I have had email and phone contact with a mother who began pumping at two weeks when her son was unable to attach without nipple trauma for her and great unhappiness for him. She got blisters during a short attempt with shields. There is no local help easily available for her. She is extremely motivated and only gets in touch when at her wit's end. She has now been pumping for 7.5 months, but we've not been in touch since the fall when I advised her to seek medical attention for the skin damage. Her GP did cultures for bacteria and yeast, all negative. Recently her nipples have started looking more damaged, like blood blisters around the tips, with almost raw-appearing spots at the very tips. They look their worst just after pumping, but never look normal. She reports it now takes longer to elicit the MER than previously and I suspect the prolonged vacuum from the pump on her skin to be the cause. Have suggested she hand express at least to MER before applying pump, if at all. She is concerned her supply will be irreparably reduced if she stops pumping and she doesn't want that. I've not seen anything like it before. Please post if you have experience with pump-related nipple trauma. I can send pictures privately if need be. Rachel Myr, Kristiansand, Norway *********************************************** Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html To reach list owners: [log in to unmask] Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask] COMMANDS: 1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome