To beg for mastitis help

[Lonelymum11]

Sorry, posting for traffic as I need advice!

I have mastitis and have antibiotics but I know I still need to be massaging my breast to unclog the blockage but I can't make it work. I have a large hard lump in the top of my breast, and when I hand express I only get milk coming from half my nipple so I'm assuming I need to do something to unblock the rest and get milk coming from all the ducts?
DD is 4 months and not on board with the frequent feeding I'm meant to be doing, she's just not hungry often enough and no amount of coaxing will make her feed before she's ready.

Does anyone have any tips that worked for them? I've done massage, used a comb, sat in the bath for ages, massaged with a shower head and it's just stubbornly refusing to reduce at all.

Have you tried the cabbage leaves in the bra. It really helped me.

Have you got an electric breast pump?

How long have you been taking the antibiotics? And are you putting warm compresses on the lump as well as the baths and the massage with the shower head? I filled a sock full of rice and microwaved it to keep the heat going there.

In terms of DD feeding more often I would just keep offering over and over, and expressing in between if you can and it's not too painful.

I also found I had to use bottles of expressed milk for a while while the antibiotics took effect as DS and I kept reinfecting each other. And everything scrupulously clean, bras and tops washed constantly, breast pads on at all times.

Do you have a breast pump? If so I would massage the affected area whilst using that. Or (given that babies are more efficient than a pump) feed DD on the affected side only whilst pumping or hand expressing on the other side.

Fear not though - I got awful mastitis after I stopped feeding DD1 and antibiotics alone (no pumping or feeding) did clear it...

I laid on my front in the bath, got the back of a comb and pushed it down the blocked duct towards the nipple. I also squeezed my nipple looking really carefully and found a cheesy solid bit of milk that kept coming to the surface, so picked that off. Sorry if TMI!

@bumpsadaisy11 no I haven't. I sort of assumed that was an old wives tale but will try it, thanks!

Meant to add, you poor thing. Mastitis is miserable!! Get well soon

Suggest you call the NCT feeding helpline on
0300 330 0700 and have a chat with a qualified breastfeeding counsellor.

I know you've said you've tried in the shower. Have you tried putting the shower on it really hot for ages til the whole area is warm, then using really soapy hands to give a really deep massage in a stroking motion towards the nipple to try and move the blockage along? Also I'd not so frequent feeds I'd try and delay them slightly so your baby really properly drains the breast. Also try from a different position than normal - I've heard getting on all fours and kind of dangling your boob over them can help. Good luck

Yep, I have an electric pump which I've been using when DD won't feed frequently enough.

I haven't been doing warm compresses though so will start doing that.

Does anyone know how soon the lump should start to reduce? They only gave me 5 days of antibiotics which I was surprised by and I'm assuming I'm going to have to go back for more

Also I'd not so frequent feeds I'd try and delay them slightly so your baby really properly drains the breast.

That sounds sensible, with me offering so frequently she isn't taking as much as normal each time.

Savoy cabbage leaves do work (keep them in the fridge for coolness)

It's because they're the right shape to go in your bra.

I used to get blocked ducts all the time. I often found that if I had a long, hot shower, then pressed firmly on the blocked area, I could see a little white bit in my nipple. Getting that out helped. Sometimes it was a little hard round ball, other times it would squeeze out like toothpaste.

If the blockage is deeper then sometimes vibration can help break it up.

Hope you're feeling better soon.

NICE guidelines state 10-14 days of antibiotics. No way will 5 days be enough.

Not to freak you out, but I had four weeks of very stubborn mastitis - turned out it was an abscess basically the whole time. No amount of massage and heat/cold packs would have shifted it. I was in excruciating pain by the time I was finally referred to the breast clinic a few days ago. The relief when they started to drain it was immediate.

It's now not clear whether that breast will ever fully recover for feeding.

If I could go back in time, I'd push for a referral after the first week of no success clearing it.

Very best of luck - and I very much hope it clears soon!

Agree with all above, warm shower and gentle massage was the only thing that helped my pain. Can also take paracetamol.

One extra advice - dangle feeding on the bed, baby laying under you with chin pointing towards the blockage. So if blockage at top of boob, have baby at 180 relative to your body so her chin is working at the top part of the boob.

Ps. Mastitis is the body mounting an immune response to b milk that has sat too long in the boob. It can sometimes be the result of an infection. My case I never had antibiotics because there was no infection just the massive immune response. Still made made me feel incredibly ill for days. (Fever/chills/shakes) Bit weird but that's the science.

Don’t massage too much - your tissue will bruise easily and swell and that makes everything worse. Take an anti-inflammatory like Ibruorofen. Chill the affected boob for twenty mins or more then warm it up wit heat packs or in the bath and feed/pump/feed/pump and see how you go. You will need a minimum ten days of abs - are on flucloxacillin? That’s the best one ordinarily.

A flannel, as hot as you can bear, over the lump and when baby does feel, position carefully so that the lower jaw is on the same side as the lump.

This leaflet from the breastfeeding network might be useful.

www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/wp-content/dibm/BFN%20Mastitis%20feb%2016.pdf

Like another poster said, I would call the National breastfeeding helpline (the number is also on this leaflet) as they will have the best information and advice for you.

Someone told me to massage it with an electric toothbrush. I recently had mastitis and had 7 days of antibiotics

I will try and explain this as best as I can as it worked for me... lie flat on your back, attach the baby to the painful side with babies legs away from rather than across you. Place really hot flannel on the breast and massage at the same time.

An easy alternative to a flannel is a nappy soaked in hot water! Worked well for me and won’t lesve you soaking due to the absorbency.

Good luck. Mastitis is horrible

I used to put a covered hot water bottle down my top and leave it there until it went cold.

I second the recommendation for cabbage leaves but make sure they have been in the fridge first so that they are cold. It sounds unlikely but apparently there is some science behind it: "But the key may lie in the fact that cabbages contain glucosinolates. Enzyme action converts these to pungent isothiocyanates, collectively referred to as mustard oil. And mustard oil has long been used as a home remedy for swelling" (ScienceFocus website).

Good luck, OP. It's horrible I know but one of the suggestions from PP should help (and hopefully very quickly!)

I've had mastitis about 10 times in total and I never unclogged anything.

I always took the antibiotics and that cleared it up.

I tried unblocking it the first few times but I ended up getting very very unwell. Flu like symptoms, shaking, vomiting.
After that I just took the antibiotics.

It will clear up on its own if you're on them.