Sores around nipples :-(

[tallybee]

So my daughter is a year old now and has a few teeth. I was hoping to carry on bf as long as she still wanted to but I'm feeling stuck now as I'm in lots of pain. It seems like her teeth are sort of grinding against my areolae as she suckles. There are weeping sores I'm using lansinoh but it's still bad. I've had to cut back on how much I'm letting her nurse. Any help would be massively appreciated xx

 

[wish4baby]

Could you try a nipple shield for awhile? Until you're all healed? Only thing I could think of...

 

[tallybee]

Thanks, I suppose nipple shields could maybe help, but I feel like LO's latch/suckling technique seem to be making her teeth scrape the skin so it would probably recur. Is there any way to teach a 1 year old to suckle differently? I don't want to give up but struggling to see longer term ways round it

 

[noon_child]

I remember my LOs latch getting very uncomfortable when she was teething, but sores that are weeping sounds really awful. Have you had them swabbed for infection? I think that needs to be done just to rule out this stopping them from healing.

Have you noticed anything different with her suck if she's had a painkiller beforehand (I'm wondering if she's using you as a teether a bit!). When she was younger, was there anything to suggest she didn't have a good latch?

 

[BunnyN]

This happened to me at about 10 months with DD. I did research on it and it seems its not that uncommon and is caused by a couple of reasons. One is that sometimes as their mouths get bigger and their suck get stronger they get lazy and don't need a propper latch to get milk out so they gradually start using much shallower latch. Another reason is teething can make it uncomfortable for them so they are trying to find a way that doesnt hurt. Also every new tooth changes the way their mouth works so they are constantly needing to readjust.

A few things helped me. First off you have to try to return to using a 'propper' latch. Its a lot like when they are newborns and you have to make sure everything is in the right position, that they are opening their mouths enough to latch and you are shoving the breast in good and deep when they open their mouths. If they let the latch slip take them off and put them on again. DD wasn't very impressed by it but it did at least half improve things. Short term while it healed we also cut back a bit on feeds and I found comfort sucking was the worst so I stopped her from comfort sucking once she had finished feeding properly. One of the things that helped the most was to use different positions. I used the rugby hold for a while. Like that her teeth were not rubbing on the sore area. Mine didn't get as bad as yours sound but I did have raw areas. With the above they heeled up fine after a couple of weeks and we carried on feeding. I admit that feeding never quite went back to how it had been as she got used to the cut back on feeds and I think my suply went down to but I got pregnant again soon after so that effected things too. She did BF for almost another year though and I never got raw nipples again.

 

[blueblue]

I feel your pain, my LO is getting her top two teeth and I have a sore on one side. She's 13 months and I've always combi-fed her (she didn't latch til six weeks and it's always been very shallow) so I do get a break in the day. I hope it gets better soon. BunnyN, your advice is great, I will try it too x

 

[BunnyN]

I hope something helps you.

Another thing I just remembered that I read is when they latch on to open up your mouth wide to show them how to do it because by that age they are often good at imitating you and will understand what you are telling them to do.

 

[blueblue]

Thanks Bunny

 

[blueblue]

Bunny, the advice helped at lot, thank you! I can feed her without lots of pain now x

 

[BunnyN]

Tallybee- I hope things have gotten better for you.

Blueblue- that is great news! I cant really take the credit for the advice because it is just what I read but it worked for me too.

 

[tallybee]

Thanks all! I really appreciate the advice. I've ended up stopping BF after all, I am sad about it but it was the right thing, LO is sleeping better (still not brilliant but better!) and my boobs are healing. xxx

 

[BunnyN]

Aww, sorry you had to give up. It sounds like it was getting really nasty. Hope its all healed soon. My DD weaned herself just after her brother was born at almost 2 and self weaned after I got pregnant again at just over a year. No matter when and how they stop I think it is often a funny mixture of relief and saddness.

 

[blueblue]

Tally - glad she is sleeping a bit better for you and hope you heal soon x