Nipple Vasospasm / Reynauds..... (long)

[Ann-Marie]

It's taken me ages to get around to posting on here... just because everything is so jumbled in my head that I didn't know where to start... But now I'm kinda getting to a place where I really need help

With my first child, I managed to breastfeed really well.. had no problems.. could walk around with him attached, and did it for months. With my second son, I got the latch wrong from the start, and had so much damage to my nipples, and pain, that I ended up giving up.. then he developed a lactose intolerance, and had to be on SMA Wysoy for 18 months... of course, I always wonder if I had managed to BF, would he have not had the allergy....

So this time round, I was determined to BF. I had someone latch Mia on the first time in the hospital, and thought that this would be all I needed. But within a day, I still ended up with cracked broken nipples, and they gave me the formula to feed her straight away... which thinking back, annoys me a bit.....

I used Jellanet... which is like a gauze with vaseline on it. I wore it on my nipples between each feed, and it seemed to ease the pain a bit.. but I was still loathe to put her to the breast, as the pain was so intense, and I was now combining bottle, and breast. The HV came round to see me when Mia was 5 days old. I'd had actually rang her in the morning to ask advice on how to give up without getting mastitis, as I'd gone all night without feeding, and my boobs were really full and sore. She asked me if that is definetely what I wanted to do, to give up. I explained that I really wanted to BF, but the pain was just too much. So she came round, and we had a good chat. She told me to have a 2 day break from feeding, and to use an electric pump every four hours, to allow my nipples to heal. I did this, and then when I latched Mia on after the 2 days, it was fantastic !!!! She latched perfectly, and there was no pain !!!

Until....... after a few feeds, I noticed I was hurting again.... but inbetween feeds.. not during ?? And when I got the pain, which would just suddenly come on, I noticed that the very end of my nipple would turn white. The pain was excrutiating. I didn't know what it could be, but when I rang the HV, she said she thought it was thrush... It wasn't, as there were no white spots or discharge, so she said she really didn't have any suggestions.

I was really frustrated with this answer, as I thought that Mia's latch was fine, and my nipples were completely healed, so I didn't just want to give up, without knowing what the problem was.

So I Googled..... forbidden I know !! But I didn't know what else to do. I searched for ages, until I came across this......

https://www.promom.org/bf_info/SoreNipples.htm

Which then led me onto this.....

https://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/nipple-blanching.html

I'd only been BF'ing her once a day, just to keep milk there, until I could find a solution to the problem.
We have a thing called Lunchstop in town, where breastfeeding mothers can meet on a Thursday, and speak to a fully trained BF counsellor. So I went along on Thursday, and they watched me latch her on. Mia isn't opening her mouth wide enough, and I'm getting the white line across my nipple. The lady there is fantastic, and she was familiar with Nipple Vasospasm. She told me I should go to the doctor and get Nifepedine and/or Nitroglycerin Spray. I am now on the Nifepedine Tablet, one a day, which increases blood circulation. I don't seem to be suffering so much between feeds now with the 'white finger' syndrome on the end of my nipple. So that's a start.....

But now, I can't get Mia to open her mouth wide enough when latching on, and she is 'biting' the end of my nipple.
I really want to BF... the look on Mia's face when she is on my boob is just bliss, and I so want to give her this gift !!! But I'm getting so tired and frustrated !!! I don't know what to do !!! Should I give up.. for her sake too... she is getting really confused. She will have a bottle, but still roots for the breast... as she thinks she needs to build up my supply, even though she has had a bottle.... and I think this is part of the problem... she doesn't need to open her mouth wide to have a bottle... so she doesn't do it for my boob.

I'm sorry this is so rambled... I've been going through this for nearly 4 weeks now.... I'm just getting really frustrated And I can feel my PND starting because of it all

HELP

 

[ladymilly]

oh hun you poor thing. I planned on breastfeeding and did try for the 2 days i was in hospital but it was so painful and really frustrating cos Jack was too hungry and wasn't getting enough so i gave up on the second night and it was the best move i made. you are great to have kept it up hun but if it is too painful and getting you so down then maybe you should think about stopping it for both your sakes hun hope your ok

 

[clairebear]

dont know what to say hun xxx

 

[Ann-Marie]

Well... I've done nothing but cry for the last hour.....
I did her in the under arm/facing you type position, and she fed fantastically for about 5 mins... but she can latch on brilliantly, and then she makes this tutting noise, and sort of loses suck for a split second, and her mouth closes again !!!!!!!!

 

[Ann-Marie]

Maybe I should just give up....

I have tried to give up a couple of times... but then when she's on my shoulder, and she does that scrawny neck, baby bird, sucking mummys cheek thing... I can't resist putting her to my boob.... :sigh:

 

[JennyOwens]

Hi Ann Marie

Sorry to hear about your BF-ing woes. I too had this blanching of the nipple and I know what an incredible pain it can cause. I had it in between feeds too. It was literally crippling. I really would't wish it on anyone. I too went to see my HV and Dr after reading about Raynaulds syndrome. They told me that it couldn't be that because I have fine circulation everywhere else. They gave me thrush medicine (which obviously did nothing to help!).

I had cracked open nipples too for the first 3 months of bf-ing too. We sound like we could be nipple buddies!! Dylan, my LO, had no latching troubles which is frustrating because thats what people always assume. I think he just has a very very strong suck which caused all the troubles.

I don't have any tips on how to get LO to open her mouth wider but I do want to say that things get so much better. I too almost gave up but I didn't want Dylan to miss out on all the goodness of booby juice - which I think you also think too.

Now he feeds in 5 minutes and I have no pain whatsoever. I'm sorry I can't help but I just wanted to say that there is light at the end of the tunnel. The nipple blanching just seemed to go of its own accord in a few weeks.

Big hugs, and I honestly know exactly what you are going through.

 

[marley2580]

Kaya never used to open her mouth properly, so I used to compress the breast a little to guide it into her mouth. Just lightly squeeze your breast above and below the ariola (sp?) and guide the breast into her mouth. I know they say don't do this, but if you let go once she's on ok it shouldn't cause any problems. I have also had the nipple blanching but it was in part due to thrush, haven't had it for months now. Good luck, and hang on in there.

 

[Lizziepots]

I have no advice but wanted to say thanks....I have thought for the past 3 or more weeks that my thrush simply wasn't clearing up. However, when the thrush started my nipples were pink and shiny..now they are just white.
Out of interest..does your areola turn white too? My DH commented the other day on ow my nipples (areola) used to be so dark but now are white after feeding (and someitmes between feeds).
Rebecca tends to keep her mouth quite closed. I have tried rubbing some BM round my nipple to encourage hr to open wider. This doesn't really work. This sin't every feed though..sometimes she can latch perfectly well.
I'm wondering if my let down is too fast? I have leaked a few times today (forgot to bring breastpads to my mum's so t-shirt wet). Reading the info on kellymom that would make sense. I know esp in a morning it literally ours out when my breasts are full.

I'm thinking I'm going to try expressing a little milk before each feed as it does tend to make my nipple easier to get into her mouth..if my breasts are full then my areola is literally hard and full to and she hsa no hop eof getting it in!

I go along to our local BFing club every friday and they seemed to think the latch was ok and that it didn't matter that sometimes she makes smacking sounds with her mouth. One peer supporter did suggest literally pulling her chin down once she is attached to try to get her to get more breast in.

I had sore cracked nipples for ages. It got so bad that I thought one nipple would literally peel away from the areola. They are starting to hurt like crazy again. At one point I thought we were going to be ok and it seemed relatively pain free...I think that may be relative to the excrutiating pain of cracked nipples with thrush tho.
Out of interest I read on another site about other positions to feed LO if milk flow is too fast for them to cope with (sorry don't know if thisis the case with you) and they suggest having LO kind of sitting up in front of you facing your breast and also feeding LO laid down with her on top of you to let gravity help.

I hope this is some help? Maybe not but good luck Ann-Marie. I too want to continue BFing, at least till end of Oct when we should have moved house.

 

[KarenLV]

Dont give up. If you can give birth, you can do this. Just hold on for a little while longer,I'm sure everything will soon work out.

 

[Darcybrackle]

Your story really strikes a chord. I've been breastfeeding for 8 weeks now and experiencing very similar pain as my DD keeps clamping down. I would so love breastfeeding to be a bonding experience rather than a dreaded one. I'm really contemplating combination feeding now as I keep feeling that I can't keep this up much longer. I really hope you managed to find a way through - I love to know what you did in the end. Best wishes.

 

[patch2006uk]

I had to compress my boob into a sausage shape and then pull down on LO's chin to get a deep enough latch for the first few months. As he's got bigger, it's so much easier. I had the vasospasms too, after a feed and when I got out the shower. I found holding the palm of my hand over the nipple for a little while helped get the blood flowing and the pain subsided.

Hang in there! I was in pain from something or other until a couple of weeks ago, but you can get through it and it does get better!

 

[scooterchick]

I had a months course of Adalat (nifipidine) and went back to basics with latch. Finally at over 8 months breastfeeding is the joyful beautiful experience I knew it would be. But the first 7 months were extremely hard going.

 

[Darcybrackle]

Just to follow up incase anyone is still searching for answers on this thread, after 8 weeks I finally took my DD to a cranial osteopath as a last resort. I didn't think it would work but I was desparate. Incredibly, after just one session her feeding was so much better and much less painful. It took 4 sessions altogether but things became bearable and kept on improving. We are now 8 months down the line and still going strong. I'd recommend osteopathy if nothing else has worked. Good luck to anyone out there with similar problems.