HELP! Pain under my armpit... is it mastitis?

[Ethan's mum]

I woke up thismorning in such bad pain under my left armpit. My left nipple was quite painful yesterday and still is today, and I felt like he wasn't latching on properly yesterday - he kept falling off.

Also after his feed at 3am last night (on the left) he normally sleeps til 6/7 but today he woke up at 5, so maybe he didn't get enough (even though he fed for 25 mins)

I also felt really shiverry this morning, but I don't anymore and my temp is only 37.5, and I have a headache and generally feel groggy (but that could be cos I didn't get as much sleep as usual last night).

Does this sound like mastitis or is this normal?

He's going to want feeding in about half an hour and I'm so not looking forward to the pain and also don't know if I should if I have an infection or something??

 

[Ethan's mum]

have just fed him and noticed the underneath of my boob is also really red and hot so i think it is. I feel so useless - have I caused it by doing it wrong? Has anyone had mastitis and continued bfeeding? I can't stop crying I'm blaming the lack of sleep and the pain!

 

[MrsSixx]

I'm feeling exactly the same this morning with a slight temperature, shivers, headache etc but think it's a plugged duct rather than mastitis. I have a lot of pain in my right boob and feeding/expressing isn't clearing it. This has been building over the week thanks to oversupply in the morning.

Can't really offer any advice but have just found this link that I am going to have a read though: https://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/mastitis.html

 

[hondagirl]

hi hon, im new to all this but i didnt want to just read and run as you sound so upset. Ive got loads of bf books scattered round the house at the mo and it sounds like you may have or started to develop mastitis, Ive just read the chapter on it and this is what it says...

breastfeed on the affected breast is the best treatment. apply heat and gently massage the area,breastfeed straight after treatment with warm flannel. rest as much as poss. if you have a temp it may be best to contact your gp or health visitor as I think sometimes you may need antibiotics.

hope that helps
xx

 

[Jchihuahua]

I had mastitis and it started with a very painful, engorged hard and hot breast, so sore that I couldn't wear a bra and even leaning over hurt. Then the next day I felt all fluey and had fever and a really high temperature then the following day I had a red rash all over my breast. Antibiotics really helped. Also feeding through it helped too which is what the mw recommended, when my breast was empty it felt a bit better. Mw also said I could try warm baths and warm compresses to ease it.

 

[Cattia]

I have not had this touch wood, but a girlat my baby massage class has had it twice so far, and she was advised that when she was feeding she should try to massage her breasts towards the nipple to make sure that the ducts are not getting blocked (she was told to do this every time she fed,not just when she had mastitis, it is meant to help prevent it). I don't know whether there is any truth in this but this is what her doctor apparently told her so once you get this in check might be worth doing that to maybe stop it happening again. It is nothing you have done, it is just one of those things, and some people are more pone to it than others. My friend has had it three times and her baby is only 6 weeks old!

 

[Ethan's mum]

Thanks everyone. I went to the docs and he said it's definitely mastitis and is prob infected so has given me antibiotics. I'm still feeling really achey and feverish and it kills when he feeds on it but I do feel better for it afterwards. Thanks for the sympathy and advice.