poor latch/position...please help

[@llli*dvdfad002]

Hi there

My LO is 10 weeks today, gaining weight well and drinking like a charm... The only problem I've been having is latching the little guy onto my left breast. It isn't painful initially but can become quite uncomfortable during the nursing session. I often end up taking him off when he starts comfort sucking. When he comes off there is red streaks on top of the nipple and on the left side (where the nipple and areola meet). Does anyone know what I am doing wrong?

On a different note...the skin around my nipple has become quite dry. Is this normal?

Thanking you all in advance

[@llli*mommal]

Have you been having this problem since birth, or is it new?

The dry skin around the nipple makes me think that thrush is a good possibility. Do you notice any of the following:
- yeast diaper rash in baby
- white patches in baby's mouth
- vaginal yeast in mom
- itching or burning sensations in the breast, particularly between feedings
- small, slit-like cracks (like the cracks from dry skin)

Also, did either you or baby have a recent course of antibiotics, including antibiotics for Group B strep during birth?

[@llli*dvdfad002]

Gosh I replied earlier to this thread but it doesn't seem to have appeared...so I'll try again

Ummm...the dryness is new. The crack has been present since he has been about 2 weeks old and has never healed since then-I just assumed its been a poor latch.

Baby doesn't have any signs of thrush infection. However, of the symptoms you mention, last week my breast were very itchy-this week not as much (so confusing!!!!) In fact I enjoyed him suckling on my left breast as it helped take the itchiness away. I also experience a severe burning sensation in the left breast a little while after a feed-so much so that I've made up a song "my boob is on fire!" I thought it was because my bra would be rubbing the crack the wrong way. These red lines i speak of looks like the beginning of cracks-tiny slits on the nipples.

Wrt antibiotics, I was on a strong course @ 5 weeks due to an infection n my c-section cut

These "symptoms" I am experiencing...they are only/mostly on the left breast. Is it possible to have thrush predominantly on one side?

If it is thrush, what should I do? Visit a doctor?

[@llli*mommal]

Burning after the feeding has ended is a very classic thrush symptom. That, plus the slit-like near-cracks, the itchiness, the dry skin, and the antibiotics, makes me think that thrush is a very strong possibility for you. I would start by reading up on it here: http://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/child/thrush-resources/ Once you feel like you're well-informed, go see the doc- your midwife or ob/gyn or your child's pediatrician should all be able to diagnose and prescribe the proper treatment. But thrush can be hard to diagnose and treat, and many practitioners are unaware that thrush can be present without the classic symptom (white, pearly patches in the baby's mouth), and that it is common for one member to be asymptomatic though both are infected. So make sure that the doc does more than simply look in the baby's mouth, and if thrush is probable, make sure that both you and the baby are treated simultaneously- otherwise you'll just pass the infection back and forth.

[@llli*dvdfad002]

payed the dr a visit....1st of all she said that you can not get thrush there she diagnosed me as having some sort of eczema, gave me steroid cream, told me to express and bottle feed now what?

I'm not overly enthusiastic about her suggestion....could i not just carry on breastfeeding anyway?

[@llli*carm3]

Grr to your doc. You absolutely can get thrush on your nipples. I'm thinking she probably said to stop nursing because the steroid might not be compatible with nursing (even so, you would only need to wipe it off before nursing, I would think). There's no reason to not nurse while treating thrush (unless it's too painful and you need to pump).

There are some non-prescription things that you can try on your own to treat thrush. Check out Dr. Newman's candida protocol http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/conte...agename=doc-CP and Dr. Jay Gordon's http://drjaygordon.com/breastfeeding/thrush.html . I found the grapefruit seed extract really helpful (just start with a weak concentration as it can be irritating), as well as probiotics for myself and LO.

So I guess you'll have to use your discretion as to whether you trust your doc's original diagnosis, or if you want to get a 2nd opinion, or if you want to try stuff on your own first. Good luck!

[@llli*mommal]

payed the dr a visit....1st of all she said that you can not get thrush there she diagnosed me as having some sort of eczema, gave me steroid cream, told me to express and bottle feed now what?

I'm not overly enthusiastic about her suggestion....could i not just carry on breastfeeding anyway?

Ugh, see a different doctor! The information you were given is completely incorrect. Yeast infections- and thrush is a yeast infection- are most common in or near the moist cavities of the body (vagina, mouth, anus) but they can occur in pretty much any portion of the skin, including the breast. Your child's pediatrician might be better informed than your doc, so I would see that doc next and ingnore the erroneous information from your caregiver.

[@llli*lllmeg]

Have you seen a board-certified lactation consultant? Or are you able to?
I agree this could be thrush but I also am hesitant to rule out anything else. The fact that it is it is on only one side makes me wonder if it is a latch issue after all. I also wonder if it could be a bacterial infection.
There are thrush treatments that do not require a prescription as you can see in the protocol linked in previous post. if you are pretty convinced it is thrush and you cannot see a lactation consultant or a dermatologist or someone who can confirm (as much as confirmation is possible) that you could try those over-the-counter remedies.
Are you continuing to nurse or what are you doing at this point?

[@llli*dvdfad002]

Thank you for all the responses!!!

I completely ignored what the doctor had to say and continued nursing until i was able to get a second opinion from a le leche league leader....

Her opinion was that i have a bit of a problem latching the LO on the left breast and has made suggestions to help correct it. She also seems to think i have some sort of infection...it maybe
thrush or it maybe something else. She told me to mix antibiotic cream and steroid cream together and apply thinly to affected areas but to continue nursing-how awesome!!!!

wish me luck ladies...

[@llli*mommal]

If the LLL leader thinks thrush is a possibility, I would try using APNO ointment: http://www.nbci.ca/index.php?option=...tion&Itemid=17 It has an antifungal component in addition to the antibiotic and the steroid.