Question for y'all:  Baby is 1 month old, mom was givena nipple shield in the
hospital for cracked & bleeding nipples which she used continuously.  Came to
see me last Monday to help get off shield and to have a bf evaluation.
Worked on positioning -- she was holding neither breast nor baby but sort of
pushing him near the breast and hoping he made contact -- which he did by
using the spagetti slurp.  No wonder she was cracked & bleeding!

Anyway, got that part of it fixed -- her call last night:  "Has used nipple
shield once or twice since Monday; no pain except for 10 seconds on latch or
if something rubs up against nipples after feeds.  BUT whenever baby cries,
she feels a burning sensation on the areola, particularly close to where the
areola meets the breast tissue.  This goes on as long as the baby cries."

No, she doesn't start leaking at that time -- and this is the only time it
happens.  I gently suggested the best way to relieve the pain was to pick the
baby up as soon as realistically possible, but I truly have never heard of
this happening.  While I'm quite certain it is related to oxytocin release,
she doesn't experience this while she is actually breastfeeding.  She says it
is quite uncomfortable.  She tried putting ice on the breasts once when it
happened, and said that felt good until she took the ice off, and the burning
came back.

When I saw her on Monday I didn't see anything remarkable about breasts,
areola, or nipples.  (Nice, erect nipples --  I'm sure that if someone had
taught her how to latch the baby on properly, all the initial pain could have
been eliminated, and thus the use of the shields.)  This has only started
happening since we stopped the use of the shields.

Thoughts?  I told mom I'd run this by y'all and see if you had any ideas.
I'm quite positive it is not a yeasty manifestation.

Jan Barger, RN, MA, IBCLC -- Wheaton IL
Lactation Education Consultants
www.lactationeducationconsultants.com

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