Pain during/after BFing

[threefunboys]

So, I've been Bfing for almost 13 months, pretty much without incident after the first 4-6 weeks. About 2-3 weeks ago, I started to have some pain during BFing, and it has gotten better on the left, but the right side still hurts. I noticed a crack in the skin about a week ago, so I've been going easy on that side. It is healed now, but the past 2 days it has started aching. It's usually after BFing on that side, but sometimes it happens spontaneously. Anyone know what this is and what I should do to fix it?
Thanks!

[Nipple_nectar]

Could thrush be a possibility? www.drjaygordon.com/development/bf/thrush.asp

[nbuttery]

I recently had a plugged duct which was very painful. It then turned into mastitis and I had a very high fever and needed antibiotics. I hope this doesn't happen to you, but if it's been for a couple of weeks I don't think it would be a full blown bacterial infection, but the thrush sounds possible.

Best of luck.

[threefunboys]

Hmmm...I thought of thrush, but I've never had a "for sure" case of it, so I don't really know what I'm looking for. Baby seems fine--no rash (although he had one about a month ago, just before all this started, it's gone now), no spots in his mouth that I know of, he eats just fine, etc. The dr. looked at DS's diaper rash and gave me a cream for staph (and said to keep using the lotrimin too). Could I have that? How would I know?

The pain used to be only on the nipple, but now it feels deeper. I used some lotrimin at first, but stopped and started using lansinoh after I discovered the skin had broken (to help it heal faster). Now I'm not sure what to do. Just the motivation I need to wean him, I guess.....I plan to wean him before too long, but have a few little adjustments I need to make before I'm totally ready to do that.

Thanks again.

[madelsmama]

I don't think that's just cause to wean him, you just need to figure out what's going on here.

It could be that things are still healing up beneath the surface. Does anything look red or inflammed?

[RKeith]

Have you talked to a doctor about your breasts? It sounds like you've talked to one about your son, but not about you.

[threefunboys]

Thanks for your replies.

I haven't gone to a dr for me. They aren't red or inflamed, and the pain isn't anything I can't handle. I took DS to his one year well baby check, which is when the cream was prescribed. I don't think I would've taken him in just for the rash, at least not with how mild it was at the time.

The crack I had healed up, and the day after I posted this question the aching went away. So that's good. But yesterday I noticed it's starting to crack again. Actually, it seems to be happening in a new spot, unless it was injured there before and I didn't notice it. Anyway, I am usually nursing on that side only once a day and using lansinoh, but it's having a hard time. Any tips on healing a cracked nipple, other than those two things?


Thanks again!