes on smooth and heals the nipples like you would not believe. It does have a GREAT smell. Highly recommended!
Posted by: Mommyof4 | February 16, 2012 at 06:14 PM