One side hurts worse than the other should I start pumping??

Tawnya - posted on 09/20/2009

I have successfully breasfed 3 children (still breatfeeding the third) and I can tell you from experience that yes if you are too sore definitely pump so you don't endanger your milk supply. Just make sure you properly store the milk. You can buy bags at just about any grocery store, just bag your milk and freeze it. It will keep for a few months in your freezer.
As far as the pain in your left breast....where does it hurt? what is the pain like? are there any areas of redness on your breast? If there are any area of redness on the breast itself (not the nipple) you may have mastitis which would warrant a doctor's appointment. If the pain is an achy, burning feeling that seems to happen mostly after nursing then it's probably being caused by the thrush. About the thrush...are you receiving any treatment for it? if not, check out www.drjacknewman.com they have a whole treatment plan for thrush that I myself have used....it's a very helpful site.
About the bottle feeding...with my first baby I had the same concern you have and I didn't introduce the bottle until she was like 8 or 10 weeks and she refused to take it. The second and third times around we introduced the bottle around 3-4 weeks old (we made sure we had a good nursing relationship going with a consistently good latch before we tried it) Since I also wanted to exclusively breastfeed we only gave the babies a bottle once a week so they wouldn't forget about it and refuse it later.
Another thing that may be helpful for you is to contact your local La Leche League Leader. They are a FREE resource that is only a phone call away. You can find your local leader at www.llli.org
I hope this helps. You are doing an amazing job of breastfeeding...most first time mommies give up when things get frustrating. Good luck....breastfeeding isan experience I will always remember with joy, regardless of the challenges!

Dana - posted on 09/20/2009

Go ahead and pump some on that side. Just enough so it is comfortable enough for you to nurse your baby. Don't worry about giving the milk to your baby... save it, freeze it. You can use it in a few months when you do decide to add in bottles to your babys day.

Debbie - posted on 09/19/2009

Don't be too hard on yourself Melissa. Remember that the first 6 weeks your breast "learn" how much milk to make for the demand your baby is putting on them. I would suggest that you be careful with the pumping on the left side. Remember by expressing alot of milk your telling your booby that baby drinks that much and your body will automatically up the milk supply.



As to giving your little one a bottle.... My pead told me on our 6 week visit that I must give Abigail a bottle of either expressed milk or cooled down boiled water atleast 3 times a week from 8 weeks on. I should give the bottle to someone else to feed her. This is so that she learns to take a bottle and you can leave her with someone to say... go to see a movies etc. Every now and again a mommy needs a little me time no matter how dedicated she is or how much she loves her baba. And it's a great way for daddy to become involved and to bond aswell.



As to the thrush. I was given Daktarin gel to treat Abigail's mouth with. I also rubbed this on my nipple just before a feed twice a day. Nastasin cream I used on her bottom because the thrush went right through. I will also suggest you drink alot of cranberry or any red berry juice. Preferably 100%. There is something in the colouring or something of these red berries that help treat thrush in woman.



And don't laugh.... but if you get it down stairs you can treat it with a little breast milk. There are so many antibodies in breast milk that it's a wonder potion. This the gynea told me....



Good luck with the breastfeeding. Really is wonderful once you and baba get the hang of it.

Melissa - posted on 09/18/2009

really?? cause he is on for so much longer sometimes and does a lot of "snacking" at least that's what I call it. lol thank you for your help..I need all the help I can get right now..

Rebecca - posted on 09/18/2009

lol, you are not dumb by any means you are a new mom with a newborn and you are both learning. Dont ever say that you are dumb. Yes go and see your LC that would be the best thing. As for getting 2oz thats pretty good for pumping for the first time. Also your baby is only eating small amounts right now so more then likely you are not going to get 6oz or more, breastfeeding is supply and demand so your breasts only make what baby needs and at 20 days old he probably isnt eating more then 2oz a feeding.

Melissa - posted on 09/18/2009

Yeah I'm not going to actually give him a bottle for awhile..I have been pumping (three times now) until I don't see any more milk coming out and I only have a little over 2 oz all together..I think I may be doing something wrong..I'm going to try and make an appt with my lactation consultant..yeah I am right handed and I knwo we have problems latching but the pain isn't really in my nipple per say its like the entire breast that just hurts sooo bad..liek I said I'm going to go to my lactation lady and have another sit down with her to help my dumb self out lol

Rebecca - posted on 09/18/2009

It sounds like between the thrush and not latching properly is mostly the cause of the pain. Are you right handed? Alot of times moms will find it difficult or awkward to hold and nurse baby on the left side when they are right handed. This can usually cause latching problems. Have you tried a different hold? Maybe the football hold or side laying? You said you are switching breasts at every feed, you should be offering one breast until baby unlatches or falls asleep then try offering the other breast, then at the next feed offer the same breast you ended up on first before switching to the other breast. This will help regulate the amount of foremilk/hindmilk baby is getting. I would however suggest pumping to relieve engourgement and help prevent blocked ducts, but I would freeze your milk for later instead of giving it to baby in a bottle. I would wait until at least 6 weeks of EBF before offering a bottle, you want breastfeeding to be well established before offering a baby anything other then the breast. Maybe because you are not feeding as well on the left side your breast is becoming quite engourged and baby is having a hard time latching onto it because when your breast is engourged there isnt much nipple there for baby to get the deep latch that is needed to nurse well. You can try pumping that breast and then latching baby on afterwords and see if that helps. You can also try using a nipple shield as well if you find that it is really painful, at least until the thrush is controlled and your nipple is healing. As for the thrush there are many things you can try: Grapefruit seed extract, Acidophilus ( a probiotic you take), All purpose nipple ointment (perscribed by your Dr), Gentian Violet ( a purple liquid you put on your nipples and in babys mouth), Diflucan ( perscribed by your Dr), and Nystain cream for your nipples are some of the most popular remedys. Most things can be purchased at a health food or vitamin store.Hang in there it will get better, the first 2-3 months can be really physically as well as emotionally draining but is well worth the effort in the end. Take care!

Melissa - posted on 09/18/2009

thank you..I will call my pcm right now..luckily my husband is on deployment so he has nothing to worry about!! :)

Carla - posted on 09/18/2009

I just went to my regular doctor. A pharmasist can also sell it here in the UK, not sure about elsewhere. It will look different to babies, other signs are itching, a burning feeling (esp when nursing) and pink/red/shiny/flaky nipples (you wont get every symptom and some people dont get any visual signs) and also white or yellow patches on the nipple. Watch out for it down below and on babies bottom too as it can work its way through. If you get it down there your partner will need treated too. Its a hard thing to get rid of, it all needs to be treated at once and continue the treatment for at least 4 days after symptoms are gone to avoid it re-appearing!

Melissa - posted on 09/18/2009

Quoting carla:

Quoting Melissa:

okay ladies new problem on that same bad side..I noticed at the tip of my nipple there is a smallish white dot..is that a clogged milk duct?? It looks like a small build up of milk and since I didn't do much yesterday it would make sense but I googled clogged milk duct and it says its like a hardened thing or tender..this is on the tip of my nipple so any help???

its probably the thrush appearing on your nipple :(

:( that sucks..it doesn't look like his...next question (lol thanks for bareing with me ladies) which dr do I call to get the cream for me? My pcm, my gyno, or the pediatrician?

Melissa - posted on 09/18/2009

Quoting carla:

rubbing his medicine on isnt as effective as getting your own cream, I was given canesten cream for my nipples and told to wash it off before feeding the baby. Also if your baby was prescribed nystatin please be careful. My baby was prescribed that at first by the doctor but my health visitor told my to go back and ask for something else because 1, its full of sugar and yeast thrives on sugar so its not as effective as some medicines and 2, its so thick that theres been cases of young babies choking on it. I went back and was prescribed daktarin for aaron.
I said earlier to freeze the milk but let me correct myself on that, if you have thrush dont freeze it, I remember being told it could re-infect my baby later!

he was perscribed nystatin but it is working great..his tongue is almost cleared up and its only been 2 days..oh and he love love loves taking it and hasn't choked at all..but thank you :) okay and thanks for the heads up on not freezing it..I just put it in the fridge because I need to pump more today with the bigger piece so I was just going to add it to that (can I do that???) but I will definitely flush it down the drain...I did more self relief in the shower and it was coming out a lot more so I did what I could until I got too sore..But it is still definitely fuller.

Carla - posted on 09/18/2009

Quoting Melissa:

okay ladies new problem on that same bad side..I noticed at the tip of my nipple there is a smallish white dot..is that a clogged milk duct?? It looks like a small build up of milk and since I didn't do much yesterday it would make sense but I googled clogged milk duct and it says its like a hardened thing or tender..this is on the tip of my nipple so any help???

its probably the thrush appearing on your nipple :(

Melissa - posted on 09/18/2009

okay ladies new problem on that same bad side..I noticed at the tip of my nipple there is a smallish white dot..is that a clogged milk duct?? It looks like a small build up of milk and since I didn't do much yesterday it would make sense but I googled clogged milk duct and it says its like a hardened thing or tender..this is on the tip of my nipple so any help???

Carla - posted on 09/18/2009

rubbing his medicine on isnt as effective as getting your own cream, I was given canesten cream for my nipples and told to wash it off before feeding the baby. Also if your baby was prescribed nystatin please be careful. My baby was prescribed that at first by the doctor but my health visitor told my to go back and ask for something else because 1, its full of sugar and yeast thrives on sugar so its not as effective as some medicines and 2, its so thick that theres been cases of young babies choking on it. I went back and was prescribed daktarin for aaron.

I said earlier to freeze the milk but let me correct myself on that, if you have thrush dont freeze it, I remember being told it could re-infect my baby later!

Melissa - posted on 09/17/2009

Thank you ladies soo soo soo much!!! :) So I tried pumping and my breast shield isn't big enough..I did it for what seemed like forever and got more milk on me than in the bottle..lol So I'm off to the store tomorrow to buy a bigger one but it does feel better already so thank you all..I still haven't decided on wether I not I want to do the bottles just yet, I am going to contact my lactation consultant tomorrow and see what she recommends. I will want to do it once my husband comes home because he desperately wants to bond with him (he is in the navy and is deployed and won't see him until he is three months old)

umm..about treating my thrush I was told by his pediatrician to rub a little of his medicine on me which I did once (we've only had the medicine 2 days now) but it was sticky and made the breast pad stick to me and I didn't like that but I will start doing it again. Thank you again ladies..I have an extremely high tolerance for pain but yeah I just couldn't stand it at all..and it wasn't like before when we weren't doing it right (when he was just latching onto the nipple..did that for the first 4 days of his life, then I got help) This hurt everywhere and yeah so after my little bit of pumping I feel better..thank you all again! :) I really am committed to breastfeeding it has just been a lot harder than I thought, but no way am I giving up..even if it is painful the whole time. I know he gets more than enough and I will stick to it. Thank you for all of your advice, I may need more with this breast pumping. Please contact me with any advice you ladies have..I need it!!! lol :)

Carrie - posted on 09/17/2009

Quoting Melissa:

One side hurts worse than the other should I start pumping??

I am a brand new mommy..my son is only 20 days old today and I am excusivly breast feeding and won't so formula. Anyways my problem is this my left side always hurts way more than my right. Now I know we are still mastering our technique and what not and I don't always get him latched on properly..but today for example I had to feed him mainly on my right side because my left was just sooo sore from trying so much last night (I usually switch them off at every feeding)I was just wondering if I should start pumping that side or any side for that matter if it gets to sore for me to feed him on it. I tried to self relive in the shower and it just seemed like it was taking forever and I got tired..
I'm affraid to start pumping and bottle feeding and breast feeding because I want him to still breast feed, but then I was reading a convo someone had posted in here about the baby rejecting the bottle because it wasn't introduced soon enough..I'm just so torn and don't know what to do. Any help would be appreciated..

(Oh and about the pain, I know he has Thrash and I guess I may too so that might be contributing too, any suggestions for it? He has his medicine and its starting to clear up..)

I am still nursing my 2year old for some medical issues he is having so I have been doing this for awhile.  Start nursing on the side that hurts first.  Use a heated towel (soak a hand towel in hot water wring out ) on your breast it may just be a clogged duct.  I use to get them as well and iit is painful.  I never pumped with with this son because I didn't have to.  If he has thrush so do you. I had to use cream as well.

Amanda - posted on 09/17/2009

I think everyone is right but dont pump to much or your nipples will stay sore.. i was so scared of loosing my supply i over pumped and it wasnt until she was four months and i stopped pumping that i was able to enjoy breastfeeding.

Amanda - posted on 09/17/2009

I agree with the pp's you should pump so you dont get mastitus, that is one thing you do not want to get started. and I all I would add really is some help for your latching issues, I used a nipple sheild for all three of my kids, the first two I used it the whole time, when the third came along my nipples FINALLY stayed extended when he was about 5 months [I used the sheild becasuse I have flat nipples so there was nothing for them to latch onto] maybe use a sheild until he is a little better at his latch, it was easy for me to wean off of it. They are made by Medela and I got mine through my lactation consultant at the hosp.

Mandy - posted on 09/17/2009

i wouldnt offer a bottle. my son is 8mo and i still find that sometimes i get sore on one side so i feed on that side next. that seems to help.

are you treating your nipples for thrush aswell? you can put some of your babies medicine on them.l if you offer a bottle before about 8 weeks, you could cause problems with breastfeeding.

hang in there. it does get easier

Carla - posted on 09/17/2009

have you been treated for the thrush too? if not you will be re-infecting each other and it wont go away. I had it too and it hurts the nipples, and even further down into the breast if it gets into the ducts. It also hurt one of my breasts more than the other. get some cream for it, wash your bras (and flannels and towels etc) in a hot wash and dry in the sunlight if possible. make sure you change your pads frequently as well. keep the treatment going for a good few days after the symptoms go.



If it is too painful to feed from that side then yes, pump or you may end up with mastitis! (just be sure to boil the breast pump for 10 mins afterwards to kill the yeast) You can always freeze it for later if you dont want to introduce a bottle just yet, but be warned... my son is 15 weeks and wont take a bottle. He would when he was around 4-6 weeks but I never offered him one very often and now he refuses them.



good luck with it all, hope you feel better soon :)