Hi,

This is one of the trickier situations I've come across, but one of the most
persistent and strong women around.  We have been in e-mail contact for
probably a year or so now.
The situation is this (J was happy for me to post her story on lactnet.) J
had a traumatic hospital birth with her first baby.  At around 7 days her
nipples were so damaged that one nipple fell off, leaving kind of a hole or
crater in her breast.  She continued to feed on her right side, and did so
until her child was around 2 and a half years old.  Throughout this time her
left breast continued to produce milk, and leaked.  She used to collect the
milk that ran from her breast in a plastic sandwhich bag and freeze it.
However, the one sided feeding wasn't successful either, as for 6mnths she
continued to suffer from engorgement (oversupply) thrush and vasospasm.  She
consulted several Drs and LCs, but hasn't really got a satisfactory answer
for her problems.  She reported to me that she is allergic to thrush (thrush
itself) and this gives her a dermatitis rash.  She reported that she was
also allergic to one of the medications she was prescribed to treat thrush
(she wasn't pregnant or BF at the time) and doesn't remember what it was.
It wasn't diflucan.
Her 2nd baby was born at home.  She breastfed her from the right side for
14.5 mnths until she became pregnant with her 3rd child and 2nd child weaned
abruptly.  Suffered similar problems during this lactation.  she describes
the first 6 mnths of each lactation as extremely painful, after that things
settled down a lot.
The breast with no nipple did close down production significantly after a
time, but leaked for several mnths,
Now she is 30 weeks pregnant with her 3rd child.  Her midwife as advised her
not to attempt to put the baby to the left breast and it shouldn't produce.
J is a bit sceptical about that.  She is absolutely committed to bf this
child, but would ideally like to feed from both breasts and be pain free.

She lives in Sydney Australia and would like to be referred to a sensitive
and caring LC and or doctor that could help her.  And she'd like some
suggestions on whether or not she should put the baby to the left breast and
how best to make this work given she has no nipple on that side.

Warm Regards,
Barb IBCLC
Warrnambool Australia
mum of Zac, Dan, Cassie and Guan
www.mothersdirect.com.au

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