dropped feeds thonk i may have mastitus - advice

[Snarf02]

hi i use to give both boobs am and then both boobs before bed to my almost one yr old and dtwo days ago dropped doing both sides at these feeds so just doing one side in am and other side at night however today i feel really fluey and my right boob is really sore and tender although cant feel a blocked duct. I have an app at docs later tonight. I know with mastitus you should try ad feed more but i dont really want to increase feeds and then have to drop then again and go through whole process again. I have expressed a tiny bit of boob i have not fed of before bed the last two nights but only a little bit. IS there any thing i can be doing to help this uncomfortableness. I have taken two paracetemol. I cant really rest as have two kids. Any advice welcome as my doc is not always great on teh breastfeeding.

Sorry for long post

i have drpeed feeds as baby was not so interested in teh other side at both feeds but i plan to carry on bf for about another 6 mths at least

[helips]

My sympathy's to you Snarf. I'm suffering from mastitis at the mo and it really is horrible. I would say to start feeding from both sides again morning and night but not sure if you should feed or express during the day. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will be along to advise or you could ask your doctor. Hope you feel better soon...

[Notquitegrownup]

You need to take ibuprofen or neurofen before you feed. The symptoms you describe are inflamed tubes, which can lead to full blown mastitis if untreated. The neurofen/ibuprofen takes the inflamation/swelling down, then ten minutes later you can start to feed like mad from the inflamed side, to get the milk through. The first few sucks hurt lots, but then it starts to ease.

I was advised to take maximum dose at first, feed like mad from that side (and feed from or express from the other side enough to stop it getting engorged) and then to take half doses of ibuprofen/neurofen, and keep on feeding as much as poss.

I am not a medic, but fed for 7 years, and often used to get mastitis, as you describe, when my los changed their feeding. It cleared up quickly everytime, and I never needed to go onto antibiotics.

Paracetamol are painkillers but not anti-inflammatories so they won't take the swelling down to let the milk through.

[Notquitegrownup]

That should read "I got mastitis several times, rather than ofen. It wasn't that bad - but I never went anywhere without my ibuprofen. Read the label/leaflet first if taking any medication when bfing. I was advised that ibuprofen is safe, but I know it can be problematic for some asthmatics

[Rubytoo]

Hi - put a cabbage leaf down your bra! I know it sounds weird my breast feeding counsellor told me about it and I've tried it and it worked for me. Hope it works for you too.

[99redballoons]

Hi Snarf02, I got mastitis with both my dc's at around 4wks into bf. My symptoms were a bright red, inflamed, excruciatingly sore breast, most likely due to a cracked nipple. Unforuntately I had to go onto antibiotics to clear the infection both times. I used to sit with a warm flanel on my breast and then try to hand express the excess milk out.

When I started dropping feeds with ds (my first) I got terribly engorged and worried it would happen again, so second time round with dd I reduced the length of feed before actually dropping the feed iykwim which helped reduce the amount of engorgement when I finally dropped the feed. So if you're feeding for 10mins on that breast, reduce over a couple of weeks so the feed is litterally just 1-2mins by the time you come to stop. It takes about 3 days for your body to recognise less milk is needed and drops to the new level. I would suggest plan to drop only one feed every week to week and a half to reduce engorgement problems. That was my experience. Takes forever but worth it. HTH.

[PInkyminkyohnooo]

sound slike mastitis, especialy the fluey bit. Expressing off a bit of milk can ease things, and you do need to take some anti inflamatories, butI f it's not clearing in a couple of days I would go to GP to get something, I'm not one for running to antibiotics for everrything by any means, but it may be worth it.
I had it twice ith DD, and the second time I had anti biotics and it never came back.

[Snarf02]

thanks loads for all your messages, i started to feel a bit better yesterday afternoon so in the end did not see the docs but made an app. today just in case but i cancelled it as well as i am not feeling fluey any more and boob does not hurt like it did yesterday just feels now a bit achey. When i fed of the side that hurt yesterday today it felt so much better and it was not full last night but became full this morning before i fed so i think they are adapting to just one side at night the other side in the morning. Thanks for all your tips. I am hoping that i have been lucky and missed mastitus

x

[PInkyminkyohnooo]

That's really good news!

[99redballoons]

great news!

[Notquitegrownup]

Fantastic news. Many docs don't seem to know about the power of ibuprofen (or cabbage leaves) in helping early symptoms, so it may come in useful, if you ever feel those symptoms again.