Looking back in that time when i had the same problem, we all go through it! my nipples were bleeding.
The baby may not be sucking right. what you gotta do is also go back to your breast feeding technique, (how well is the baby sucking, how much of the breast is your baby grasping and is the babies shape of the mouth area sitting right in the breast holding position), this u can actually learn from the hospital specialist in breast feeding, please my advice is to head there and tune in to one of their sessions, its quick and easy and makes u feel comfortable speaking to someone who is educated in the area of breast feeding knowING wats right inside and out.
my second advice as i had the same problem would be, knowing that breast feeding is best for babies as the milk has everything, Try expressing your milk. Since ur baby is quite young, just get a little tube serringe thingy that you get with medinces or the pharmacy, i got it in the hospital coz i tried that technique at that time when my breasts starting bleeding from the pain you get it in the beginning its always sore.
Anways u get the needle thingy, sqeeze you breasts till the milk comes out and adjust the needle thingy to store the milk. Try that or just express in the bottle by just squeezing your milk with your hands or a breast pump until your nipples restore in healing.
During that time of expressing heal around ur nipple with ur breast milk as you tried earlier and give it a bit of a rest from your baby sucking. And dont stop though, continue when ever you can and when you feel comfortable and released from pain. As it takes time to adjust to breat feeding. Make sure when your baby grasps your nipple, u push the whole of your brast around the nipple and every where into the mouth as much as you can as the milk comes from all around the area of the nipple aswell.
Better and bigger grasps = less pain.
Take it as advice give from the specialist in the hospital who taught me how to breast feed.
Your comfort is important too but remember, dont give up ladies coz it takes time and once that month or two is ove ( your baby may catch on earlier!! ), im sure it will be fine. The baby is still learning how to grasp and catch on but with your help as a mother in pushing that nipple whole area in when breast feeding at a comfortable time in ur pace, it will surely make a differance. Takes time. But hey, we all did it! it gets much more easier in time... like u dont even know that there sucking... !
Goodluck... Remember step by step. Use each advice as a guideline and this advice as a breastfeeding technique. pain relief can be helped not only by cream and medicine but as highly recommended, by your technique as well as a mother and as breastfeeding guidence.
Your doing well already trying to bear the pain. It will all be over in time. Patience leads to perfection.
Goodluck. Hope my advice helps.
Kind Regards,
Rehana.
[Edited on 05/10/2009]
[Edited on 05/10/2009]