Sore boob! Advice please!

[conkeyhead]

hello

I'm BF'ing my son (6 weeks) and it's going really well. He's my second and first went well also. So no latching probs, no soreness, (except first few days), or cuts or anything and he's gaining loads of weight - pound a week in fact. BUT I've woken up this morning with a really sore boob.

I'm terrified of mastitis and worried. I do happen to have a stinking cold so I'm feeling fluey anyway. The sore bit feels like it's just engorged, in fact that's what I thought it was in the night as DS has started to take a bottle from daddy at 10.30 feed. But I can't feel any lumps although it does feel hot. I've fed him and fed from it and it's still sore.

I've been reading stuff on here about mastitis and although I'm sure I don't have it properly, I want to do anything I can to avoid it.

Can I take ibuprofen (HV said no, but loads on here seem to)? I'm heading to shower now to blast hot water at it. Is there anything else I can do?

I guess it might just be blocked duct? or in fact just.....alas...a sore boob!?!?!
x

[determination]

Hi conkey,

It does sound like mastitis, i have had it 6 times now. Paracetamol or ibuprofen will reduce your temp (to help with flu symptoms) and ease the pain a bit. bfn drugs and bfing guide
drugs in breastmilk

Best things to are;

Apply warm compresses to the breast before feeding/pumping, then immediately afterwards apply cool compress to soothe breast and reduce swelling (if any).

Always feed from the sore boob first to ensure to empty it as much as possible.

If the breast gets very sore between feeds, express to release the pressure and this will ease the pain big time.

rest as much as you can. I know how difficult this can be with another child but it will help you feel better.

A homeopathist recommended BellaDonna when i had Mastitis and it worked wonders. I actually did not need to take the antibiotics i had been prescribed. You could get this from Boots or any holland and barrett type store.

If you could feed on all fours (hands and knees) this would allow gravity to help empty the breast if you have a blockage there.

Hope this helps, if i can think on anything else i will post later.

[iMum]

Feed through it, I had it 3 time with my ds2 (never with ds1) and really just had to feed through it, frequent feeding/expressing can relieve the pressure, remove the blockage and calm the infection so I was told.

[bb99]

If you're feeling fluey it may be some kind of infection (or mastitis infection thing).

Happened twice with me recently.

Did go to docs and got bf friendly anti-biotics as I felt AWFUL and had infection symptoms and was a woooss, but 2nd time doc did say that they tend to clear themselves up anyway (the infections)

I completely emptied the side it was on to relieve the pain and kept feeding through. Also massaged/stroked towards the nipple when expressing and feeding IYSWIM, where the sore lumpy bit was and this was a bit eye watering, but made the soreness better in the long run.

Hope you feel better soon!

[conkeyhead]

Ok thank you so much for replying. Think I will try self help today and if no better or worse tomorrow might have to try docs,although would rather not take anti-b's have been having enough trouble recently with DP not coping with me taking back seat and resting etc cos of newborn and was hoping to use today to start the dreaded routine so I can get back on top with school runs and the cooking!!

Have just fed for an hour and a half, DS thinks it was xmas as just kept putting him back on!!! and will try and get some sleep now and hopefully as you say it will clear itself up.

thank you!