Miss Q's Lunch

Imagine my horror this afternoon when I pulled Sofia away from my left side to nurse on the right, and discovered BLOOD dripping down her chin.

Terrifying, bright vampire-red blood. You never want blood and your children in the same sentence (unless it is to say your child is NOT bleeding), or even the same thought sequence, let alone see your child with blood ON them.

After I gathered my wits I realized it was coming from me, not her. OK. Deep breath.

Thank goodness for computers & internet. I was able to research enough on my own to find that the blood will not do Sofia any harm, and it's perfectly fine for her to keep nursing, even if I am bleeding. That's the most important thing. Now what the heck is going on with ME? Apparently the problem is that she's not latching on quite right, which I had no idea because she was nursing so well anyway. Without going into great detail, I'll just say her mouth isn't open wide enough which causes pinching, which in turn has caused the pain & bleeding. At least it isn't mastitis. However, I am more susceptible to infection now.

Although it has proven to be way better for Sofia, nursing has become quite a struggle for me. It's now almost a full-time gig. 24 hours a day. I actually need to nurse more frequently (every hour or so), and apply moist heat & ointments in between. Who knew I'd ever fondle my own boobs so much?