suddenly sore nipples (late in the game)

[@llli*mercystreet]

LO is almost 13 mos and we haven't had any latch or biting issues since he was 6 mos old. But all of a sudden in the last week, my nipples are really sore! No visible injury, just tenderness. He has been teething on molars #2 and #3, and they just poked through a few days ago, and now I think he's working on #4. So for about two weeks it's been nightly nursathons (hourly wakings to nurse, or more) which is really wearing me out. Could the frequency of nursing alone be the issue? The other thing I've noticed during this time is that his latch is sometimes weird. I can't pinpoint anything specifically bad about it, it just seems kinda ... bitey? Not BITING me, but just kind of tight, and not relaxed (if that makes any sense), and when he stops nursing there are decent indentation marks from his teeth on the aureola. I make him re-latch so often, have him open wide and latch deeply, but it just reverts, even when it looks fine. I can't figure out how to "fix" this latch ... or do I just wait it out until these darn molars are done? Thanks for the insight ladies.

[@llli*mommal]

No chance of pregnancy...?

[@llli*bfwmomof3]

I don't have good advice, just that I went through a similar phase with DD (now 14.5 months) at just the same time. Like feeling the teeth but it wasn't biting, soreness, painful nursing, etc. My thought was that maybe her latch was changing a bit or maybe the positions we were used to using weren't that good for her latch anymore, now that she's bigger, so I experimented with different positions and it's gotten a lot better - but it took at least a month, maybe even 6 weeks. I think the teething could play into it as well. The other thing I was wondering about was thrush but in my case it was much more pronounced on one side and I figured if it were thrush it would eventually affect the other side, and now it's better without thrush treatment so that probably wasn't it. In your case though, since it is affecting both sides, that could be something to consider too.

[@llli*mercystreet]

No chance of pregnancy...?

gosh i hope not. that idea never occurred to me. sex is pretty sporadic/infrequent, and i haven't really had my period return yet (i say "not really" because i had some random spotting a few months ago but nothing since). the caloric demands of breastfeeding have also been keeping my weight below a level that in the past has suppressed my ovulation. i have been pregnant twice before ... i haven't noticed any pregnancy sign/symptoms recently. i would say i am pretty certain i'm not pregnant but i suppose anything is possible :/

[@llli*mercystreet]

I don't have good advice, just that I went through a similar phase with DD (now 14.5 months) at just the same time. Like feeling the teeth but it wasn't biting, soreness, painful nursing, etc. My thought was that maybe her latch was changing a bit or maybe the positions we were used to using weren't that good for her latch anymore, now that she's bigger, so I experimented with different positions and it's gotten a lot better - but it took at least a month, maybe even 6 weeks. I think the teething could play into it as well.

That's a good point about latch changing with new teeth and not necessarily being "bad" latch but just needing adjustment time or different positions. What kinds of other positions do you recommend trying? We typically do a hybrid of cradle-laid back nursing (in a big recliner) or side-lying at night. I've tried having him sit more upright with me, but he slumps over and wants to cuddle into my arm. He's too big for cross cradle or football hold anymore. Maybe I'm just lacking in imagination here.

The other thing I was wondering about was thrush but in my case it was much more pronounced on one side and I figured if it were thrush it would eventually affect the other side, and now it's better without thrush treatment so that probably wasn't it. In your case though, since it is affecting both sides, that could be something to consider too.

Hmm... I've never had thrush before so I have no basis for comparison, but besides the nipple soreness, I don't think I have many symptoms typically associated with thrush (like a deeper or stabbing pain, itching, burning, skin appearance change etc). It's just been like a dull soreness with every nursing, unchanging over about a week. But I will definitely monitor and if anything changes or worsens that could be something to explore. Thanks for suggesting it, I would not have thought of that.

[@llli*bfwmomof3]

We were doing cradle and side-lying at night too. Actually, side-lying was bothering me less during this period - do you find that to be true? Anyway, the cradle has evolved into being more upright - like she's more or less sitting on my lap.

[@llli*mommal]

Pregnancy tests are cheap- I'd rule it out.

[@llli*lllkaren]

Ovulation can also cause nipple tenderness that seems random and unrelated to anything.

[@llli*mercystreet]

Karen, you were right! I must have been ovulating because yesterday I got my period, for real (ugh ... the no period thing was good while it lasted) and the timing lines up. I would have never considered that if you hadn't suggested it. I say it all the time - "those LLL ladies are wizards... WIZARDS!"

[@llli*andie613]

Had I read this post earlier, I would have suggestion ovulation as well. 2 weeks before my period returned I had really sore, almost bruised-feeling nipples. I've had a few since, and luckily the sore nipples haven't returned.