Kim Smith, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant Regina
  • One on One Breastfeeding Help
  • Fee Structure & Service Details
  • Breastfeeding Class
  • Tongue Ties
  • 6 Weeks to Breastfeeding Success
  • About Me
  • Blog
  • FAQ's
    • What is an IBCLC?
    • Breast Pump Rental

There are a lot of mothers in Regina breastfeeding with thrush. Are you one of them? What it I told  you it might not be thrush at all? 

1/30/2015

Comments

 
Picturewhite color that can often been seen after feedings
You are a new breastfeeding mother. It has been about ten days and your cracked bleeding nipples aren't healing & you have started to have a burning sensation with deep throbbing pain in your breast. It sometimes lasts for a few minutes, but sometimes hours. The beginning of feeds are terrible and even between feeds you are getting electrical shock like feelings in the breast. If this is you, you are like many other mothers and like many other mothers you may have been told you have thrush. You are given a prescription for nystatin for you and baby. You treat for two weeks and symptoms get mildly better, but it isn't going away. Baby has no symptoms but your pain just won't knock it off. You get Nystatin for a couple more weeks, cut out all sugars, start washing your nipples with grape seed extract and the pain in still persistent. Maybe you have had APNO cream & some Diflucan in there, as well. Still no success. 

How about I suggest to you that if you have thrown every thrush treatment at your nipples and you're not seeing results, that it isn't really thrush you are trying to treat? 

Thrush is very commonly diagnosed, rather misdiagnosed. I do not think that it is as common as we are being led to believe it is. I know you are asking me, "if it isn't thrush than what is it?"

I would say in more likelihood than not, it is vasospasms. Vado-Whats? What are those? The simple answer is that the blood vessels in the are contracting and becoming smaller in diameter - called vasospasms. This can happen for a variety of reason and for some people it can be very painful and occur in various parts of the body, including the nipple in breastfeeding mothers. 

There are risk factors for vasospasms including but not
limited to : 

  • Poor latch, position or clenching during feeds
  • Nipple cracks or trauma, especially severe or reoccurring trauma 
  • Exposure to cold temperatures
  • Periods of severe emotional stress
  • Cigarette smoking or second-hand smoke
  • Caffeine intake 

What are some more symptoms and how would you suspect you have vasospasms? 
  • Nipple/breast pain
  • This pain might be a burning sensation, throbbing, pins & needle-like, deep into the breast, and/or numbing.
  • The pain can last from seconds to hours, and come during or in between feeds.
  • The pain may get worse when the nipples are exposed to cold, i.e. when you step outside in cold weather, or when you get out of a hot shower.
  • When you are having the pain, your nipples will usually change color to pale/white, blue/purple, or dark red. These color changes are a sign that your blood vessels are contracting or spasming. 

What can you do about vasospasms? 
  1. Most importantly, make sure your baby has a good latch and you are pain free during feeds. If you are in pain or are unsure about the latch, get help as soon as you can. I suggest booking an appointment with an IBCLC. Getting the latch and pain resolved is key to stopping and healing your vasospasms. 
  2. Use heat! Stay warm and keep your nipples warm. During episodes of pain and after feeds, use a warm compresses or your own arm or hand to warm the nipple. Always have heat on the nipple while wet. 
  3. Avoid smoking and second hand smoke.
  4. Decrease caffeine intake. 

It is important to seek professional help as soon as possible if this problem is persistent. They can help assess the cause and come up with some remedies for you. They can also explain the use of vitamins, minerals and omega fatty acids (important for healing). There are also prescription medications available, if warranted, and your IBCLC and physician can help accommodate that. 

You do not need to suffer through the pain or end breastfeeding for this to resolve. If you would like to keep breastfeeding, without pain, book an appointment and we can get you back on track. 


Comments

    Kim Smith
    IBCLC,

    Chatting about a variety of birth and breastfeeding topics. 

    Categories

    All
    Breastfeeding
    Breastmilk Donation
    Childbirth
    Doula
    Essential Oils
    IBCLC
    Lactation
    Low Supply
    Pain
    Postpartum
    Sleep
    Thrush
    Tongue Tie
    Vasospasms
    Weight Gain

    Archives

    October 2024
    September 2023
    May 2022
    September 2021
    July 2021
    February 2020
    January 2020
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    September 2017
    August 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014

    RSS Feed

Picture


​



    Would you like updates about new classes or occasional information that I send out?

Subscribe to Newsletter
Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
Serving Regina Sask & Area

306-550-6143
​[email protected]

​
Quick facts: 
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (2010), Re-certified (2015, 2020)
TummyTime Method Instructor

Retired Doula, CAPPA trained, Pre-Certified ProDoula (2009)
Your Birth Experience (YBE) Certified (2015)
​Wife & mother of 4
Retired Medical Laboratory Technologist 
  • One on One Breastfeeding Help
  • Fee Structure & Service Details
  • Breastfeeding Class
  • Tongue Ties
  • 6 Weeks to Breastfeeding Success
  • About Me
  • Blog
  • FAQ's
    • What is an IBCLC?
    • Breast Pump Rental