Hi!
As I am new on this list I first would like to introduce myself. I live in 
Sweden and work as a journalist in a morning paper in Stockholm. I have been 
working with/studying breastfeeding for many years, both in my profession as a 
journalist and as a member of the Swedish LLL, "amningshjälpen". Some years ago 
I had a scholarship and spent half a year on a unit for midwives' research at a 
Stockholm hospital, where breastfeeding issues were central. Some of my 
"special" interests concerning breastfeeding are long-time bf, and the 
historical background to the process that made breastfeeding a medical issue 
with rules and limits. I have written quite much about this and will speak 
about it at the international bf week in oct.  I am also a mother of three 
children and have experience both of not breastfeeding at all, and of 
breastfeeding for several years. 
Right now, beside my daily occupation, I work with a revision of the Swedish 
health authorities' official book on breastfeeding, which is used in education 
of all kinds of health staff. 
As some of you may know, breastfeeding has increased in Sweden (as in many 
other parts of the world) during the last decade. The latest statistics show 
that around 65 percent of babies are still breastfed at six months - in some 
areas 75 percent. Almost every new mother starts breastfeeding. But it is still 
common that mothers get bad advice and there are still negative attitudes 
hanging around.
I read what  Linda Volkovitsch wrote about odd nipple pain (the nipple aching 
and stiffening as when very chilled). From what I know this is a TYPICAL 
description from mothers of thrush reaction (they also say that the nipple 
becomes "whitish"). The nipple doesn't have to be sore. This could also be a 
symptom of other infections, i e bacterial, but that would be less likely if 
the nipple looks OK. On advice from one of my friends, a midwife and LLL 
consultant with tremendous clinical experience and lots of knowledge, I 
included this "subjective" symptom in the book's chapter on breast 
complications and thrush. The ob/gyn I worked with recognized it as a common 
complaint from the mothers, but underlined that there is no scientific "proof" 
that there is a connection.(The mechanism seems to be unknown, but I guess it 
should have something to do with ischemia - perhaps the body's way to try to 
limit the infection?) However, clinical observations say that this seems to be 
a symptom of infection. And with this antibiotic history, it is most likely a 
thrush manifestation in the case Linda described.
Sorry this was so long! Malin ([log in to unmask])