Cracked/Bitten nipples

[QHoneyB]

My newborn is almost 3 weeks old. From the beginning she has been very quick at latching on, which was a relief to me as my first daughter wasn't and I had to use a nipple shield for awhile and hated it. BUT when my baby was a few days old she bit my nipples and there is a gash on both of them (I wasn't careful about how she latched that time as we were out for get doctor's appointment, not relaxed at home). It has been a really rough couple of weeks with clenched teeth, tears, different remedies, etc. I am wondering from those with similar experiences how long does it take to heal?? At first i was using lanolin, but i find it actually makes it feel worse. They got infected, so I've been using am abx cream. I am also using coconut oil. Sometimes I use nothing. I don't know what is best. I think it's healing since it'snot quite as painful, and I've been working hard on baby's latch but she clamps down so fast that sometimes it is hard. *DH wants me to use nipple shields for a couple days, but I hate them so I've been reluctant. I don't want to go backwards on the latch progress we've made, and it'll still be painful with the shields anyway. But if it'll heal a lot faster I might be willing to give it a try. I wanted to call a lactation consultant to come over, but we can't afford it.

[Nerissa]

DD had a bad latch, that I didnt realize until I ended jp with cracked bleeding nipples. I thought her latch was fine. I got an appontment with an LC and she tweeked my latch just a bit. That was enough to only then hsve painful latch on till they healed. It took a good week and almost a whole tube of lanolin. It was a weekend of horrible pain the entire nursing sesions before I could get in.

Is there a local LLL thst you could get in contact with check facebook or googke LLC.

[Nerissa]

for got to add the LC gave me these nipple guards to wear between feedings. They are by medela and had air holes in them and basicaly kept my bra from touching my very soar/cracked nipples. They were great.

[abunchoflemons]

Call strong moms & ask 4 lactation & they will try to help. We have lactation devices free or la lachrymose meetings help. Try lansinoh or gel coors.
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[abunchoflemons]

Call strong moms & ask 4 lactation & they will try to help. We have lactation devices free or la lachrymose meetings help. Try lansinoh or gel coors.
.

[QHoneyB]

Originally Posted by Nerissa DD had a bad latch, that I didnt realize until I ended jp with cracked bleeding nipples. I thought her latch was fine. I got an appontment with an LC and she tweeked my latch just a bit. That was enough to only then hsve painful latch on till they healed. It took a good week and almost a whole tube of lanolin. It was a weekend of horrible pain the entire nursing sesions before I could get in. Is there a local LLL thst you could get in contact with check facebook or googke LLC.

Originally Posted by Nerissa for got to add the LC gave me these nipple guards to wear between feedings. They are by medela and had air holes in them and basicaly kept my bra from touching my very soar/cracked nipples. They were great.

Yeah, getting just the right latch is tricky! I have definitely gotten better. Hm.. I think there is a local LLL here, I believe I was told their next meeting is in a couple weeks, thanks for the reminder. I think I'll go and see if I can get some hands on tips. Luckily it seems to slowly be getting better so maybe by then I'll be mostly healed. And yeah, I wanted to get those Medela breast shields but they are more expensive here (I am in Malaysia) and I am really trying not to spend any money that I don't have to, we are really pinching pennies at the moment. Not fun!

I read on one site that one mom used cotton balls soaked with coconut oil inside her breast pads. I've been using coconut oil but just dabbing it on. So I tried the cotton trick today and it actually seems to be helping more. I'll keep it up tomorrow too and see if it continues to help.

[VeganCupcake]

Even if the LLL meeting is in a couple of weeks, you can call a leader anytime and get advice, even if you have never been to a meeting. The leader may even be able to come to your home to help, and it's free.

ETA: if you look up your local LLL group on the LLLi page, there should be leaders listed for you to call.

[Computermama]

I had MUCH better luck this time than with my oldest, but for those first few weeks when latching was painful with my current nursling I had booby tubes in the freezer and put them in my bra between the nursing pad and the bra just to numb up so it wouldn't hurt so much when she latched. It doesn't heal the cracks, but it does make latching on MUCH less painful.

[LindsG]

I read somewhere that in place of using those breast shells to air out your nipples, you can just take a small baby washcloth or maybe even just some tissues and roll them, then make a circle with them to put around your nipples (does that make sense??). Much more cost effective. When I had the bleeding painful nipples, the breast shells made a world of difference and they finally healed after that. The lanolin didn't help at all. I heard great things about the earth mama angel nipple butter too.

[Only]

Originally Posted by LindsG I read somewhere that in place of using those breast shells to air out your nipples, you can just take a small baby washcloth or maybe even just some tissues and roll them, then make a circle with them to put around your nipples (does that make sense??). Much more cost effective. When I had the bleeding painful nipples, the breast shells made a world of difference and they finally healed after that. The lanolin didn't help at all. I heard great things about the earth mama angel nipple butter too.

EAMB nipple butta is ahhhmazing.