Hi, Has anyone suggested dermatitis or eczema?  If so, a topical corticosteroid cream normally does the trick.  Hale (1999, p. 347) discusses allication of hydrocortisone *after* feeds, with 0.5 - 1% solution applied sparingly.  He states that the *ointment* is preferable to cream.  (You can easily check this.)
    Your email address, with 'Aloha' in it, suggests you live in tropical Hawai'i.  The following is a non-unusual scenario.  If the mother has started *swimming* in a *chlorinated* pool, and is leaving her swimsuit on for a while after coming out of the pool, sometimes the nipples are irritated by the chlorine in the swimsuit.  I (and others) have seen almost immediate results simply from having the mother get out of her swimsuit and shower, straight after swimming.  (Does it happen after sea swimming?  I haven't heard of this happening, but it would be feasable if the water were polluted.)
    The other possibity would be if the baby were no longer exclusively BF, and eating something (food, liquid or teething gel), that irritated the mother's sensitive nipple/areolar skin when in contact with the infant's mouth.
     Good luck.  Please let me know privately what the outcome is.
        Virginia in Brisbane

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