mastitis OUCH!!!

[TwinMommy6]

So I have developed mastitis and I seriously am contemplating giving up bf'ing
My lo is 2.5 weeks old and I just feel defeated. Has anyone had this and continued to successfully bf afterwards.
I am on antibiotics and this is day 3 and I finally feel not as feverish and no cold chills but my poor boob is huge and red and hard and cannot seem to unclog my milk ducts....any advice or tips would be appreciated I don't want to formula feed but I just can't see a light at the end of the tunnel :'(

 

[Vicki_Cream]

I developed mastitis a month ago as I (stupidly) try to boost my supply as I thought it was dwindling. Turns out my supply was fine, and I ended up really engorged and then it developed into mastitis. I drank a hell of a lot of water, fed a lot from the affected breast, and I also pumped a little to relieve the pressure but not enough to increase my supply. I was very painful to feed through it, but I persevered and it went away after a day or two.

Big hugs hun, it's not nice!

 

[Maxy1]

Day 3 and you still feel bad with red lumps? That sounds bad!! You might not be on the right AB. If it doesn't vastly improve in the next 24 hours you need to go back to your dr and get your milk tested.

Ok, so I am sure you have heard that you should not stop bfing while suffering from mastitis, baby is the most efficient suction for clearing lumps, so you will recover faster.

I suffered endlessly with LO1 from mastitis, even staying in hospital for a week on IV ABs. I really wanted to bf though so kept going. So things you need to do -
* always feed off that side first.
*warm compress before feeding with massage
*massage while feeding. start at outside of lump and move around and around moving inwards.
*cold compress after - some use cold cabbage leaves. Hot compress releases your milk, cold compress reduces swelling. If the thought of any of this brings tears to your eyes you can take pain relief 45 -60 mins before feeding. Ibuprofen is best as it helps with swelling but tylenol or paracetamol is fine too - just read up on allowable frequency.
*Hot shower massage
*Feed at least three hourly

With LO2 my recurrent mastitis flared up again and everyone told me to stop, including my LC, but as a last ditch effort I took high doses of probiotics and haven't had mastitis since!!! Since you are on ABs you should take probiotics anyway, but I would advise double dose.

Remember breastfeeding is a partnership!! So if u need your baby to feed to relieve pressure then let them do so. Its a two way street.

As above, if you don't feel significantly better shortly head back to your dr. You may need a scan for an abscess.

 

[staralfur]

I've had it 5 times. Honestly, the first time is the worst because you don't know what's happening and you end up leaving it long enough to get really bad, because you don't really understand how bad it can be until you've experienced it! Now that you know what to look out for and how it feels in the beginning stages you'll be able to resolve it quicker.

Stopping breastfeeding is the worst thing you could do at this point, your baby needs to feed off of the affected breast to clear everything out. Pump that side whenever you can on top of regular feeds.

I agree with the PP that if your breast isn't feeling better by tomorrow then you'll probably want to see your doctor again and perhaps get a different kind of antibiotic.