Hi all,

I'm at my wits' end here!

Baby is 8 weeks and 1 day. Feeding was excruciating in hospital, so I expressed full-time from day 3 to 7 weeks. Have been breastfeeding with 1 express each day for 8 days now.

Expressing was painful, some times more than others. I treated myself with daktarin gel in case I had thrush. I really have no idea if it helped or not.

Breastfeeding is very very painful, especially for the first minute. I know it's often painful when your body is still getting used to it, but I'm at the point where I dread the next feed. Very occasionally I'll have a feed that doesn't hurt much at all after the first minute.

I am on my second tube of daktarin. I sometimes get shooting pains in my breasts. My nipples are very red and hurt pretty much constantly - even if exposed to nothing but air. Hurts to touch them, to dry them with a towel, etc etc.

I have seen child health nurse, doctor, pharmacist, and they all think it's thrush (although none have seen my breasts). But I feel like the daktarin isn't really doing anything (using it after every feed at the moment).

I just don't know if it's thrush or something else, like incorrect latching. I am exhausted from being in pain so much. Has anyone been through this, and what does it sound like to you?

Thanks for reading!