Open bite on nipple leads to low milk supply!

Argghhhh!! I have been going through suuuuccchhhh a difficult time over the last week... the worst experience I have dealt with throughout my time breastfeeding my 10.5 month old baby :( It started when during both of our sleep bub bit my nipple and it is underneath on my left side right in the crease of my nipple! This has been an open wound and on the bout of infection many times, and every time I feed my baby it re-opens! So I'm really at a loss of how to heal this nipple and have dropped my feeds over the last week and the last 2 days now I can only feed twice in 24 hours with NO engorgment whatsoever :( (and he used to feed every 1.5 hours, oh o)

So my question is, how on earth do I heal this nipple and not lose all my milk supply at the same time!? Hand expressing just doesn't happen for me (I've battled with it very much over the so please don't give that as the only option) and I already thought about pumping. So do I keep feeding as it is getting much better and almost heals but then when I feed it opens again. Good news is that it has stopped KILLING me over the last 24 hours so I'm on the road to recovery after an emotionally destructive time!

Look forward to hearing your experiences & thoughts - I hope someone that has been through this can shed some light for me!!!

Thanks in advance :)

Ouch! ummmm I wonder if a nipple shield would help? He might be too old to latch on with it there but its worth a try.
Are you putting anything on it? lanolin or similar?

Ouch! I have had an open wound on one nipple that kept opening when ds was about six weeks old (was from my toddler who I was also feeding). I tried to rest it as much as I could by just feeding on the other side (I only offer one breast per feed). I had to hand express for comfort a few times and I did feed from it but just resting it a bit helped. I think I just fed from it once or twice in a 24 hour period for a few days and in the meantime lathered it in lanolin. After a few days my other boob had a bigger supply but once the other nipple healed I started by offering that breast and eventually they evened back up.

Sorry for the ramble post...I hope that helps

Milk supply is elastic. Feed less, you make less, feed more and you make more. When my baby was 10.5 mnths old he was having 2 feeds per day.

When he was 4.5 years old he was having 2 feeds per day. in between he was having 3, 4, 5, 6 feeds per day. If you think it;s infected, go to the dr for a prescription of something like kennacomb creme

Thanks for your replies ladies! Soo good to hear arcadia that you've been there done that and all went well!!

Yes I have been doing a salt rinse and lanolin which has helped it immensely... I was bordering in a lot of trouble a few days ago when I was extremely engorged but the infection has passed and I think the worst is definitely over.. *fingers crossed*

I just don't know whether I should still be offering it since it opens back up every time, I wonder if it will EVER fully heal :( so good to hear that low milk supply can be recovered for some... I just hear of that being such a common reason why Mums stop breastfeeding and that scares me as we are definitely not ready to stop! And It just amazes me that 10 months of feeding around the clock can all be undone in a few days!


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Hi, Danni,

It's not low milk supply that makes mothers wean - it'sthe *perception* of low milk supply. People don't understand how breastfeeding works. In the early days babies feed frequently - people believe they should feed less. but times change and babies grow and develop. Some mums find it harder to adjust to the changes. That little baby who fed *all the time* can now eat food and only needs a couple of feeds per day. You little one doesn't need anything other than milk supply. Rest it for a couple of days - you will be amazed at how quickly it heals - then go back to feeding as normal. YOu will feed fine, and for a long time if that's what you want

Thanks barb... That's exactly what I wondered and thought! It's a shame there is so much misleading advice and wrong perceptions... Knowing that my milk supply *should* easily regain makes me feel better already. Rest then it may have to be!

Edit: oh, and if anyone has any other ideas on how to help fasten the healing of open wounds other than what I've done that would be a big help... And also I am dealing with a very fussy baby who doesn't seem to be getting enough milk because one boob is being overworked and the other not enough so I'm worried he's losing weight already :( I wonder if that's possible a week later...


Sent from my iPhone more than likely while I should be doing something else

Depending on the location, can you get a waterproof dressing and put it on to take the strain whilst feeding?
If you give him the side that is working more often it will kick up its milk supply over a couple of days to match too.

You need to offer your LO lots of cuddles even if you're not feeding - he's probably at the point where feeding is as much about snuggly time when he knows Mum must be there as it is about the milk.