As I was preparing to leave this AM, I got a call from a very supportive Ped
who had another nipple confused 5 day old who needed help. So I did 4 consults
today in 4 different towns!  All nursed like pros for me!
The Mom with the cracked nipples though were absolutely the worst I have seen
in 16 yrs of counseling.  They looked like raw hamburger. The entire top half
was cut away. She said they really don't hurt but I can't imagine how.  She
had been given breast shells but had stopped using them because she said the
pressure caused her to leak.  I suggested she not use the backs but wear the
dome ( she did have the large soft ones) to keep the nipples from sticking to
her pads. She also had been told to keep them dry, so she was wearing paper
nursing pads which was sticking to the nipples and then pulling off the scabs.
She was using Purelan. I also found when observing the nursing that she had
been told to press down on the top of the breast to create an airway so she
wouldn't smother the baby ( a nurse told her this in the hospital). So I
suggested she stop that. Any thing that I may have missed on this one?
. I am surprised she has continued to nurse with nipples that looked like
that. I also helped her nurse in the football hold, which she had not be able
to do so maybe that will help take some of the pressure off. Her positioning
and latchon was really good, except for the thumb. Baby gained 1 lb in the
first week of life and is almost double birthweight at 6 weeks so is getting
milk fine.
It certainly is good to network with other LC's-I am the only one within
several counties here.
Barbara Whitehead, IBCLC
Eastern NC