Mastitis?

[hawalkden]

Last week I was in hospital for the night with Mastitis symptom. Doctor said if they don't go after I've expressed then antibiotics will be given. As soon as I got hold of the pump and expressed 4 bottles of 120ml off I felt miles better and had a great nights sleep.

Heavy flu like head, feeling sick, headache, sore eyes etc. and the midwife said it's because I was expressing to much due to the demand of my breasts filling 120ml each every 4 hours.

Also doesnt help with Isaac still being in NICU so I'm using the hopsitals amazing breast pumps and just draining them. Where as at home I've got a stupid Avent single electric pump. It's good enough but it takes 40 minutes to get 125 bottles.

Over the last few days my breasts have become sore again and getting the Mastitis symptoms again. It goes as soon as I use the hospital pump. Just cant win and I cant afford at all to hire it out when I am at home so got to cope with the one I've got.

I don't want to give up neither due to the great supply I'm getting.

I have though when on the pump or in the bath massaged the breasts and the lumpy areas, which hurt a lot and with them being so big I can't get my whole hand round them at the moment so it's only doing half a job.

Any tips?

 

[midori1999]

It sounds like your symptoms might be due to engorgement rather than mastitis. It can cause the same symptoms early on when you're very engorged and tbh, mastitis isn't likely to clear after one pumping.

I think the best solution might be either to see if you can borrow a hospital pump or just use your home one all the time. If it is engorgement, it will settle at some point though.