should I be worried?

[phdlife]

Right breast got engorged last night after I stupidly fed ds left side twice running and he started on it twice but then changed his mind.

Thought it was sorted after 3 night and early morning feeds (R, R, L, R) - at least it's all deflated and mostly soft - but am still breath-takingly tender, even after paracetamol. Should I get myself to a dr? Or is there anything else I can/should do?

[Cadmum]

I feel confident that someone more brilliant will be along shortly but from experience, I would try a warm bath/shower. Is there any redness or an obvious lump?

[phdlife]

thanks cadmum not that I can see/feel

might try a quick shower while ds is sleeping

[pastalady]

If you could manage to have nice warm bath and gently massage/express off some milk with your breast underwater, that could help. Letting your baby feed off that breast as much as possible should also help.

The only thing you have to watch out for is mastitis. If you develop a hard area in your breast with a wedge shape of redness and start to feel fluey, you might have this but don't worry because it is easily and normally quickly fixed by antibiotics. If you don't like antibiotics, there are some women that manage to beat it with echinacha tea, vitamin c and lots of massaging and warm compresses.

Hopefully though you've got there first with the reperative feeding and you might just be feeling a bit tender there for a while. Or it might just be a blocked duct which you can haopefully stop from progressing to mastitis by feeding as much as possible from the poorly boob, warm compresses/bath etc.

Good luck!

[Cadmum]

I have been down this path WAY too many times to mention but jet-lag is a factor today.

It is good that there is no redness or an obvious lump but so long as there is pain then you ought to be vigilant about feeding on that side in as many positions as possible.

[phdlife]

hm okay we usually feed in the classic cradle position; this morning in bed we fed lying down; anything else I should try?

[Cadmum]

How are you feeling now?

As for feeding positions you could try football but lying down is pretty much the same...

[phdlife]

am feeling pretty rubbish tbh, but can't tell whether that's just tiredness or the start of something worse

breast is very tender despite a hot shower and another feed. hurts to move my arm. nothing appears blocked (expressed a bit after the short feed) but think the skin over the sore area is going pink. can't tell if it's hot tho.

what do we think, dr or wait??

[Cadmum]

Hmmm...It does sound worrying now. Are you still feeling rough today?

What you really don't want to do is overlook an infection and wind up with an abscess.

[Cadmum]

How hard would it be for you to see a Dr. on Saturday or have you already been?

[Pixiefish]

Nurofen. Warm shower and comb (yes with a hair comb) the affected area

[Cadmum]

Pixiefish: a comb sound brilliant! I had not heard of that suggestion...

[phdlife]

Pink mark was quite pronounced by the time dh came home and I felt dreadful so we went to out-of-hours care - he gave me antibiotics without even looking!

also spoke to my sister who had exact same experience of mastitis - no hardness, just red thumbprint on breast and feeling sledgehammered.

it's still tender but less and I'm feeling much better now. think we caught it before it got too bad - thank you as I wouldn't have had a clue otherwise!

[pastalady]

Hope you're feeling better phdlife. Mastitis is horrible but it looks like you caught it early and those anti-biotics usually help the discomfort quickly.

[Cadmum]

Oh dear...Mastitis is NASTY! Do make sure that you start to feel better and that there is not a lump there. ( I thought that I had turned a corner because I was feeling less rotten a few days into the anti-bs but I had actually developed an abscess!)

Take care; be kind to yourself; keep feeding frequently on both sides.

[phdlife]

thanks cadmum, will keep checking breasts! abscess - !

[Cadmum]

You are right to shudder! Hope you are still on the mend...