rough feedings with 5 month old

[@llli*cavirad]

We have had a pretty rough time since the beginning that started with a poor latch. After we fixed that we had multiple reoccurances of thrush which made both of us miserable. We finally seem to have gotten rid of the thrush about a month ago. We were ok for a few weeks and now he is killing me again and its not thrush this time. The latch looks ok but something he is doing is leaving my nipples really sore. He kneads me like a kitten would but he has always done that and its never been a problem. All I know is now its really starting to hurt during feedings not just after. I am not sure what I can do to fix this. I've tried paying more attention to latching again and taking him off and relatching when it hurts. But like I said it looks fine and all it does is make him freak out. Any ideas on what it could be?

[@llli*mommal]

Can you describe the pain you're experiencing a bit more? Does it happen primarily at the beginning of feedings, throughout the feeding, or after the feeding? Is it a pinching or stabbing pain, or more of a burning or itching? When baby comes off the breast, is the nipple symmetrical, like a pencil eraser, or asymmetrical/wedged/creased/ridged/shaped like a new lipstick?

[@llli*cavirad]

The pain is all on the nipple mostly towards the tip. I am prettt sure part of the problem is he has gotten more violent with the kneading. Sometimes he pushes so hard suddenly that he rips my nipple out of his mouth while still sucking. He also will grab my breast, push his tounge against my nipple and turn his head in one single motion. I have large areolas but he seems to get quite a bit in his mouth until he starts pulling on it. When he is done the tip of the nipple is white. Th shape is round and normal looking except for one small pinched part on the bottom near where the corner of his mouth is. Like I said as soon as it starts hurting I take him off and try to relatch him he freaks out and it doesn't seem to help at all. I am at my wits end because I had the complete opposite problem with my first son. He had a really bad suck reflex and I ended up pumping for most of his infancy.

[@llli*cavirad]

I forgot to say that it usually starts about half way through the feeding and is unbarable by the end. It is probably best described as a pinching pain.

[@llli*mommal]

Thank you for the description! What you're experiencing sounds like vasospasm: http://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/moth...ple-blanching/. Since you also have a pinching pain, I am willing to bet there's some compression of the nipple which is playing into this. Sometimes babies learn to compress the nipple in order to control milk flow, and they often do it when they are starting to teethe. It may help to take baby off the breast and relatch him when the pain starts, and you definitely want to keep a heat source nearby. A hot water bottle or heating pad would be good.

Is it cold where you are? Vasospasms often occur more during cold weather.

[@llli*cavirad]

Its not really that cold here. I live in delaware near the southern beaches. Its been around 50 up until the last few days where its been in the 70s.

[@llli*mommal]

Okay, so that possibility is eliminated. I was just wondering if maybe you were in the Southern Hemisphere or the Arctic circle or something... Anyway, if cold isn't a factor I'm going to go with vasospasm due to compression. Try treating with heat and see if that makes a difference.