Hi all,

Saw this on alt.support.breastfeeding and wondered if anyone on Lactnet could
help this woman.  She sounds desparate and on the verge of quiting and I
don't really know what to advise her.  Can anyone help?

Subject:        Biting/Yeast Infection/Thrush - HELP!
From:   Kathy Lamourine <[log in to unmask]>
Date:   Thu, 5 Oct 1995 20:11:26 GMT

I have tried everything I can think of and everything suggested by 4 separate
lactation
consultants to no avail.  I really need some help.

My daughter has always had an extremely strong suck.  (She was an unplanned
c-section baby so I spent 5 days in the hospital due to some complications.)
 So strong that during the first 5 days, she gave me blisters which scabbed
over.  (They looked like skinned knees!)  I was using hot washcloths to
soften the scabs and start the let-down before even trying to nurse.  All the
nurses in the hospital took turns comming in to make sure I had her
positioned correctly (never was a problem) and talking to me to keep me as
calm as possible trying to nurse through the pain.

The problem is that on each breast, after 5 minutes (when the 1st let-down
has slowed), she begins to squirm and clamp down on my breast.  It was so bad
last week that she left gum marks on my breasts.  By the end of the 15
minutes on each breast, the nipple is white from lack of blood flow.  The
sensation is like that of alcohol on an open cut, burning and throbbing.

I have stuck with this for 9 weeks, pumping for at least 1 feeding per day
since her 4th week so that I could get a break.  It's not better.I have tried
all the different positions, lying down is easiest.

She & I are now undergoing treatment for yeast on my breasts and thrush in
her mouth (although she has no symptoms).  She is taking Nystatin oral
suspension and I am using the cream.  We get a new application after each
nursing session and I wash the cream off before I nurse her the next time.  I
don't know if this is the "final" cure for all of the problem, but I sure
hope that it helps.(The reason for trying the yeast/thrush cure is that I was
given IV antibiotics 3 days after she was born, sent home on day 5 and back
to the DR's in the 2nd week for oral antibiotics due to a potential infection
of the incision from the c-section.  It may be that part of the problem is
from way back then, but it infuriates me that no one mentioned this as a
possible solution when I was having problems that early on.)

If anyone has suggestions on a "cure", any experience with this before, I'd
love to hear from you by e-mail.  I have "toughed it out" this long, but I
don't think I can do it much longer, I am getting depressed and frustrated.
 It just hurts too damn much and sometimes I can't even hold her in my arms
afterwards because the pain is so intense.

Kathy Lamourine