nipple gouge and wits end.

so my left nip still has a rather large gouge in it. id show a picture but lefts face it, it would likely just get removed :)

so here is a picture of a regular drinking straw. the hole on each end is the size of the gouge that lives RIGHT next to the tip of my nip next to the ducts. needless to say its MIGHTY painful. ive tried expressing some breastmilk and leaving to air dry (it works on all my smaller cracks!) using lanolin and lanolin free creams, ive tried APNO, and nothing has helped.

ive aired it plenty and nothing has helped. so i resorted to my LAST RESORT. i moved to the pump only during left side feedings and (now dont do this, or anything i say really, without discussing with a doctor or board certified lactation consultant) using neosporin on the gouge.

normally APNO is a MUCH better option. but im seriously trying ANYTHING.

ill let you know how it goes.

so far my body isnt remembering the pump very well. and im not making much with pumping.

and of course, im not saving this milk because i dont know the effects of neosporin....BUT i managed to find my pediatricians lactation consultant is available wednesday...so im going to have her look and tell me whats best.

so far, the only saving grace is using ice packs right before a feed if i need some help emptying the breast and the pain is decreased.

The First Years Nursing Care Cooling gel packs

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE these. thats an understatement. ive used them ONCE. tonight. and i fell in love with the cooling calm on my sore nips. did it heal them? no, they arent magic and it was use number 1. but as soon as i put them in the freezer i wished they were cold already so i could use them again. they felt so wonderful!

ill keep you posted on if there are any changes as i contijnue to use them.

Nipple Creams: Part 1

this is an ongoing thing. I have very little faith any cream i try will be a one hit wonder, otherwise, why would they come in oz tubes? no, youll certainly need more, and youll need to try a few to find the one you wanna swear by.

as ive mentioned previously, i have tried some lanolin creams, and havent been too impressed, but the severity of my nipple damage is high, so i dont fault the creams. i can only say MY experience and who knows, maybe i just have really difficult nipples.

The one im using right now is The First Years Nipple Butter. Lanolin free made with nut oils and organic butters. I like thatg its a lot softer, silkier to put on, not as thick as lanolin, and its not tested on animals. which makes it a little bit of a WINNER! :) but the true test is the nipple test. and my nipples right away felt more comfortable during my pumping sessions. i havent tried many times with baby at breast because im scared, and i can still feel pain, but the pain of pumping has been reduced for sure within a day. also, after a particularly bad feeding at breast i found a huge crack on my nipple, and went out to buy supplies that night. i started using this one, and the crack seemed to close overnight, even though pain was still evident, it appeared much better. im guessing these things need time.

im gonna try a little more, and also let them air dry a bit here and there. things can be a bit rough on the nips, so i gotta make sure im giving the product full opportunity to succeed. believe me, i WANT nothing MORE than to feel BETTER in my nipnips.

ill keep you posted!