Breastfeeding and Raynaud's phenomenon

[ShelbyMay]

Has anyone here dealt with breastfeeding and Raynaud's phenomenon? (Raynaud's of the Nipple (http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/nipple-blanching.html)) I've had Raynaud's symptoms in my fingers for about 15 years. It was not a problem for me while nursing my DC#1, but it causing me a lot of pain with DC#2. I do get some relief if I use a warm hair dryer on my nipples after nursing, but that's not really practical for most feedings. (Can you just see me whipping out some battery-powered hair dryer in public? ;) ) The symptoms (stinging, throbbing) are generally triggered by a feeding, but sometimes come back in between feedings or last for a good portion of the day.

Has anyone here found relief from these symptoms? I am this close to experimenting with those Hot Hands packets in my bra. :rolleyes:

[Wrighty26]

I had it with DS, experienced during the first 2 trimesters of this pregnancy this time, and fully expect to experience it yet again (if this baby every decides she wants to join us!).

Here are some of the things I did to help or that I have recently read about. I swear 2.5 year ago there was very little information about this topic out there (I googled the heck out of it!), but there seems to be a lot more information these days. Maybe it's more common than I thought?

-After nursing, apply a hot compress/warm wash cloth to your chest. Make sure you don't let it get too cool though.
-Don't let loose items of the clothing rub up against you
-I ended up buying Lily Padz (I think they sell them at Motherhood and a few other places). I found they were great at pushing in my nipples and keeping them from being erect (which for me was partially why the blood wasn't circulating)
-I haven't tried it, but I've heard that B6 can also help. I'm not sure the dosage, but it is safe to take while breastfeeding.
-I read that Nifedipine can be prescribed by your Dr. (and it is approved by the AAP as safe to take while breastfeeding).

I can definitely commiserate. I have a pretty high threshold for pain and the throbbing/stabbing pains I experience definitely top my list. I wanted to give up BFing because of it, but I am happy I stuck with it. It did lessen immensely over time as well -- it was pretty much gone after 2-3 months.

[ShelbyMay]

Thanks! Glad to know I'm not the only one. :o You know, I did use LilyPadz with DD, but have not tried them yet this time around. I wonder if that could be part of the reason that I didn't notice this problem as much when nursing her...

[catmom]

I had nipple raynaud's with my oldest, and it was really incredibly painful. I remember feeding her with tears streaming down my face when she was a newborn, since no one could tell me what was wrong for the longest time. I ended up taking a beta blocker (a different one than nifedepine, but in the same class I think), and I was better within a day. Thankfully, it has not recurred this time around. I would ask your dr about medication- it really does help.

[nuhmah]

I had a case of it with DS, and it makes me a little anxious this time around. Like catmom, I remember sitting there crying and stamping my feet from the pain during every.single.nursing session. :( And the LC's thought I just had thrush, so they told me to ice my breasts, which made it worse. They were also suggesting to use those soothing gels on my nipples because I was sore, which also made it worse.

The only things that helped were to keep a warm heat pad next to me at night for relief at nighttime nursing, wearing wool breast pads to keep my breasts warm, and wearing regular padded bras instead of thin nursing ones when I didn't need to. Working on his latch is what helped the most, and somewhere around 6 weeks the pain began to subside even though it would flare up randomly. In terms of latch, I had to make sure I was pinching back the bulk of the breast and pushing the nipple forward so I could force more breast into his mouth. He was quite lazy and wanted to nurse on the nipple (instead of the entire area around it), so this took some work.

[Scooter]

I had this with DC1 and also this time with my twins. It was really horrible. Both times it was basically gone by 4 months postpartum, although as long as I am BFing I notice it here and there, especially if I get cold.

For me, it means that latching and the first few moments of each feeding was pretty excruciating, and in between nursing sessions I'd get a lot of pain out of the blue. Warmth isn't everything, because sometimes I'd be so warm I was sweating and I'd still be having the vasospasms. Here are some of the things I did:

* Making sure I had on cotton nursing pads between feedings helped a bit with that because it kept in a little bit more warmth.
* If you have a little rice pillow, you can heat it up in the microwave and use that for a heating pad on them when you're hurting.
* Work on the latch to make sure it's perfectly correct. Incorrect latches can cause damage, which will only make the Raynaud's worse.
* cover up your nipple as soon as the baby is done, to keep it warm.

I wish I'd known about the nifedepine helping, I have some left over from my pregnancy here (it's also used for PTL). I had some side effects from it, though, so I wouldn't have been thrilled about taking it again. Side effects aren't common IIRC, so it's something to try.

[catmom]

And the LC's thought I just had thrush

Oh, us, too! My oldest and I were treated for "recurrent thrush" like 3 times before we found someone who had heard of nipple raynauds. I was on the verge of weaning when I finally got help, and like I said, the pain was mostly gone within a day. I was pleasantly surprised when I didn't have this this time around- I even had a script for nifidepine filled while I was still in the hospital, but I never had to use it.

[nuhmah]

catmom - so glad that they finally caught it!! Luckily, I switched from a regular LC to an IBCLC, and she caught it right away. When I told her that my nipple was fine before nursing but bright white afterwards, she knew what it was right away. Unlike the LC, she heard "white" and thought it was just thrush. LOL

[ShelbyMay]

Wrighty, thanks again for reminding me about the LilyPadz. I have been using mine for the past 2 days now, and it is helping SO much! I'm still having pain during nursing (esp. latch on), but far less pain afterward and between feedings. :D

Still waiting for a call back from the lactation consultant...

[ShelbyMay]

Those of you who took medicine for this problem, did you have to see a specialist, or did your regular doctor prescribe it? I was hoping my OB would be of some help at my 6 week checkup, but she just suggested that I see a rhumatologist (sp?). Is that necessary?

[jennylou]

I had it for about the first seven weeks with DD. Then I started doing little things like covering up right away and I either got used to it or it sort of went away? I haven't really had any issues this time, but I nursed dd straight through my pregnancy, so I've been continually nursing.

[Wrighty26]

Sorry you are still struggling ShelbyMay!

Like Jennylou I've been doing little things from the start and I haven't had any issues this time (and I stopped nursing DS about 15 weeks into my pregnancy). I will say it has made BFing SO much easier and the thought of quitting (which is something I thought about daily with my DS until he was about 2 months old) hasn't even crossed my mind this time.

I hope you can get some relief soon!

[ShelbyMay]

Yes, DS is almost 2 months old, and I am going to have to wean if I don't find a solution soon. This is just making me too miserable. :( (It doesn't help that we actually did also have thrush, so we went through that in the midst of the Raynaud's pain. :rolleyes:)

[jennylou]

Did you treat you DC for the thrush too? Make sure you get that nipped in the bud too so that you can concentrate on the Raynaud's. I, contemplated* quitting with DD almost every single day - until about seven weeks when it just wasn't so bad anymore. I hope you have the same break through.

*I contemplated but knew that I couldn't quit - formula was just too expensive, kwim? We were in a place where we were making it, but adding such an expense would have meant something like the cable being cut, and well, I like cable. Not poor enough to receive WIC (at that point), but not rich enough not to have to take formula cost into consideration.

[catmom]

Shelby- just pm'd you, but in case anyone else needs the info, I'll say that I got my medication from my GP while I was nursing my oldest. I don't understand why your OB wouldn't write you a script for that, since mine had no trouble after my twins were born.

Good luck! The warm weather might help out as well. I hope you feel better soon.

[ShelbyMay]

Unfortunately, my OB is being no help at all. I tried to get an appt with a rheumatologist, and the soonest that I can get in is 2 MONTHS from now. I called my OB to see if she could help me herself, but no. :mad:

[Scooter]

If it's any consolation to you, the 2 month point was the worst of it for me. It slowly improved over the next couple months and was pretty much gone by the 6 month mark. That was true for this time and with my older DC too. So it might not be this bad the entire time you're BFing.

I think she's referring you to a rheumatologist because Raynaud's is usually an autoimmune condition or a symptom of an autoimmune condition, as I understand it.

[adamseve]

I am so happy I found this thread. While I am not BF yet (the baby's due date is this August), I didn't even realize that R.Ph. could be associated BF?

This may be a dumb question, but is it from the latch or because the nipple gets cold?

[Wrighty26]

I am so happy I found this thread. While I am not BF yet (the baby's due date is this August), I didn't even realize that R.Ph. could be associated BF?

This may be a dumb question, but is it from the latch or because the nipple gets cold?

For me, it was due to the cold -- it had nothing to do with the latch (it actually felt fine when I was nursing, it was after when it hurt). It also acted up/was painful during the 1st and 2nd trimester of my 2nd pregnancy. No idea why!

[catmom]

Unfortunately, my OB is being no help at all. I tried to get an appt with a rheumatologist, and the soonest that I can get in is 2 MONTHS from now. I called my OB to see if she could help me herself, but no.

Shelby, did you try calling your GP? I don't understand this at all.

Also, from what I understand the majority of women with nipple raynaud's do not have regular raynauds.

BTW, did you tell the people at the rheumatologists office that you are having trouble nursing your baby because of this? If they understood how time-sensitive this was, maybe they would be willing to move up the appointment.

[ShelbyMay]

The good news is that I did find a GP who was willing to prescribe nifedipine! :)

The bad news is that I'm not feeling any relief yet. It's only been 3 days, so I am certainly going to give it more time. Does anyone know how soon I should expect to get relief if it is going to work for me? I am taking 10mg three times a day.

(stinging and throbbing and wanting to quit as I sit here... :( )

[ShelbyMay]

The articles I'm finding online seem to indicate that a 2-week course is the norm. Here's hoping that things improve in the next week and a half.

[maplekitty]

I'm pretty sure I had this the first 12 weeks of nursing DS. It was the most unbearable pain! Like others have said, tears streaming down my face, biting my lip, stomping my feet the whole time DS fed. I think as he got bigger and more effective with his suck...it eventually went away. But oh god, that pain was horrid!
I was prescribed a nipple cream by a doctor at a BF'ing clinic i went to - muporicin (???) is what it says on the jar. It worked a bit.