Hi,
I have had such a good run with breastfeeding, so I'm kinda surprised that i need to post this now. I really hope someone can help me as this is starting to really get to me.

My boy is almost one but I don't want to stop BFing him. He loves it, too.

Unfortunately, for the last month or 2 I have had a really sore on my left breast. The right side is absolutely fine and i can't see anything white in DS's mouth either. Some times it's just a little uncomfortable, other times it's excrutiating to the point that I have tears in my eyes while he feeds and really painful for about 20 minutes after. The left nipple is always errect and very tender to the touch. even just the slight pressure of my bra is noticeable. I can't see any cracks. Just after a feed and when taking the bra off, i can see a white patch on the nipple itself, not the areaola. But this disappears within about 30-60 seconds.
The pain does not seem localised to the nipple only, but also slighty "behind" the nipple.

Unfortunately, DS insists to feed from the left side. He doesn't like the right side. Only once or twice a day will he take the right side for more than a few seconds. Lately i have managed to gett him to feed from the right by holding him in the football hold to confuse him. That seems to work alright.

On top of all that, he is quite unsettled at night at the moment. He's happy as Larry during the day, even sleeps fine on his own for 2-3 hours. But at night I have a different child. We co-sleep part time. His cot is next to my bed and if he doesn't want to settle in there, I will take him to me. Which usually means he ends up with me by about 2am. But lately he wakes up before I even go to bed and then doesn't sleep for more than 15 minutes at a time until morning. I have no chance of putting him back into his bed. But even cuddling him doesn't make him happy. I have tried so much. Even letting him sleep on my chest/belly which usually was a sure fire thing (albeit uncomfortable for me as he's getting heavy). But not even that is working. he cries and cries. Sometimes I can calm him instantly by stroking his face gently. But the second I stop, he complains. He has no teeth yet and I also can't see any coming through. i have no idea what's wrong with him. It has been going on for a couple of weeks.

I have had those times with both my kids before. Sore nipples usually cleared up by giving them a break for a day and pumping instead. But this is not working this time. And periods of being usettled usually solved themselves after a few days. But this time it doesn't seem to want to go away. I'm seriously sleep deprived and am starting to resent him and get quite angry with him as I can't see anything "wrong" with him.
He does use a dummy for sleep, but that doesn't settle him either.

I don't know what to do. I hope someone can help me with either or both of those problems. I really don't want to control cry him. But I can't go on like this either. I'm starting to feel like I'm going insane. Am like a loaded cannon during the day and that's not fair to my DD either.

I remember my daughter's sleeping getting worse just before her first birthday and then getting much much better about a month after. But I can't take another month of this.

Thanks for reading this.