My nipples are burning!

I feel like Yosemite Sam from Looney Tunes, except I'm screaming "My nipples are burning, my nipples are burning" instead of "my biscuits are burning, my biscuits are burning."

I've been bfing for about a week now, and I'm starting to actually feel comfortable with everything...mainly because of encouragement from DH and from you guys! Lately I've noticed that my nipples are burning after I'm done with a feed. They hurt when air touches them, and don't even get me started about water sprays in the shower. Is this just part of the toughening process? Or could something else be wrong? While I'm feeding, there's definitely the jaw-clenching pain for the first few moments of sucking, but then it's mostly the pulling sensation (except when one of my little boogers decides to bite...yeowch!). I've been using a nipple cream given to me by my LC, and I've used Soothies a couple of times too.

HELP!

Y'all are the best! :bow2:

Becky

 

Could you be having a reaction to your nipple cream? Just a thought. The soothie after they have been in the fridge are AWESOME! I also really liked LilyPad leak pads for the 1st little bit too, but tossed them after a few weeks, they got icky and my boobs felt better.

 

Does the burning pain occur even when you are not nursing?

Does any of this sound familiar?

QUOTE
Signs and Symptoms

In mother:

intense nipple or breast pain that occurs from birth, lasts throughout the feeding, or is not improved with better latch-on and positioning
sudden onset of nipple pain after a period of pain-free nursing
cracked nipples
nipples that are itchy and/or burning and that may appear pink or red, shiny, or flaky and/or have a rash and tiny blisters; nipples may also appear normal
shooting pains in the breast during or after a feeding if the yeast has invaded the milk ducts
nipple or breast pain with correct use of an automatic electric breastpump
a vaginal yeast infection


If so, please read Could We Have Thrush? from an excellent site.

 

Hey Becky, I ditto switching up your cream, maybe try the plain old lanolin for a while and see if that helps. And if it is every sunny there sunlight does wonders for irritated skin too.

 

QUOTE(Callen @ Mar 15 2008, 06:41 PM) [snapback]670772[/snapback]
Does the burning pain occur even when you are not nursing?

Does any of this sound familiar?
If so, please read Could We Have Thrush? from an excellent site.


I don't think it's thrush. The pain is after nursing...the little bit that I experience during nursing is the initial few seconds. I haven't noticed any cracking or bleeding either...

I could be completely wrong. Is this something that I could ask my OB about?

 

I think the best way to know is if it hurts when you both pump and bf then it may be thrush, if it only hurts while/after bfing then it is probably just sore nipples. The fact that you have only been bfing for a week and they didn't hurt before when you were only pumping says to me its sore nipples.

 

Lanolin was my best friend in the beginning!!

 

Are the tips of your nipples white after nursing? It could be nipple blanching/vasospasms (blood flow being cut off to the nipple). If so the burning could be the blood rushing back to your nipple. Dry heat helps this. I put rice in those little mittens for newborns (the ones so they don't scratch themselves) tied the ends with yarn. I put them in the microwave and then in my bra. Also, cover you nipples as soon as babies come off. Cold air is the worst for nipple blanching.