Tender feeling in breasts, is this normal?

[Hermya321]

Right bare with me.

DS is three weeks old and ebf. I had mastitus about a week ago, had AB (four/five day course) and DS had a couple of days worth of a feeding frenzy. He's now stopped and has been reducing his feeds. We've also just managed to crack a painful latch as well.

The last few days since DS reduced his feeds, my breast have been feeling quite tender and engorged. My right one in particular (this is the one I had mastitus in) has been especially tender and it's been heading into my underarms.

I'm hesitant to start expressing lots as I don't want to have an oversupply.

I've also cracked open the ibuprofen as well.

Considering what I've had in the last few weeks, is the above normal or should I be ringing the Docs in the morning?

I've had no fluey symptons either.

sounds normal to me but you need support.All will settle down it is still very early days.Good luck.

It might be worth getting to a support group of sorts - if it is something, they will be able to give you the heads up, and if its not, your mind will be at ease :)

I had mastitis several times with my DS and if I felt very engorged I used to express some off to ease the pressure. It didn't increase my supply as I didn't do it every feed, just here and there if I was very engorged and tender. This helped to stop me getting mastitis again, as I had several times before I clocked milk drainage was an issue for me.

Your supply will settle down lovely.

I've always found Kellymom very very helpful. Althought sometimes working my way round the website has taken a while and to read everything

The other I was just thinking about whilst making my DCs breakfast is the same as boobalot. Call your HV and ask about local breastfeeding clinics and pop along?

Or La Leche on 0845 120 2918 are really great you can always give them a call, if getting out and about is tricky or the next clinic is a few days away?

Thanks for that, I'll give the health visitor a ring and see where the local clinic is.

How are you Hermya now?

Pain has gotten a bit worse, I went to the Docs but the person I saw was worse than useless and just gave me some cream for thrush and I think she only did this as I said 'I'm worroed that it might be thrush'. I'm hesitant to use it as she didn't really look at me properly and she didn't even glance at DS.

I've made another appointment and I've found out where the local bf clinic is and I'm going to pop along there this week and see if I can talk to someone with a bit more knowledge.

Maybe you pm TikTok on here? She's very good and is a trained bf counselor. Just so you can have some help now iyswim?

As well as popping along to the clinic anyway x

Sorry I missed a word out: "should"

This doesn't sound like thrush to me, tbh. Thrush pain tends to be more in the nipples. And it doesn't cause engorgement.

What part of the country are you in? www.breastfeedingcommunity.org.uk and realbabymilk.org are good ways to find local in-person (free) breastfeeding support.

It sounds a bit worrisome to me, that your breasts are still hurting, now, after the course of ABs for thrush. Are they generally tender? Or are there specific points of tenderness? (If the latter, this may be an absess, and needs treatment asap.)

Alternatively, it might be wise to ring one of the helplines tomorrow.

Actually, it sounds like you may tend towards oversupply. This is normal. How is your DS's weight gain? Assuming all is well otherwise, you might want to consider block feeding. Every three hours (to start with) you stick to one breast. Do not change breasts. Do not offer more than one breast per feed. If this resolves the problem, stick to three hour periods. If it doesn't, increase the duration.

While you are in pain, you can express for comfort, but no more than that (as you say yourself, you risk having too much supply.)

Notquitecockney Thank you, I did some investigation and rang some of the helplines and you were right. I've started block nursing and doing some of the other things suggested and it seems to be really helping. Thank you!!

Oh I'm so glad Hermya. NQC does give fab advice x

Hermya... I might be way off the mark here, but sure I read something on MN about the course of abs for mastitis being ideally 7 days (might have been 10?) while GPs still often only prescribe 4/5 day courses, is it possible the mastitis hasnt cleared up properly? If you want to, I am free next Wed am or poss mon if you want to meet up? Email me. x

Oh, I'm glad things are helping. Block feeding helps lots with oversupply.

We also seem to be begining to crack our latching issues, I noticed today that DS was starting to latch on himself and seems to be doing the 'fishy lips' which he wasn't doing before. I had some very comfy feeds today.

Long may it continue I say.

Woohoo! That's so great Hermya!

Thanks TACP!!