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Infant feeding

Pain with breastfeeding. Mastitis last week - feels different now but still bad. Any advice?

41 replies

christiana · 06/12/2009 19:29

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Mincepiedermama · 06/12/2009 19:39

If I were you I would be taking loads of pro biotics because thrush can so often follow anti biotics and is very painful if you get it inside the milk ducts. It's difficult to shift too when it takes hold.

The Breastfeeding Network has a very good section on what to do about thrush if you need it.

Best of luck. I feel for you. It's very draining.

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christiana · 06/12/2009 19:49

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christiana · 06/12/2009 19:50

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MincePAELLA · 06/12/2009 19:53

Hi Christiana

As you know, I have gotten mastitis now 4 times. I have done LOADS of research on this and apparently once you get it, it is very very easy to get again. So if DD2 changed her feeding routine quite dramatically and quickly it can cause mastitis to reoccur. I was given Amoxicyllin as well but have since heard it is NOT the "right" AB. I can't remember what the right AB is but it starts w/a 'F' (info on Jack Newman website).

Ibuprofen needs to be taken. The anti-inflammatory element to it helps.

Also take pro biotics.

I am also taking Lecithin (per Jack Newmans website) as it may help apparently.

And the obvious, once you get any symptons massage the affected breast and feed on it.

Hope it clears.

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Mincepiedermama · 06/12/2009 19:56

Christiana this is going to sound weird but when I had problems because my ds was on a nursing strike I managed to, ahem, self express. In that I could reach my nipple with my mouth. I seem to remember it was quite a relief and it sounds to me like you need to get it flowing.

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Lexilicious · 06/12/2009 20:12

^^ Flucloxacillin.

I had progressive erupting mastitis for weeks, it was vicious. Do everything you can not to let it take hold. I now have a scar where the A&E aspiration puncture opened up, leaking milk/pus for A Long Time.

I don't know the circumstances of your interview but if it means a full three hours away from baby and you are likely to get engorged in that length of time it's not going to be good for the suspected mastitis recurrence. If at all possible you should feed off the affected breast constantly (express the other side) to get the best flow through. Free up the boob so that your bra/top/whatever isn't constricting it while you feed. Might mean hunkering down at home half naked and having a babymoon. The advice for mastitis where you feel achey/tired is to treat it like flu and go to total bedrest. I really wish I had.

I remember you from the July due date thread, you're doing brilliantly to be bf-ing still. Or should I say, we are

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christiana · 06/12/2009 20:49

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nicnac73 · 06/12/2009 21:13

I don't want to panic you but my advise is always go to the doctor and you may need to be quite insistent. I had a very bad experience with mastitis which led to a very nasty abscess (which is quite rare but nevertheless happens). If the ABs don't work and if at any point you suspect an abscess don't hesitate to shout for an ultrasound.

I had loads of antibiotics, Flucloxacilin, Augmentin and Ciprofloxacilin (or something like that) and none of them worked. They kept sending me away until the thing developed a yellow head and rapidly destroyed breast tissue and skin. The final diameter for the surface wound was 10cm and the hole inside was 3.5x3.5cm. I never had a raised temperature at any point.

I had weeks of packing my leeky wound and couldn't go out the house. It failed to heal properly and I had to have another operation (private this time - what a difference). Still having it packed daily after 4 months! It was August when I had the mastitis/abscess. An ultrasound could have saved all of this.

If it continues not to respond to ABs is still red and inflammed and/or worse a hard collection seems to be forming under the surface then I recommend anyone in this position to insist on an ultrasound. You will be amazed how quickly the thing can spread. Don't take no for an answer. Nobody can give a definitive diagnosis without an ultrasound so they are all just speculating (unless they have x-ray vision).

I am very assertive person but I was fobbed off so many times. Don't let the same thing happen to you.

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christiana · 06/12/2009 21:29

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christiana · 06/12/2009 21:30

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nicnac73 · 06/12/2009 21:42

yes the soup was quite nice at the Parkway hospital too. The similarities to Champneys were spooky

But seriously... I wish I had gone there at the beginning as I had medical insurance all along but I had a so called 'emergency' and you think you are going to be better off with the NHS. They bungled the whole thing. I was passed backwards and forwards between hospitals and told to go home because it was 'just mastitis'. It eventually burst on when I was on the trolley going down to theatre 56 hours after my GP had referred me. The worst thing was I was separated from my baby who had dropped from the 65th centile at birth to the 9th centile at 5 weeks and was emaciated with twig like arms and grey sunken cheeks and all the 'advice' I received was to carry on breast feeding when something clearly wasn't working. I was on a mixed ward as well with dirty old men listening in to my pleas for something to help the pain of engorged breasts as well as huge gaping hole in boob. With the benefit of hindsight I could have had private room and had my baby with me but I was so hormonal and sleep deprived after 5 weeks of screaming starving baby and I was very badly advised. It shouldn't be like this on NHS though. I should have been on a maternity ward with my baby. Anyway I am sorry to spook you. Mine was a really extreme case and it seems loads of people have Mastitis and it doesn't end up like this. I am just really passionate that all women should have access to prompt ultrasounds if they suspect an abscess. Mumsnet don't even have this advice on their website. I think I will write to the contact us thing.

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nicnac73 · 06/12/2009 21:46

Messages crossed - My mastitis was hot localised patch and it got progressively worse over 2 weeks despite 2 courses of antibiotics before it formed an abscess. It was always quite painful. When it became an abscess it was like a giant boil brewing up under the surface. Honestly, it is really rare to get to this stage so I really don't want to panic you I just want everyone to be generally as assertive as they can be with the medical profession and if you feel you are being fobbed off you probably are, but your Doc sounds quite clued up.

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christiana · 06/12/2009 21:46

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Mincepiedermama · 07/12/2009 09:24

nicnac that sounds so traumatic. I really feel for you. What a horrible experience.

You deserve some luck my friend. Sending you good vibes through the computer. (Not much else I can do let's face it!!)

Christiana I think you may be right to postpone the interview and get this sorted.

All the best of luck.

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MincePAELLA · 07/12/2009 10:26

Christiana I would also recommend wearing your nursing bra looser (especially when sleeping) when DD2 feeds less than usual. I've noticed if my DS2 feeds less from me suddenly, I get easily engorged. I think that coupled with a snug bra actually caused the 4th time I had mastitis. It's a bugger...hope you managed to see GP.

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nicnac73 · 07/12/2009 19:06

Thanks Christiana and Mincepiedermama. Hope your mastitis goes away soon Christiana.

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christiana · 07/12/2009 19:11

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nicnac73 · 07/12/2009 19:43

Your GP sounds reassuringly clued up. Enjoy the r & r.

I am going back to hospital on Wednesday and they are going to sew my hole up as they say it is (finally) healing well which means no more daily packing. Hooray

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christiana · 07/12/2009 20:04

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nicnac73 · 07/12/2009 20:14

No. That's very novel. Its just plain old gauze. I will ask about seaweed option tomorrow. Interesting.

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christiana · 07/12/2009 20:43

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christiana · 08/12/2009 10:01

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Mincepiedermama · 08/12/2009 11:47

Christiana I'm so sorry to hear you're still suffering.
You need to talk to a bf counsellor. I will just dig out some numbers for you of the LLL and the BF network.

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Mincepiedermama · 08/12/2009 11:50

BF Network Supporterline on 0300 100 0210

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Mincepiedermama · 08/12/2009 11:52

La Leche League and their helpline number is 0845 120 2918.

I really feel for you. Good luck.

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