# Open Nipple Wound-Frustrated with lactation consultant's doctor



## roses25 (Dec 23, 2005)

My 8 day old newborn has a tongue tie which I've chosen to leave alone because he can latch on, is getting plenty of milk, and once my nipples are healed it shouldn't be sore since my right nipple has healed and is not sore anymore. The first 3 days I was latching him on totally wrong and my nipples ended up getting very sore, cracked, and became an open wound. We since then started seeing a lactation consultant a couple times a week. He was down to 8 pounds 1 ounces by day 3. He is now latching much better and is already up to 8 pounds 12 1/2 ounces at just 8 days old.

I'm so glad that we started seeing the lactation consultant, but today I was really frustrated with them. My left nipple is still cracked with an open wound. They helped me latch Aiden today and he bit a chunk off where it looked like it was healing. The lactation consultant insisted on me seeing their doctor. The doctor was extremely pushy and didn't want to listen to me at all. I never want to see her again. She tried to push me to use this Triple Nipple Cream that contains antibiotics, steroids, and anti-fungals or Bacitracin cream. She literally was going to put it on me, and I kept telling her no. Finally she listened, but she didn't want to. She then went on to tell me how scary mastitis is and how they have to go in with needles and drain puss pockets out and I'd have to see a surgeon, etc. I came home in tears over it because I don't want to get mastitis, but I don't want to expose my son to that cream stuff either. I've worked so hard to make sure he had as natural as possible pregnancy, birth, etc. Do you have any suggestions?

Carolyn


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## smanore (Sep 14, 2007)

I'm sorry you went through that. My suggestion is to keep the nipples clean and put a drop or two of breastmilk on the open and tender areas on the nipples after feeds. It is very soothing, and kills off germs. All natural too








Just let it air dry before putting your bra flap over it. If you were to develop mastitis they would NOT have to go in with needles. That's such a nasty scare tactic. If you were to develop mastitis you might need to take an antibiotic. What they'd need to use needles, drainage etc, is for an absess, not a breast infection. I hope you're feeling better soon


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## birdie22 (Apr 1, 2005)

I've used the triple cream for a mysterious, scaly skin condition. I don't know why she'd recommend it for a simple laceration, esp if you're sitting there saying you want to give it some time to heal. Maybe she saw it work well for someone, so now that's her catch-all recommendation for bf moms. Some doctors seem to feel that you're wasting their time if you don't walk out with a treatment.

Hugs and







for not letting yourself be bullied.

I just checked out Kellymom, and they actually recommend a saline rinse after nursing: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/...lehealing.html
This was news to me, and maybe worth a try.

I hope you're feeling better soon!


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## jecombs (Mar 6, 2008)

I'm sorry that doc was so pushy!

What she was prescribing sounds akin to Dr. Jack Newman's All Purpose Nipple Ointment (APNO), which is wonderful stuff if you need it. It is usuall applied after nursing, so it has long enough to absorb before your LO needs to nurse again. Here is a link on APNO. I really trust just about anything that Dr. Newman recommends. However, that dr. you saw sounds like she was trying to use scare tactics on you, which is not right.
It's also my understanding that mastitis is caused by a blocked duct or the breast not getting emptied often enough... it is not caused by cracked nipples. Now, if you avoid nursing that side due to the crack, then I supposed you could get mastitis... but that should have been explained more clearly to you. And pp is right, treatment for it is antibiotics, not surgery!
If you don't want to use the ointment, I'd put breastmilk on the crack after every nursing session and then let it air-dry. Do not cover until it is fully dry! Damp, dark areas are where yeast and infection thrive.


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## PudnHead (Aug 25, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *birdie22* 
I just checked out Kellymom, and they actually recommend a saline rinse after nursing: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/...lehealing.html
This was news to me, and maybe worth a try.









:

Use the saline rinse. There is not a lot of salt in it, so it doesn't sting. I used it several years ago when I had an open wound on my nipple and it really helped. It was much better within a day or two and completely healed within the week. (The wound was about 1/2 the size of a fingertip). Good luck


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## Bluegoat (Nov 30, 2008)

The triple nipple cream actually works really well, for almost anything. Perhaps what she was thinking was that the sooner you are healed up, the more quickly you will be able to nurse off of that side, and therefore avoid the possibility of mastitis from too full a breast. But you wouldn't get an abbess unless you didn't treat the mastitis.


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## Morningcalm (Aug 15, 2008)

I used Jack Newman's cream when my ds was a newborn. I had badly cracked nipples and I think it made a difference. I also slathered on USP lanolin from behind the counter at the pharmacy. It's really sticky but works way better than Lasinoh. Plus, I used breast shells... Get some if you haven't already.


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## boogiebearlove (Jul 10, 2008)

Is the triple nipple cream the same as Dr Jack Newman's all purpose nipple ointment? I love that stuff! I've had months of painful nursing, mystery scaly nipples and broken skin. I finally had a dr prescribe this stuff for me, and it helps a lot.
Anyway, I'm sorry you went through that! It's horrible when doctors are pushy. Glad you stuck to what you wanted, though! And I'm so intrigued with you not correcting the tongue-tie! I've never heard of anyone doing that - it seems to me like it would be much more pain for you (I'm saying this because with all the pain I had, I wished my dd had had tongue tie, because I've been told it's a relatively quick and painless fix). Good luck!


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