quick clicks

babies today articles

babies today q&a

toddlers today articles

toddlers today q&a

breastfeed.com articles

breastfeed.com q&a

community & groups

research baby names

prepare a birth plan

content channels

ip channel rss feeds

read birth stories

read parenting stories

recommended books

e-newsletters

safety recalls

ip diaries

ip store

mom of the month

dad of the month

editor's letter

letters to the editor

Expert Q&A

	By Karen Zeretzke IBCLC, Lactation Consultant

I successfully breastfed my first two children for eight months each. Seven years later, I am desperately struggling to breastfeed my third boy because of pain in my nipples. I have tried all the traditional remedies but each feed is painful. I am having to give supplementary feeds from a bottle to give me a rest from the pain, but this only makes me feel guilty.

My midwife has no answer, and the doctor thinks there is nothing else I can do. I have had two courses of antibiotics for mastitis, which has cleared up, but the nipple pain is still there. He would feed almost every hour sometimes, and it's making life very difficult.

Three years ago I had implants under the muscle, and the breasts uplifted. My consultant has assured me it is not to do with the surgery, because the nipple was not removed and the pain is in the nipple itself and not the scarring. Does anyone have any idea how to ease the pain? Everyone around me is urging me to put him on the bottle. I want what's best for my baby, please help!"

It sounds as if you have had quite a time! Your baby is lucky he has you for his mother and is still getting your milk. What a huge gift you are giving him: lifetime benefits of higher IQ, less illness and allergy and optimal oral, visual and physical development!

A simple thing you can try is changing your laundry and personal hygiene products. Sometimes sore nipples can be caused by reactions to these things. I would suspect, though, from your letter, that you might have a yeast overgrowth, either created from or made even worse by taking antibiotics (which kill bacteria – bacteria and yeast exist together, but when one is destroyed, the other can easily grow. And grow. And grow.)

There are medications for both you and your baby for yeast. It's very important that both of you are treated at the same time so this isn't passed back and forth. In the past 10 years there has been a real explosion of yeast. Sometimes an older medication is no longer effective because some yeast has become resistant to them, so if you don't experience relief after three days of medication, I'd suggest you call your physician and request a different, newer, medication.

Breast surgery isn't likely to be causing this problem. A milk supply problem, but not nipple pain.

The very best to you and your little one!
Karen Z"

View more Q&A by this Expert