Horrible Nipple Pain When Nursing! Please help!!!

[@llli*amber.watkins]

I have a 9 day old baby girl. We had a few latch issues initially, and I ended up with a cracked and bleeding nipple on one side. So my LC told me to pump that side and let her latch and feed on the other until it was healed. Well, it healed about 4 days ago and everything was fine until last night. My nipples started hurting so bad. It was basically so bad that my toes would curl up and I would almost start crying. They aren't cracked or bleeding at all, and I don't know why they are hurting so bad. My supply is great, so I thought maybe I needed to give them a break so today I am pumping and giving the milk to DD in a bottle, which she is doing fine with. I use lanolin every time I feed or pump. I let my nipples completely dry. I have cold gel pads that I use. Any ideas as to why it might be hurting so bad or suggestions as to what might help?? Thanks in advance!!

[@llli*auderey]

Do they hurt just at latch, or throughout the feed? It sounds like maybe you're having a latch issue? Can you see the LC again?

[@llli*mommal]

The PP asked a very good question. Pain that lasts only for 10-60 seconds when baby first latches on often has a very different cause from pain that lasts throughout the feeding and is different again from pain that comes primarily at the conclusion of the feeding or when the feeding is over.

When baby unlatches, what shape are your nipples? Symmetrical, like pencil erasers, or asymmetrical, like new lipsticks? And would you describe the pain as more of a stabbing pain, or more of a burning pain? And do your nipples ever turn white or bluish-purple after nursing?

[@llli*aprilsmagic]

with PP

Watch the bottle feeding....sometimes this leads to babies refusing to nurse and mom trapped into exclusive pumping. Pumping is also not as good for your supply.

[@llli*amber.watkins]

I usually get 5-7 oz every 3 hours when I pump. The pain is worse right after she latches. It usually vera better, but it still hurts during the entire time. It is a Sharp stabbing pain while she is nursing, then sometimes there will be a burning type of pain when she isn't. My nipples are symmetrical when she unlatches, and sometimes they are purple looking. I may have to go see the LC again... I hate giving her bottles, but the pain was way to intense

[@llli*mommal]

Purple, huh? Check out this link on vasospasm, particularly on Raynaud's of the nipple: http://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/moth...ple-blanching/

[@llli*amber.watkins]

That's a very interesting article... Could be a possiblity. Also, I just noticed that one of my nipples isn't symmetrical. It is like the lipstick. What does this mean??

[@llli*mommal]

Lipstick nipple = shallow latch. Instead of sitting on the back of the tongue, underneath the soft palate, the nipple is sitting on the front of the tongue underneath the hard palate. Most of the motion that occurs during sucking happens in the front of the mouth, so the nipple is being compressed between moving tongue and hard palate. Ouch! And compression can cause vasospasm, so that part of the puzzle would fit in well, too.