Why Aren't They Healing?

by Shanda

I am having quite the experience with breastfeeding and breastfeeding.com has been extremely helpful in so many areas. I consult it several times a week, but there is one area where I have yet to find answers.

My baby girl has been breastfed from day 1, and now 10 weeks later I still have open sores on both nipples. I have been to a LC from the local hospital on three different occasions, I've been to my OB, and the OB's nurse twice. I've been seen by the Pediatrician's nurse and had a LLL consultant visit me in my own home to observe.

I've tried vinegar cleansing, tea bags, air drying, applied my milk and then air dried, and sterilizing after each feeding. I've had cultures taken, been on antibiotics for 2 weeks, and used shells to protect/heal between feedings and just to be able to hold my baby or hug my husband without pain...and NOTHING worked.

In the first week of nursing I noticed the sores so I tried pumping to allow them to heal, but I was so afraid of nipple confusion or the baby refusing to nurse that I only pumped for a couple days and then spent 2 full days skin to skin and nursing nearly every hour in order to get her back to breast. The "professionals" kept telling me that I just needed to give it time and I would heal. The baby just needed to get older because she was latching just fine. But I kept asking myself, "If she is latching fine, then why do I have sores and why aren't they healing?"

I looked up everything I could on sores in breastfeeding, but no one seemed to have the same problem. Then I started having severe pain deep within the breast, down my arms and in my back and every time my baby nursed, it felt like there were shards of glass in the nipples and I thought I would pass out. I also had burning and itching in between feedings and I dreaded going out in the cold!

I also noticed that my baby had a diaper rash so I did some research and asked to be treated for Thrush, but when they didn't find white patches in the baby's mouth I was treated for mastitis instead. I never had a fever and I never had red streaks/rash on my breasts at all!

I later read a story about a lady who had sores on the end of the nipples that were caused by the baby being tongue tied, so I asked her Pediatrician to check it out and of course he said she was not. His nurse said that maybe the baby was just pulling her tongue back into her mouth while she sucked and that I should try holding her tongue out for her while she nursed...yes they told me to try to hold out her tongue!

I tried with absolutely no success. I tried 2 different brands of shells, but couldn't use them because I leaked too much milk and then she was never satisfied. Finally after 9 weeks of constant and excruciating pain, I had to make a decision.

The last resort was a silicon shield so the baby would not have direct contact with my skin as she nursed. I'd been warned that if she takes to the shields she may never go back to breast without them, but I was getting nowhere.

The pain was too intense and I was missing out on what the nursing experience should really be like.   My theory is that her mouth was too small at the beginning which did not allow for a proper latch and caused open sores on the nipple. But I also believe that because it wasn't taken care of appropriately I developed some kind of topical infection that prevented the sores from healing. Then, due to open sores, I was at risk for a Staff or Strep infection.

When treated for mastitis with antibiotics, that put me at risk for developing yeast infections...and the cycle went on and on and on... I believe no one took me seriously because the baby was gaining plenty of weight and no one in their right mind would nurse for that long with sores as bad as I was telling them about.

Maybe I was out of my mind, but I wanted what I felt was best for my baby, and if the "professionals" wouldn't help me, I would have to help myself. So for 2 weeks now I have been using the shields and I am finally seeing some healing! I've got a couple weeks to go before they completely heal closed and then I'd like to try to nurse without them (if my baby is willing to cooperate!).

Anyway, thanks for listening to my story and I hope this can help anyone else who may be having similar struggles. I encourage you to fight for yourself and your baby. Be the health professionals' worst nightmare. Go back to their offices, give them a phone call, get second or even third opinions and surround yourself with people that will support you and help you when you need it!

BREASTFEEDING SHOULD NOT HURT!

I look forward to that day when I can finally be pain free like "normal" people!

BABY'S NAME: Nya
BABY'S AGE: 11 weeks
BABY'S PRESENT WEIGHT: 12 lbs, 5 oz. (at 8 wks) BABY'S BIRTH WEIGHT: 7 lbs, 13 oz.