How to stop - recurrent mastitis

[JollySergeantJackrum]

DS was one on Saturday.

In the early days we had a pretty terrible time breastfeeding with him being admitted to hospital because of losing too much weight, formula top ups, exclusive expressing, nipple shields, cracked nipples... then I had mastitis when DS was 6 months.

Feeding was wonderful from then until the end of last month when I got mastitits again, got this cleared up with antibiotics but it's come back overnight last night - woke up at 3am shivering like crazy and feeling like I'd been punched then was sick. Managed to express quite a lot of gunk in the bath - not quite pus but yellow milk. I'd say at least 50ml.

Anyway, considering everything we've been through I'm so pleased that we've made it to one year and gutted at the prospect of stopping. DS still feeds when he gets up in the morning and before bedtime at night, although he copes fine with a bottle of formula if I'm not there.

I need to stop though. I can't deal with having mastitis again. My work is insanely busy at the moment and I can't be taking more time off if I get mastitis again.

How do I stop? Do I just swap both feeds for bottles and hand express twice a day? Do I keep the bedtime feed and stop the morning one? I know it's not ideal, but I'd like to stop sooner rather than later.

Any advice would really be appreciated!

I think if you're gutted it would be ideal if you could find the right support to continue rather than stop.
That said, I can understand why you think you should stop, too.
I never found an easy way to stop, from what you describe I would think start by trying to stop expressing in the day (wind it down slowly) and keep the evening + morning feeds for a while. Eventually move to evening & overnight feeds being bottles, with mornings being last one to drop.
Good luck :)

Just don't stop now while you have mastities you need it all cleared up first.

Have a read hear www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/pdfs/BFN_Mastitis.pdf on getting the right treatment and self help measures.

Once your all better then you can drop one feed at a time leaving at lest a week between droping feeds.

Things to consider that may be causeing recurent mastites are possible tight clothing, have you changed your bra's wearing wired one's that are not well fitted. Are you randomaly siking feeds, ie missing bedtime feed for the odd night and not expressing (some women can get away with this at this stage but others can't). Basicly anything that may be pressing on your breasts can cause blocked ducks and mastites.

Thank you, both.

Mig I have missed the odd evening feed, but I think it's just because I'm working lots and lots and not getting a great deal of sleep. I struggle to express terribly much nowadays, certainly my breast pump seems to be pretty much useless. I haven't changed any clothing, but I do sleep on my front, always have.

As DS is one and pretty wriggly it's fairly difficult to get him to 'take a full feed'.

Thanks for the breastfeeding network link.

How was your first bout of mastitis treated? You're supposed to have 10-14 days of antibiotics but some dimwits GPs only prescribe 7 days. This happened to me and the mastitis came back twice - about 3 weeks after the previous bout and in the same breast each time. Could this be what's happened to you?

Hmm, could be. I had 11 days of erythromycin. The gp this time has only given me 7 days but I intend to go back for more.

are you allergic to penicillin? They normally prescribe flucloxacillin as first choice. Hope it gets sorted :)