To ask a question about mastitis

[Tattooedmama]

Good evening,
Posting here because love the relies on aibu
Does it always start with a hard lump, red area and hot to touch? When i google they are the symptoms.
I finished feeding my almost 2 year old 7 days ago, a few days ago my boob (only 1 as he mainly fed from 1 side) was starting to feel more comfortable and going down a little, i woke up this morning and its sore and lumpy but also a constant ache/burning sensation.
Could this be the start of mastitis?
I dont want to waste GP time if it is only engorgment, they would probably laugh at me for being over dramatic

Hi OP,

I’m not sure if it always starts that way, however that’s the way it started when I had it. Slightly different as I was only a few weeks into feeding my newborn. Symptoms were very hard breast, very warm to the touch with a slight redness. I didn’t personally have a lump but know that’s quite common.

I went and got checked out by the GP - in no way did they laugh at me, they were very sympathetic.

One thing to note though, there are two types of mastitis - infected and non-infected. I was prescribed antibiotics as GP thought there was an infection there, when actually there wasn’t, so the antibiotics were pointless really. As it was non-infected, it just needed to be managed by me until it eased, which it did after around 2 weeks.

Definitely worth getting checked out by the GP incase it is the infected kind, and if you haven’t already, try to express some of the milk out of the engorged breast to relieve it. Good luck, it’s not much fun!!

If you can, take paracetamol, drink plenty water and get baby to feed feed feed. Sometimes you can head it off before it gets too bad.
When I’ve had it, it started by feeling like I had flu.

I had mastitis recently, and I never had the redness so I kept assuming it was just a plugged duct/ engorgement. After a week of trying to massage it out the lump swelled up to twice the size of a golf ball, which was still only mildly hot to the touch. It turned out to be a massive abscess, which I’m now having to go to the hospital weekly to have aspirated under ultrasound. If in doubt, get them checked.

I didn't have a lump just a hot red area. I felt cold with flu like symptoms. Get it checked out as mastitis can be really unpleasant

Thankyou all for the replies, i think i will see the GP if it gets worse, it was easing and since this morning the engorgment is almost as bad as day 1 of weaning... i did day wean about a month ago, so all the engorgment is from night weaning, he fed alot at night.

Crabbitstick (sorry dont know how to tag name)
As much as i am itching to feed him he has been weaned now for 7 days, he wasnt ready but i was so touched out i had enough (and miss it incredibly now) but i really dont want to undo all the hard work

THet sounds exactly like mastitis. Go to the GP ASAP because it can turn into sepsis.