# Help! Painful "bite wound" under nipple not healing. Infected?



## aran (Feb 9, 2005)

DS has been teething off and on, and when he does, he sometimes chomps down after falling asleep while nursing. I usually can avoid it, but sometimes he gets me.

Well, about a week ago he "got" me and I have had a small gash on the underside of my nipple for a week now. It reopens when he nurses and hasn't healed quickly as previous (albeit more minor) scrapes have healed in the past.

Warning - graphic...
Well, just now I was noticing that my nipple is pointing kind of upward instead of straight out (maybe from swelling) and when I lifted it to look at the gash, some pus was there uke

I expressed some milk and put in in the wound to kill whatever it is causing the apparent infection, and I'll plan to do that intermittently.

What else should I do to help this to heal? I'd like to avoid a limitation on DS's nursing frequency because I've traditionally struggled with supply issues (although supply is not crucial because DS is 16.5 months old). Any advice??


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## Icequeen_in_ak (Mar 6, 2004)

I would give it as much air as it can get... walk around topless all day if you can. Clean it frequently, and add BM to it often.

Can you nurse DS on the other side for a day? I've found in the past, a day made all the difference in getting my bites healed.


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## aran (Feb 9, 2005)

Thanks, Alaskan queen. I am a non-bra-wearer so I am halfway there to keeping the area pretty aired out!

The problem with nursing the other side only is that DS is a nipple tweaker, so he is typically manhandling the opposite side from the one onto which he is latched. And he acts like I am abusing him if I try to limit the tweaking (but I have been attempting to lately b/c of this). So it actually is a relief to have him nurse on the gashed up side rather than tweak it. Besides the fact that he changes sides on his own, and that'd be hard to control, too... guess I have a pushy little nursling









Thanks for the advice... hopefully it clears up soon.


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## Icequeen_in_ak (Mar 6, 2004)

Have you tried a nursing necklace? They were a godsend when my dd was going through the pinching, tweaking stage! I got mine from Lori and it truly was a life saver. I've been promoting hers quite a bit over the last couple of days







hers are my favorite because they are the only ones I've found that have been safety tested (and passed) by the govt.

Might be worth a try though!


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## aran (Feb 9, 2005)

Oh yeah! I forgot! I actually own a nursing necklace from Lori







I ordered one with some really big beads included, and they make it too clunky to wear comfortably for any period of time, so it was kind of cast aside and forgotten about. Thanks for reminding me! It doesn't solve my problem entirely, b/c DS prefers tweaking me to the playing with the necklace, but it does keep him occupied some of the time, which is better than nothing. Thanks!


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## Little Bear's Mama (Mar 20, 2003)

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/...lehealing.html


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## aran (Feb 9, 2005)

Thanks! I used the advice (incl. using my nursing necklace again) and now I am on the road to recovery without having to limit DS's nursing. ahhhh! much better!


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