help what is this red patch on breast been bf for 5 weeks now.

[lilyloo]

I have been feeding dd exclusively for 5 weeks now no problems. This morning my left breast feltvery tender when laying in bed. This afternoon it has a red mark on it. I am not sure if this could be where dd has suckled leaving a love bite in the night, but am thinking coupled with the tenderness it could be mastitis. I kno nothing about this so any help much appreciated.
It feels much better today and it doesn't hurt to feed her from it.
TIA

[belgo]

sounds like mastitis - feed plenty from that side, and massage towards the nipple. Also feed in different positions to encourage full drainage of the milk. Try and get plenty of rest - mastitis can be very nasty!

[belgo]

also massage with warm water in the shower

[lilyloo]

is it worth expressing from that side after dd has fed to drain any exisiting milk ?
Do i need to see doc on Mon or not ?

[Tangle]

Sounds more like a blocked duct to me - I was told that if you get mastitis it'll be like your worst bout of flu ever and then some (temperature, lethargy, etc). That said, if you don't clear a blockage a blocked duct can turn into mastitis, so you don't want to ignore it.

kellymom has a guide on how to tell the difference.

There's lots of ideas on how to try and shift blockages on this thread.

My experience with blocked ducts has tended to be it's annoying, then it gets really REALLY painful, then I shift it (with an extremely large amount of relief), but have residual tenderness that keeps me paranoid for the next 24/48 hours that the block is coming back. If it's feeling better then hopefully you've already shifted it.

I'd go by how you feel tomorrow/Monday am to be honest - if you start feeling dramatically worse then take yourself off to the Drs, otherwise breathe a sigh of relief. Fingers crossed for you

[Haylo]

May be not, you can catch it early and in time by continuing to feed and making sure the breast is empty and stop a full blown infection. l have had it 3 times, when it was bad l ached all over, the red patch on my breast was very hot to touch and l really could not do much for a couple of days other than lay in bed and feed, its like the worst case of flu - when it was like this l saw the doctor/nurse and was given a course of antibiotics, sometimes given the symptoms they can talk to you over the phone and just arrange for a prescription to be faxed to your nearest chemist. l would also take some of the bio yogurt drinks things whilst on the antibiotics just to top up the good bacteria and keep thrush at bay, l didn't first time around and regretted it.

[verylittlecarrot]

lilyloo,
it sounds like a blocked duct to me, and if you keep feeding on that side and try to clear it you may well avoid it developing into mastitis. Tangle has linked to a good thread for you.

Also, take a look at this thread. Under a good light, check your nipple for teeny tiny white plugs, smaller than a grain of sand. Not everyone finds these, so don't worry if you can't. You need to gently squeeze your nipple and take a good hard peer at it to see if you can see anything that looks like a white 'blackhead' in the end. If you find one, try to pop it out, and the backed up milk should clear.

Good luck, let us know how you get on.

Oh, and congrats on your new baby!

[smartiejake]

Does sound like a blocked duct. Very painful but try to feed from it to clear the blockage.
Got any cabbage? Put a large leaf in the freezer and then pop it in your bra really helps!

[lilyloo]

thanks everyone think it must have been blocked duct redness going now and not as painful so hopefully it's cleared, fingers crossed.