# traumatized nipples?



## captain optimism (Jan 2, 2003)

My wonderful son is nine days old and has come a long way, baby, in his ability to breast feed. Things are improving daily, especially since my milk came in and let down. His latch has improved hugely even in the last 24 hours and switching over to using a special nursing pillow has enabled us to do a cross cradle hold that is loads easier on the boobies than the football hold was for us.

But I still have cracks on my nipples that haven't healed. I'm using Lansinoh and that seems to help. Still it hurts for him to latch on most of the time, even now that he has stopped gumming me so much. Today I saw a lactation consultant and she noticed that spots on my nipples were white from lack of circulation--this is even more painful than the cracks, actually.

Cracks have to be a usual problem on this forum, so I'm sure people have great advice about them. But how about this white-spot on the nipples thing? By the way, I have great circulation to my fingers and toes, so this isn't related to a general circulation issue.


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## ebaby (Aug 22, 2002)

I can sooooo relate!!!
Last year I had a very similar situation. What finally did it for me was (if you can beleive this) a very very small amount of neosporin adn cover the nipple with SARAN wrap. Not any cling wrap will work it really has to be SARAN wrap.
I really wanted to die and I thought the Lanolish cream was gonna do the trick, but it did not and the pain and cracks and white spots and bleeding stayed until the tiny bit of neosporin and SARAN!!! I did use nystatin twice too. (for yeast.) Yes right on the nipples. My lac consultant said to do it right after nursing and leave on/covered until ready to nurse again, with such a small amount of either cream no wipe off was necessary.
Really make sure babe is getting a lot of breast in mouth, if it is just the tip the white spots will worsen. Because it means no circulation. Just stick with it!!!!!
My ds is 14 mo and nurses like a champ still!

K


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## phoebekate (May 31, 2002)

the white spots sound like mild vaso spasm, do you only get white spots or do you also get red and or blue stripes? Do you get this effect only while nursing or also for a while after nursing or even at other times? I have a history of mild circulation problems that all kind of made sense when I got vaso spasm at the start of breastfeeding. I was getting the full tricolour effect and random spasms when I wasn't feeding. The best cure for vaso spasm is WARMTH. Have a hot facecloth handy for when your babe detaches, get yourself a hot cloth or a hot shower if you get spasms when not nursing. avoid getting chilly air on your breasts. There is a medication that has been shown to help with vaso spasm but I can't remember the name as I chose not to take it. you can also get bra inserts like a space blanket to reflect all the heat back into your breasts and keep them warm.

My own LC had experienced this problem herself and seen it quite a bit - she told me that she felt that although it usually occurred in women with a pre-disposition that it was trauma induced and would either stop entirely or at least reduce when my nipples healed. She was right, I don't remember the last time I had it. My cracks took a long time to heal, lansinoh would heal grazes overnight, but my really big cracks (well holes really) took weeks....


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## phoebekate (May 31, 2002)

I just remembered a website with some info on vaso spasm, the first link is to the top page with lots of breastfeeding info, the second is just vasospasm:

http://www.gp.org.au/cls/
http://www.gp.org.au/cls/raynaud.html


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## Peach (Dec 9, 2002)

The white spots could also be abrasion--do they look like blisters at all? Kinda white and shiny and just on the nipple?

Sometimes, when the baby is not nursing correctly for a time, he will suck at the nipple unevenly--does your nipple look "pointy" when he's done?

Give it some time, and be insistent that he nurse correctly, and you'll heal.


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## captain optimism (Jan 2, 2003)

Yes, the lactation consultant asked me if I had Reynaud's, which I don't. But I think this is vasospasm, because it responds to heat and cold as you describe. I have been using a hot washcloth for the past 12 hours or so after nursing. It's odd to me that I have this because I have great circulation, but from the website you sent, PhoebeKate, it sounds like it's pretty common. It seems to only happen on the sore side.

The weird thing is that the sorer nipple seems to be almost entirely healed and the other nipple is now all cracked and messed up. I am guessing this is because the new nursing position has allowed the sorer side to heal and might not be perfect for the other side. So I'll have to keep experimenting. I was very psyched last night to have my first experience of successful side-lying nursing--didn't hurt the nipple and helped the baby and dh relax.

Thanks for the tips on the extraordinary measures, ebaby, I'll keep them in mind if this persists.


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## Cath922 (Jul 8, 2002)

Get some of Dr. Newman's all purpose nipple cream prescription from your OB and use it all the time between nursing. Use wool breast pads for soreness. But try to stay away from the plastic wrap and lansinoh. Try the nipple cream and pump to give your sore nipple a break.


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## ebaby (Aug 22, 2002)

FYI: the saran is works like "moist wound healing patches" that hospitals put on burn victims to close open wounds.
I would avoid lansinoh too as it can have some bacteria that can lead to some pretty yucking infections.
Good luck!
Just keep that baby nursing!!!

K


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## captain optimism (Jan 2, 2003)

Though breast feeding continues to improve daily, I'm still finding my nipples get sore. I'm increasingly convinced that the problem is still the latch, even though it mimics vasospasms. (I'm also getting some very minimal cracking on one side, the former "good" side. Not as bad as before, definitely more bearable, but still not fun!)

I'm using a modified cross-cradle hold that the lactation consultant showed me. It makes use of a nursing pillow, which has been a big help. (the nursing pillow looks like a big life-preserver!) I prop up the baby's head with a folded receiving blanket, my foot with a phone book, and my breast with a rolled-up towel--or two!-- and my hand. (Big boobs are now even bigger and heavier since milk came in!) All the props remind my husband of his yoga class--you know, using props to get the right posture!

Sometimes I rest the baby's head in the crook of my arm, sometimes just use the receiving blanket, whichever seems to help him get on better. I'm no longer using the rapid arm movement to pop him on the breast. I check his lips for correct flanging. Sometimes he seems to be on just right, but I can't figure out why not every time. Any ideas? Baby is now two weeks old (and still so beautiful, you wouldn't believe it!)


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## ebaby (Aug 22, 2002)

Hang in there!









Be sure and to unlatch babe if is painful for more than the initial latch.

You are giving your baby a wonderful gift by nursing. I did a ton of affirmations and talked directly to my baby on what needed to happen. (sounds wierd but it seened to help)

Now my ds can do all sorts of crazy moves and still nurse without any discomfort to me.

K
PS my son loves that nursing boppy pillow, it will be on the floor and he will cuddle with it, my dh uses an AUstin Powers line "no humping the boppy" to me and I just crack up!


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## jtsmom (Nov 19, 2001)

HI! I am glad things seem to be going a little better. I also had this problem with both of my kids and let me tell you that you are very lucky that someone figured it out this early. I weaned my ds at 5.5 weeks because I couldn't take the pain anymore, and no one could tell me why I felt like a knife was stabbing through my torso everytime he nursed. Luckily with dd my mw figured it out when she was 2 mo.

The white nipples *from my understanding* (I'm no expert, but have done a lot of research due to my experiences) can be called vasospasm, also Raynaud's, and blanching. Some people have a history of circulation problems, but it can also come about when nipples are traumatized (in my case, both kids were toungue tied) In my case, no cream in the world was giving me any relief. The heat will help a lot. It's hard to get a compress on (I just used a hot wet wash cloth ) before feedings when baby is hungry and might cry, but it will help. I thought when I did it after feedings it had the most lasting effect, because then they weren't burning between feedings.

I also took Evening primrose oil. I think I took 4 capsules a day, I can't remember, but I have heard of women taking up to 12/day. That is what I think really helped in the long run. I just kept taking them until it wasn't a problem anymore. There are a few dicussions here about this, do a search using the keyword "Raynaud's". I also found a lot of info doing a google search using the keywords "breastfeeding nipples Raynaud's"

Again, you are VERY LUCKY to have figured this out so early. Now, when you see other mamas online having this same problem, you can help them, as this is relatively unknown, and perceived to be rare, but I think it is more common than people think. And I think it is hard for some people to believe that the pain from this is so bad that women (like me) wean because it is just unbearable.

I think there are some other vitamins recommended for this, too but you'll have to do your own research and figure it out for yourself. Please keep us updated, pm me if you'd like to discuss this further.

Oh, yeah and I forgot to mention that this is commonly mistaken for thrush because of the red color and burning.


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## jtsmom (Nov 19, 2001)

captain optimism, The link that phoebekate posted is very good. It occured to me to ask if anyone had told you that your ds might be toungue tied? There are also some good threads here on that. A baby can be mildly toungue tied, and still cause *a lot* of damage.


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