Breastfeeding and nipple piercings

Katy - posted on 07/06/2009

Thank you all for the advise, I decided to leave them out cause I didnt want to hassle with them while I was breastfeeding. I started taking the antibiotic for it which should take about a week to work, the infection has gone from a yellow color to an orange color and im trying to decide if thats a step up or a step down form yellow... I have been cleaning them out everyday until it runs clear and then put neasporin on them just for a little extra. I really do hope this works I really dont want to give up the idea of breastfeelding.

Rachel - posted on 07/03/2009

I had my right nipple pierced for 10 years and my left one for two years. Took them out months before Nathan was born and even though I have scar tissue where the right one had started to grow out, I've had no problem feeding - infact I find milk comes out of the holes of the old right piercing. Could be wrong but as I used breast milk to clear up Nathan's sticky eye, you may find that as your milk comes in it clears itself. Most women begin to produce some pre-colostrum some weeks before baby comes so try having a warm shower, use the shower head and fingertips to massage and stroke towards the nipple to help release some of this. If you're not in the shower, just the massage and stroking will do. Try doing it several times a day and it may help to clear the infection through naturally. Also, ask a local breastfeeding councillor (can be found through the NCT if in UK) and check whether you can still feed as you can feed with mastitus and thrush.

Sabrina - posted on 07/03/2009

I had one of my nipples pierced for about 4 years and took it out about a year and a half before I got pregnant. I talked to the doctor about it when I got pregnant and she said that as long as I didn't have a large amount of scar tissue I shouldn't have any problem feeding on that side. When my daughter was first born she wouldn't latch onto that side, for the first 2 days she wouldn't take it at all, we finally got her onto it but it took some work. My suggestion to you would be to see a lactation consultant possibly before you have your baby and right away after (in the hospital the same day if possible). It is possible (in my case at least) I'm still breastfeeding now, my daugheter is 2 months old and doing great but be prepared for it to be a little difficult. My baby has a bad latch and shallow suck to start with so that may be part of why I had problems but she took the other side just fine. The good thing about it was I didn't experience as much pain on that side as I did on the other one :)

Oh and the best way to clear up the infection is a cream that you put right on the nipple, it is a perscription and it should help clear up the infection quickly, I'm not sure of the name of the cream but it is made by a company called Leo, comes in a small white tube with a red lion on it. I'm not sure if you can use it when you are pregnant tho.

Shawna - posted on 07/03/2009

I dont have any BTDT advice, but I did google it and found this link from LLL. It says you should have no problem, but I would definitely make sure the infection is cleared up before you decide to breastfeed. You also might want to take probiotics while taking antibiotics so you dont get a yeast infection.http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/LV/LVJun...