BF experts come in!

[devotchka]

We just got back from vacation - we were camping at a high altitude and everything was sooo dry! Max's eczema was really bad, my skin was terrible, and all of a sudden my "good" boob (the one that never had any issues) started hurting. It got to the point where I could barely nurse on it and I noticed that the nipple had a fairly large crack on it. I've been putting A&D on it and only nursing 1-2X a day on it max (after wiping off the A+D) - it's gotten better but still looks really sore and the pain is bad. Max is getting his front teeth finally and I am wondering if maybe he bit it - or maybe it just cracked from the super dry weather in the mountains. Should I just keep doing what I'm doing or should I do anything else to help it heal? I'm afraid I'm going to lose my supply in this boob as well... and Max is kind of pissed that I am limiting his nursing on it.

[thedahliharpa]

Did you have a bad clogged duct recently? I can't recall. Have you tried dipping the nipple in salt water and lletting it Air dry? Pumping?

[shevacc]

Do you have any lanolin around? I would try that too. You don't have to worry about rubbing it off. And if pumping is better, that. And nurse/pump as much as you can stand. Is the pain due to the cracked nipple, or something more than that? Does it get more painful while nursing or does the pain subside then come back (possible plugged duct)? Have you been otherwise feeling ok?

[Deleted]

I would try Lanolin, I used to use that for cracked nipples and it seemed to work and you won't have to wipe it off!

I think it could easily be from the dry weather, especially if you haven't had any other issues.

[devotchka]

Jun 27, 2013 21:55:24 GMT -5 shevacc said:

Do you have any lanolin around? I would try that too. You don't have to worry about rubbing it off. And if pumping is better, that. And nurse/pump as much as you can stand. Is the pain due to the cracked nipple, or something more than that? Does it get more painful while nursing or does the pain subside then come back (possible plugged duct)? Have you been otherwise feeling ok?

Thx! Apparently a&d has a lot of lanolin in it (i had no idea!) I don't have a pump and I haven't been able to pump in 6 months - I ended up giving it back to my friend whom I borrowed it from bc she just had a baby. It feels like a cracked nipple, but gets slightly better as nursing goes on. Before I put on the lanolin though it didn't feel any better at all. I have been otherwise ok - I had a plugged duct before and this feels a little different... 

[devotchka]

Jun 27, 2013 21:43:19 GMT -5 thedahliharpa said:

Did you have a bad clogged duct recently? I can't recall. Have you tried dipping the nipple in salt water and lletting it Air dry? Pumping?

I had a mild one that my physician was able to help me with - on the other boob. I haven't tried dipping it in salt water - I will try that! Not sure if this is a plugged duct, the crack/outside soreness just looks very physically different than the plugged duct. The very center of the nipple itself feels sore too though and is whiter in color (blanching?) which has happened before :/