Think I have an Abscess....

[KirstyDaisyBBandFifi]

I am really sad and losing the faith... THey (Breast feeding consultant has told me to get to GP urgently to get ultrasound!!!) now think I have an abscess in my right breast... DD3 is reacting to my antibiotics and is colicky every evening I don't know what to do next and am so tired that I can't think straight - I am feeling ill again and my temperature has increased again.... I thought breastfeeding was supposed to be natural and bonding but right now I am about to lose the plot.... Have anyone ever continued to feed after and abscess?

Poor, poor you Kirsty. Haven't had an abcess but have seen your other thread. Just didn't want this one to go unanswered. Keep taking the painkillers and hopefully someone will be along soon with some more information.

You poor thing! I had an abscess in my left breast about 6 weeks ago and I'm still breastfeeding from both sides. It is pretty horrific while it's happening, but I'm healed apart from a couple of very small scars.

Getting diagnosed is a very important first step (mine was missed by 3! GPs) and you will start to feel better almost as soon as you start getting properly treated. The treatment itself isn't pleasant, but what needs doing varies very much on how large the abscess is, what stage it's diagnosed at, but I only needed to be treated over four days, and then it took about another 3 weeks for 'the hole' to fully heal.

Make sure you look after yourself and get as much rest as you can (easier said than done with 3 DCs :( ) you are properly ill if you have an abscess, and now would be the time to call in favours to help look after you and the kids.

I totally understand where you're coming from feeling let down by what is supposed to be a lovely experience. The antibiotics made DD grotty too, and I can remember being in agony and thinking that in trying to do the 'right' thing by BFing I was making both of us ill - an absolute low point for me. I don't know how old your DD is, but I focused on the fact that my DD had started to break off mid-feed to give me. Big milky grin. You could also lookfor the NCT reasons to be proud chart - it's on the Internet if you google it.

Everyone who treated me was very clear that you really need to keep feeding, even if after you've healed you decide you've had enough. a baby feeding is the best way of getting milk out of the breast. It is absolutely excruciating though - I squeezed DP's hand during feeds, harder than I did during labour!

Feel free to message me, or chat on here if you want to moan. One of the worst things is that it's so rare that very few people will know what you're going through!

In short, it is very unfair and to be honest pretty shitty, but you can keep feeding if you want to, and if you do you should be very, very proud of yourself - I am! And even if you decide enough is enough, you've dine the best that you can for your DD, and you should still be proud of yourself! Good luck, and very un-mumsnetty hugs!

Gah errors due to typing left-handed while BF!

Forgot to say to eat lots of yoghurt to counteract the antibiotics...

Hi Kirsty - I was diagnosed with a right breast abscess three weeks ago,so if an abscess is whatyou have, I really do know how you're feeling right now... As raspberrylover says, its such a rare compliation to get that theres not many of us out there, so please do pm me if you want any support - I know i'm still feeling traumatised by it all. raspberrylover, your post felt so familar to me.
Get an ultrasound as soon as you can - I had a needle aspiration done at the same time, which wasn't that unpleasant - a walk in the park compared with trying to breastfeed with mastitis and an abscess. Its also less intrusive than other methods as its just a needle inserted under a local anaesthetic. I had to have a second aspiration which is almost always the case and that was completely painless, so it may be that this is a similar case for you. I had a 12 day course of double anti-biotics (to treat the mastitis which had dogged me for 8 weeks previously and another generic antibiotic to treat any secondary infection from the needle aspiration). I have to say I crashed physically and emotionally for a week afterwards I have to be honest. You really are ill when you have an abscess - in any other circumstances you'd probably be in hospital having a nice rest, yet you're expected to still feed your loved one.
Looking back now I still feel completely traumatised by it all, yet we got through it and i'm still breastfeeding. I know how you feel by just being so tired that you can't think. I was so worn out and ill, that I didn't even know how ill I was. I was traipsing to my gp who would tell my I had a high fever, yet I was still functioning and doing school runs etc. Believe me once you start getting treated, you'll start to remember what its like not to be in a constant hazy fog with achey limbs. For me, its been the emotional aspect that has affected me most. I had this wonderful time with my baby on our breastfeeding journey for months and then suddenly a dirty infection set in motion these events. I can't look at breastfeeding in the same way any more and that for me is more upsetting than the physical pain I had (we've given birth for heavens sake). I can't enjoy the experience as much. I'm also completely paranoid now about the slightest itch or red mark to the point that I would happily lift up my bra in the street to examine my boobs! But listen get an ultrasound asap and believe me you'll start to feel better once you get it drained/aspirated. Good luck, and take plenty of probiotics. You may find that soya leichtin and evening primrose oil will help keep the milk flowing without clogging - i've been taking them two weeks so can't say whether its worked yet.

Hi everyone! Thanks for the lovely message. GP doesn't think I have an abscess - however she became very concerned that I seem to be getting worse rather than better even though I am on double dose antibiotics. She examined me and said that the swelling is not hard enough for an abcess but it is strange! I then said that DD3 has white spots on her tongue.... GP examined her and said that she has thrush which can only come from me... therefore I have thrush with the breast which is causing the agonising pain and making the swelling seem worse... As I am only expressing (DD3 had bad tongue tie so cannot feed effectively!) I didn't think it was thrush (I had it with DD1) and believed I was dying with thrush.... Expressing is not as harsh as BF so therefore I didn't recognise the feeling...and mistakenly thought it was asociated with the mastitis!

I have to say all of these situations make me think I am going to give up and then I get a bit more motivation...

THanks for sharing your stories and it has really helped me to realise that so many people go through such difficult experience to feed their children. I don't know how you have kept going and admire you all.....

However I have also decided to put DD3 on Formula for this week - With GPs blessing as all of the drugs in my system have made her really unwell. She never had colic until I had to take these drugs...... And I am unable to cope with her and two other DDs, and also I don't want to put her through more pain than necessary.

Will let you know what is happening on Monday when I return to the GP.