Nancy -- I hope you get some good answers on this one because I just had a
call from a similar mom.

During pregnancy she developed apparent skin tags on the nipples, flakiness
on areolae.  Saw dermatologist: overgrowth of skin cells.  No problem, he
said.  Suggested lanolin. By the way, she had no history and nothing like
this in the family.  Baby is now 3 days old.  Breastfeeding is agonizing as
pulls off obvious tags and elevates additional ones.  Pumping hurts.  Cracked
at base of nipple (initial poor latch?).

Is pumping exclusively.

I hope to see her in the next few days (if I had my way it would be today!).
 Have never heard of anything like this -- until your posting.

I am wondering if a nipple shield would allow comfortable nursing, but of
course won't know till and if I get my hands on her.  The longer she waits
the less likely it is that the baby will work well with the shield (in my
experience).

Joanna Koch IBCLC in Los Altos, CA