Mastitis,tongue tie and no milk

[Nightsky224]

So I'm desperate and looking for advice. I have a 2 week old little girl. From the start there has been issues feeding. Had support from midwife and bf clinics. We could get her on but would suck once or twice and stop.
We decided to use nipple shields which worked for a while but because of the way she sucks (on the nipple not the breast) and clamps it meant that she wasn't emptying the breast and I have v sore nipples.
So fast forward a few days and I have mastitis in one breast and he start of it in the other. I have also had her assessed and she has postirier tongue tie. I have got a referral from the doc but need to wait till Monday do see when we can get her in.

I have bought a pump to empty each bet east after every feed and I have antibiotics to treat and have been trying to nurse her still but have issues.
Left breast with possible mastitis - so painful to feed with shields, she's not emptying breast but also not full after she feeds.
Right breast def mastitis - have tried to feed her on it but she gets minimal/nothing. Pump after and that gets nothing. I'm so sore and feel rotten, sick, hot and cold and just don't know what to do.

We have just given her formula (which she through quite a bit of back up) so she can get food, think we will need to keep doing this but worried what will happen to the right breast if I can't get any milk off. Started antibiotics yesterday.

[babyconverse]

Hi no real advice as just posted a thread asking for advice myself after virtually the same situation two weeks ago- but wanted to check in. The antibiotics will help and you need to look after yourself - I had a fever like you do too. Ask dh to help out as much as possible - remember rhis is an infection on top of you recently having given birth.

Hopefully someone will be along soon with better advice than me on the feeding as I'm certainly no expert on that front I'm afraid!

[CityDweller]

Mastitis is awful. I had it when both DC were similar age for similar reasons.
Take a look at the advice on the Kelkymom website re mastitis. As well as the ABs you need to clear the blockage in the breast yourself - massaging in shower with wide toothed comb always works for me.
Secondly you need to get the tt sorted so baby can feed efficiently. The NHS were useless in my case so I went private. There's a tongue tie practitioners website that will list people in your area. And if you're in London I can recommend someone excellent who helped us.

Yo give you hope - I ended up bf DC1 until 2 years despite awful problems at beginning. Hang in there

[TychosNose]

You have my sympathies.
If you can, keep putting her to your right breast. Even if she gets nothing, it will help to stimulate supply so when you're better you will produce enough milk. And lots of skin to skin.
Hopefully the antibiotics will kick in soon and you'll feel better.
Xx

[Plantpot83]

Poor thing - mastitis is awful. I sat in the bath pouring very hot water over my chest and massaging the blocked breast. IME hand massaging is more effective at getting milk out than a pump - for example if I express a substantial amount of milk and can't get anymore I can always get more out through hand massaging IYSWIM. So that might be better for draining the breast at the end of a feed. I also do breast compressions at the end of a feed into DDs mouth to try to 'empty' the breast a bit more, maybe you could look at that for once you're better. My DD also has posterior tongue tie and although she is not a particularly efficient feeder she's is EBF at 9 weeks, gaining weight etc so it doesn't necessarily preclude BF even if it's not snipped.

[Freezingwinter]

I think it takes 24 to 48 hours for most antibiotics to work after that you should start to feel better

Keep putting baby to the Breast and if I was you cut back or entirely stop formula as it will mess with your supply, baby feeds less and mastitis will possibly get worse

Not being able to pump milk is no indication of supply, I can only pump 2oz in a very good day but ebf till over 6 months

The group breastfeeding yummy mummies in facebook is fab

Apologies if my post comes across short I am typing one handed