# Nipple wound healing



## melos (May 23, 2005)

OK, so it seems like I'm going to have these wounds for the duration of nursing. DS is 5 months now. His Ped/LC tried Dermabond on my left one this week, it came off the next time he nursed. I think that will work after we're doing nursing. My right nipple, however, is more open and I think might need stitches to close.

Has anyone had this done, and/or did you find a way for it to heal while still nursing? I'm at the point where I'm close to stopping on the right side, even if it means formula. I've seen 3 LC's, and they all say his latch is fine, his mouth is fine.

The pain right now is not horrible, I'm just afraid my nipple is going to practically fall off.


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## Balancin1 (Sep 5, 2004)

No suggestions, mama, just wanted to say sorry you are having these issues. It sounds like yours are much worse than mine, but I was surprised what round-the-clock lanolin dressings would do for my nipples. (I recently had some slices open from DDs new teeth and the lanolin actually fixed them.) Hope someone has some good advice for you!


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## GoodEats (Mar 14, 2005)

My OB prescribed "Canadian Nipple Ointment" as a standard post-partum thing for "just in case" and it seems to be great stuff. It heals any little nick or chap or crack immediately, even when lanolin fails. I have to get it from a compounding pharmacy and I'm not sure of the exact ingredients they put in it. I assume it's something along the lines of the ointment Dr. Jack Newman favors and descibes in his handouts. If you have a compounding pharmacy near you, you may want to call and ask them if they know what it is, then have your doctor write a prescription. If they don't, PM me and I can put you in touch with the apothecary I use. I'm sure they'd be happy to pass along hte recipe to yours.

Angela


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## melos (May 23, 2005)

I tried lanolin at first, but I had an infection going, so the Ped/LC gave me Bactroban to help. The next month, she gave me a scrip for the Jack Newman ointment. I've been using it for almost 4 months!! I'm starting to worry about the steriod that's in it. I need to do some research.

Do you think it would be better to start him on some solids now, at 5 mo., to give me some break? I wonder if I could last longer that way.


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## TOmom (May 21, 2005)

I would go for the solids as it may decrease nursing frequency and rest your nipples. Better than weaning and giving formula. Also possibly nursing more or even exclusively on the better side? One breast may be enough especially with extra food and probably even without. Good luck and congrats on perservering this long it must be very hard.


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## CryPixie83 (Jan 27, 2004)

ACK! no fun! My nipples were raw for a couple months and finally they healed. I stopped using lansinoh (only made it worse), put milk on the wound after every nursing, waited until my nipples were completely dry before covering them and then making sure I wore a good-fitting bra. At one point we thought the bra was the problem, but it was that I was putting the bra on a wet nipple, and the moisture would adhere my nipple to the bra so that the wound would just be torn fresh everytime I had to nurse. Also, eat food and drink teas that promote healing...nothing comes to mind right now, but I'm gagging on baby-butt fumes right now


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## melos (May 23, 2005)

Thanks, all! I have an appt with another LC tomorrow, we'll see what she says. She did recommend pumping for 3 days, if I would get much better then we know it's him. I wonder if I should do it on a weekday or weekend? Weekday makes more sense, but DH works second shift so I'm home alone with the baby, I hate to think of pumping while he's crying. Not from being hungry, he's just high needs and likes to be held and/or entertained all the time. Bleah.

She also suggested 1000 mg Vit C, and making sure I get enough Vit A.


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## mommy2julia (Mar 15, 2005)

i just Pmed you.. but
I am in a simular situcation.. I ahve some wounds from my 11 month old. She still nurses on them, but I have been battling them for a while. As a matter of fact, swimming in a clorinated pool helped me alittle.. But the info about the vit c and A are great. I'm gonna look into that.


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## indeospero (May 23, 2005)

So sorry you're having this problem. I had open wounds for months, too, and thought my left nipple would come off for sure (it didn't, thank goodness).

In my case, whatever the problem was that caused the damage initially was long gone, and it was just a matter of getting the wounds to close (though I wasn't sure of that till they finally healed). The number one thing that saved me -- and my nipple -- was wearing wool breast pads round the clock. www.danishwool.com is where I got mine. About a week after I got these, I could see that the wounds were starting to grow closed at last.

APNO did not work for me, either. I'd advise you to discontinue using it: if it were going to work, it would have helped a long time ago. I switched instead a combination of Neosporin and hydrocortisone creams -- a dot of each mixed in the palm of your hand -- after each feeding. You can just wipe off any visible excess before you nurse again. For some reason this really worked, even though APNO didn't work at all.

Once they finally started healing, the wounds, which were large and sort of circular, took 2-3 weeks to totally close up. And where they were I now have thick purple scars and funny-shaped nipples. But I also have a pain-free, non-gory BF relationship, and I was sure I'd have the damage the whole time we nursed, until she weaned and I could get stitches. So it is possible to heal! It will get better!

I wish you all the best! Try the Neosporin/hydrocortisone/wool pads combo. I hope this helps! Feel free to PM me.


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## mommy2julia (Mar 15, 2005)

WOW.. i'm gonna try the neospopin and wool pads.. I really want this to heal .. its getting really annoying b/c my dd has a really strong suck and it hurts when she latches..


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