Ask Judy: Is This Nipple Pain Normal?

Hey Judy, I have a question for you, hope you can help.

I’m dealing with some nipple pain and I don’t know what I should do about it. My daughter is still nursing now at 14 months, and we’ve never dealt with any latch-related nipple pain (mostly because she learned with a nipple shield, and by the time we gave that up, she was an accomplished nurser and her latch was good.) The only pain I’ve ever had is when I’m menstruating, I get very sensitive nipples, and they can be a little tender. Also, my nipples are a little more sensitive when she nurses because she has 5 teeth that I can feel a little. But about a week ago, my right nipple began to hurt. I had my period, so I wrote it off as just that. It wasn’t major, I checked for plugged ducts, didn’t find anything.

Toward the end of my period, it still hurt a little, and then, a few days ago, my daughter bit me for the first time, on that nipple. It really hurt. I checked to see if I was bleeding, and I didn’t see any marks at all. It seemed like she did it absentmindedly, though, like she zoned out a little because she was tired, and just closed her jaw. The next day (I think) when I pumped at work, I got virtually nothing out of that breast. The other was fine.

Now, the nipple is really sore (the actual nipple, not the areola) and there is a tiny little crack at the base that has scabbed slightly, and that spot hurts the most. It hurts more to nurse than to pump, but I can basically feel it all day, anytime the nipple rubs on my bra. My flow has returned to that breast, though.

So… to my actual question:
It would seem that this is related to the bite, but is it possible that pain from a bite would last a few days? Or is it more likely something else? Should I see a lactation consultant about it (I know a good one) or is there something I can do at home to see if it helps first? I put lanolin on, but that hasn’t done much.

Sorry, I know it’s hard to figure these things out with just descriptions. Thanks for any help you can offer!
Krista

Hi Krista,

I often got pain nursing as my son got older – and it seemed to be related to my cycle – not actually getting my period – but perhaps ovulation – I never quite figured it out. Anyway – it would happen every month and just when I thought I couldn’t take it any longer, it would go away. So that part sounds kind of normal to me. And the fact that it has developed as your daughter has gotten older sounds kind of normal too – because you may be ovulating or having a more “real” cycle now vs what you got when she was younger.

As far as the bite, I’m not surprised that the pain has lasted a few days – especially if it was hard enough to leave a mark. However, I think it is always best to be safe – so especially since you have a good lactation consultant that you can call – I would definitely recommend checking in with her and perhaps going to see your OB/GYN too if it doesn’t feel ‘back to normal’ pretty quickly.

Best of luck and congrats on making it to the 14 month mark! That is fantastic!!

Have you ever had nipple pain associated with your menstrual cycle? Do you have any other advice for Krista? Please leave a comment with your thoughts/tips/advice.