And here I am again....

[Taurean]

....in breastfeeding hell

Why? Why again?? I went through hell with DD1 and yes, we got there eventually but it was a damn hard slog full of pain and stress and I promised myself I'd never do it again but what do you know, here I am.

DD2 had her tongue tie snipped last Tuesday. She attaches well, has a strong suck and is demand feeding every few hours with a long stretch first thing at night. She is good, almost perfect. It's me who had the issue, vasospasm. Bloody awful, agonising, horrendous vasospasm. I hate it. My supply is brilliant so it's the only issue making things difficult. I had Nefedipine from my last experience so I've tried taking that and it hasn't helped. Even my LC is running out of ideas. She's going to get me an appointment with a top 'nipple' doctor who specialises in all things nipple related, vasospasm being one of them. Hopefully she can cure me or it's goodbye breastfeeding.

Just needed to get that off my chest but please keep your fingers crossed for me that I get things sorted cause it's killing me. The thought of giving up is as bad as the physical pain. I need to be cured.

[Ambersky]

Owwwww, I feel your pain, i only suffered in cool weather, but at this time of year it not likely to be that.
I have heard as well as heat, cutting caffeine and taking a Calcium/magnesium and a B6 supplement can help.

[Ree*Ree]

hope you can be cured hun

[~Hestia~]

got everything crossed for you hun.

[onthefly]

oh no!!! I really hope you can get some relief

[Artechim]

I hope the nipple doctor can do something for you xx

[Kmn]

Can you moderate it slightly by hand expressing before you attach her so that she doesn't have to do quite as full on an initial suck?
And do nipple shields help at all? I know they're not usually recommended, but if the alternative is not breastfeeding then they may be worth a try.

I hope the super-nipple-doctor can help.

[Taurean]

Thanks girls

KMN - thanks for the suggestions but we've tried nipple shields and I still feel pain (the joys of vasospasm!) and DD doesn't take anywhere near as much milk (I'm currently weighing her before and after each breast on infant scales to check her intake).

Ironically, I feel less pain when I'm engorged and DD feeds really well and quickly! My LC said the vasospasm can effect let down though so that may explain why things are easier when I'm full - my boobs have no other option but to let down! Lol!

I'm back to expressing most feeds until I've seen the nipple specialist. Pity I returned the double pump we had hired just yesterday My little mini electric is working well though, it's just a bit noisy and more time consuming. Sigh. We will leave the aircon off tonight (the cold makes things so much worse) and I'll attempt a night feed or two.

Seriously, why do us mums do this to ourselves?!

[Jewel]

[Kmn]

"Ironically, I feel less pain when I'm engorged and DD feeds really well and quickly! My LC said the vasospasm can effect let down though so that may explain why things are easier when I'm full - my boobs have no other option but to let down! Lol!"

that's kind of what I was wondering. If you express a tiny bit - not to relieve engorgement but just to get things flowing - then DD will not have to do the really hard sucking that is typical of a hungry baby trying to get a letdown.

[Lisa B]

vasospasm is one of the reasons I have to EE. I hope you get some relief. It's a shame that medication doesn't work for you. If I have another baby I was planning on trying the medication. I didn't know about it until it was way to late this time around.

[Now we're 3]

Big hugs Taurean I am sure if anyone can get through it it will be you. Especially what you went through the first time. Hope the sooper dooper nipple doctor can come up with a magic cure. Thinking of all three of you Xx

[OceanPrincess]

Oh T, you poor thing! I was just thinking about you and wondering how your little stowaway is going.

Friend of mine had vasospasm... I didn't know what it was soon googled a bit but didn't really find much.

It sounds like the nipple doctor is a good idea. Have you tried the ABA? I know you've got an LC but there might be some more ideas with the ABA?

I'm sorry it is tough for you, again. It shouldn't be like that.

[Taurean]

"Ironically, I feel less pain when I'm engorged and DD feeds really well and quickly! My LC said the vasospasm can effect let down though so that may explain why things are easier when I'm full - my boobs have no other option but to let down! Lol!"

that's kind of what I was wondering. If you express a tiny bit - not to relieve engorgement but just to get things flowing - then DD will not have to do the really hard sucking that is typical of a hungry baby trying to get a letdown.

Yeah, I've tried that too. It's still agony on my nipples. And the throbbing breasts start once she is off. Often the opposite side starts throbbing while I'm feeding with the other side. It's evil!

OP - thanks love. I might call the ABA tomorrow for a chat. I don't think there is much else they could suggest though, I'm even using their breast warmers! But you never know, they may have some additional tricks up their sleeves.

Surprised - I had been expressing pretty much full-time from NYE til the Tuesday just gone and it was going really well but I just can't keep it up. I find it far too stressful to feed DD2 and express while trying to entertain DD1. I just feel so tied to the pump and like I have no time for either of my girls. I think if that ends up being my only option, I'll have to throw the towel in. As much as that breaks my heart

[xXHopeXx]

Could it be that her attachment is not quite right and that's what's causing the pain?
Could it also be a psychosomatic (sp?) thing? As in, you've experienced a lot of pain/problems before, and it's something your body simply reacts to?
I know that latter has happened with me. When DD was first born, I had LOTS of trouble BFing, and even when she did manage to latch properly with no pain, I would get pains on the other boob or after I finished, for no reason? And same when it was cold! It hurts like a mofo

I don't really have any advice at all... I wish I did though you poor thing, but good on you for persevering as long as you have!! Takes a lot to do that


Sent from the mobile world of iPhones - while no doubt i should be elsewhere!

[xXHopeXx]

Just to add, I found this article, down the bottom it has a few different remedies to help, you may have already tried them, but I thought id show you, just in case xx

http://www.nbci.ca/index.php?option=...tion&Itemid=17


Sent from the mobile world of iPhones - while no doubt i should be elsewhere!

[Taurean]

Hi girls, here's an update:

I saw the 'boob' GP 10 days ago and she put me on another course of ABs (different ones though to my last 3 courses) and swabbed me again for staph. She also said I have dermatitis on my nipples and areola (they were red, dry, fissured and 'angry') so she gave me steroid cream to use twice a day and an intensive QV moisturiser to use after every feed. She also prescribed a slow release Nifedipine for the vasospasm and told me to pump exclusively again for at least a few days to rest my nipples again. I could introduce one BF a day when they felt 'rested'. She phoned me last Friday to tell me there was no more staph so that was good news. We had introduced one BF by then and were doing OK.

Well I had a follow up appointment with her on Wednesday and she can see an improvement and I certainly can feel it too And we are BFing twice a day now. Yay! I'm still very scared that my issues will return but so far so good. I'm still expressing the excess (if necessary) and the additional 4-5 feeds but we are making progress.

Keep your fingers crossed for me that things continue to look up for us!

PS Hope - I'd only read that article the day before you posted it! Thanks for doing so anyway

[Arcadia]

Yay! Great news!

I was going to suggest thrush. I had severe thrush in the early days with ds which triggered my vasospasm. Unfortunately I am still battling the thrush which comes and goes, but I haven't had bleeding nipples for some months now.

Breastfeeding can be so traumatic. I totally understand. Nothing has made me cry like bleeding, peeling cracked nipples and a baby crying for a feed.

You're amazing!