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Notchalk - 27 Jan 2006 15:32 GMT

Ok, not only do I have thrush or some other unknown infection in my
nipples, and a blood blister that has popped and reappeared again, my
darling boy has just tonight cut his first tooth... Is it one of the
little bottom ones nicely covered by the tongue while breastfeeding?
no.... of course not! It's one of the top middle ones that nicely
grates on my sensitive skin every suck.

Garh!

I know his attachment isn't perfect, but while I don't have an
infection, I don't mind that my nipples are sometimes coming out of his
mouth a bit stretched or misshapen. It doesn't hurt. But when my
nipples are sore in the first place, yes it hurts.... and now that
there is a sharp lil jagged tooth - it kills.

Problem is, I can't see us being able to maintain a perfect attachment
to stop this tooth grating on me - how are other people dealing with
top teeth? I can't picture how the tooth can not touch my skin.

DH lovingly said that I'd given Will a wonderful start in life
already.... hinting that if I stopped BF now, then it would be fine.
For some strange masochistic reason (is that the right word?) I can't
see my nipple pain being a valid reason to stop breastfeeding! Stupid
or what?

Off to the doctor tomorrow to ask for a nipple swab, anyway, so we'll
see what we're dealing with. Does anyone know if thrush shows up on
these swabs? I know it often doesn't in breastmilk because of the
antifungal properties.

Thanks for listening (again!).

Jo

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Woman, Wife, Mother, Midwife

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Larissa - 28 Jan 2006 21:15 GMT

I remember feeling the top teeth when they came in and my first two
were quiet early to get teeth. They felt sharp for sure and a couple of
times when they deliberately bit down they drew blood.

I think my nipples were broken in enough so that the teeth were not
really painful. Perhaps when you get over the infection whatever it is,
the nipples will not be so sensitive to the teeth. Does William show
any signs of thrush? maybe you have it in/on the nipples but not deep
in the breast.

I hope your swab shows something, so you can get some treatment.

Larissa

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Notchalk - 29 Jan 2006 14:27 GMT

> I remember feeling the top teeth when they came in and my first two
> were quiet early to get teeth. They felt sharp for sure and a couple of
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
> Larissa

Yup, got swabbed, and started on Keflex (cephalexin) antibiotics. The
nipple pain decreased quite a lot after 2 doses, but it's kinda
plateauing now. I get swab results tomorrow. 1week of thrush
treatment did nothing, so I'm giving up on that idea. He did have a
white spot on his gum last week, but now I can't get near his mouth to
check again.

Thanks, Larissa :)

Jo

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Woman, Wife, Mother, Midwife

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Catherine Woodgold - 30 Jan 2006 14:41 GMT

> Problem is, I can't see us being able to maintain a perfect attachment
> to stop this tooth grating on me - how are other people dealing with
> top teeth? I can't picture how the tooth can not touch my skin.

The way I see it: the tooth will touch, but if it's far
enough away from the nipple it won't hurt. It gets better
when there's a matching pair of teeth, or all four: they
make sort-of a smooth row. I think that's why babies usually
have the four top teeth come in around the same time.

You can insist that the baby open his mouth very wide
just before beginning to nurse. Then you can very, very
quickly put the breast into his mouth, getting it as
far in as possible. You can gradually raise your standards
about how wide he has to open his mouth before you'll
begin nursing. It's a learning process for the baby.

There are also ways to adjust his position
after he begins nursing; I only know how for the bottom
half of the jaw, though. I wonder whether it might help
to press on the breast with your finger near that tooth,
either to try to slide a bit more breast under the
tooth and into his mouth, or to combine your
finger with the tooth to make a blunter object.
(Just an idea I thought of now -- don't know if
that can work.) Getting the position right at the
beginning of the feeding tends to be much more effective
than trying to adjust it afterwards; but if the
position is worse than what's been usual recently,
you can immediately take him off and start again.

It might help to position
the nipple a little closer to his lower jaw and
therefore farther from the upper jaw.

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Notchalk - 31 Jan 2006 03:44 GMT

Thanks, Catherine. I think I will have to take my own Midwifery
advice, and that is, Don't take second best for a latch... get it right
from the start and it shouldn't hurt, and baby will get more milk.

I have been taking a bit more notice of the latch since this tooth, and
he gets so lazy! (or I do, either one!). When I get the breast right
in his mouth I can still feel it (at least I think I can) on my breast
skin/tissue. It feels kinda like it's bruising. But that could be
referred pain from my sore (infected?) nipples.

I'm on Keflex for that now, and it's slowly feeling better. My skin is
quite dry and flaky on the nipples now though, so I've gone back to the
old Lansinoh again.

Thanks again!

Jo

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Family Forum / Pregnancy / Breastfeeding / January 2006

ouch!