Hi,

I have a very dedicated mom I've been working with. She has a 2/12 month old baby and has had nipple pain since the first week postpartum. So much so, she has been mostly pumping for the last 2 weeks. I have checked and rechecked baby's position and latch, and it looks very good. Mom's nipples are somewhat large and bulbous, and possibly this contributed to nipple blisters she has had since the first week. 

Mom reports that the blisters are still their, however they are now beginning to turn white in color. I would suppose this indicates they have been plugged ducts this entire time, or have turned into plugged ducts, or blebs. Does this make sense?  

She would like to know if having these "blisters", or "blebs", whatever they are, lanced, would be an effective treatment at this point. She is at her wit's end. Grandma is a midwife, so the pressure is on for her to succeed at this. Also, she would like to know if this procedure is quite painful - I have never known a mom to have a nipple lanced, so cannot tell her.

Thanks for any info you might have,

Brenda Phipps, BS, IBCLC 

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