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Help - how to stop breastfeeding due to Mastitus

2 replies

N1C0L4 · 09/04/2020 23:06

Hi, after some help if anyone has any experience in this.

I am looking to stop breastfeeding whilst having a bad case of Mastitus. As a bit of background, I got Mastitus 1 week after having baby girl which after almost 4 weeks now still hasn't cleared. First time it hit I was readmitted into hospital and since then I've been on oral antibiotics at home to try and clear it...I'm currently on 4th type which hopefully will work but I've gone through this before... it seems as I get to the end of a course things settle but couple of days later it resurfaces.

It's been very difficult to continue breastfeeding throughout this and now feel the time has come to call it a day so I can actually enjoy feeding our little girl without having to dread it. It really has been a struggle physically and mentally. The only reason I carried on till now was that the first week she was born I had no problems - latched straight away and off i went for the rest of the week - I just kept thinking I should be able to get back to that but thars far from it!

Midwife mentioned oversupply and fast flow which is causing baby girl to compress when feeding adding more pain on top of Mastitus.

I stopping breastfeeding yesterday when things started to go backwards whilst on the 3rd course of antibiotics- GP prescribed 4th type and said if it doesnt work I'll have to go straight back to hospital. Since then I've been expressing at regular intervals in replace of feeds. Havent yet shifted the redness and hard lumps but working on it as I have done previous weeks.

I plan to gradually increase time between expressing, with heat and massaging beforehand.

Has anyone experienced anything like this and can offer some much needed help?

Many Thanks

OP posts:
RuPaula · 09/04/2020 23:54

I had mastitis 3 times, but not for as long as you. It sounds awful, I hope you’re doing ok otherwise?
I don’t think I can offer to much help, but expressing in the shower can help. Have you tried cabbage leaves? And make sure you’re really hydrated.
I hope it improves quickly!

N1C0L4 · 10/04/2020 05:52

Thanks RuPaula. Shower has worked previous weeks but not this week so I'm now having hot baths and submerging to massage / hand express just before using the pump. Seems to help a little but not much.

Re. Cabbage leaves, I've not. I have a cabbage but to add to this, I'm now also suffering from Vasospasm which kicks in randomly with alot of temporary pain and discoloration - cold seems to be a trigger between feeds.

Strange thing is, each week there is one streak of redness that reappears on one breast but the main red chunks and hard areas are in different areas each week on one or both breasts, its as if it's just working around each section like a clock.

All this seems to just happen overnight each time - for instance, I went to bed Tuesday night thinking I'm back on track with my left breast and have been for 3 days (no pain, no blocked ducts, attachment good) then wake up in agony as that's now also decided to join back in with my right side. Similar story last Friday night Confused

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