Mastitis

[Verytiredmum]

Hi Twiga

Thought that I would post here, rather than clog up another thread in an altogether different area. I've lots of experience with mastitis (fed ds1 for 3 years, ds 2 now 2.5 and still going strong.) If your mastitis reoccurs, try a good dose of neurofen at the first twinge, and then feed like mad from the affected side. Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory and so takes down the swelling in the tubes and then feeding through that side clears out any stale milk avoiding infection/the need for any more antibiotics. After a first horrid dose of mastitis, before I knew this, I never had to suffer again, although felt the redhot needles of it beginning on a number of occasions. (I always carried the breast pump with me too just on the offchance that ds didn't want to feed - is it likely?!)

Best wishes

VTM

Those are good tips. One more I'd recommend: feed with the baby's chin pointing to the lump. That clears it best.

And pump after feeding, just to be sure.

Thanks so much for thinking of me and starting this thread verytiredmum . This is my second bout and has been worse than the first time, stupid thing is all the signs were there and I missed them/thought it was just engorgement and would clear with next feed. DD is just over 5 months and I really want to keep feeding her until she's at least 18 months, longer if she wants but the thought of mastitus reoccurring is putting a real dampner on the whole thing. Things have improved from Saturday with the redness just about gone but breast still very lumpy and to cap it all my nipple is very cracked and sore. DH is a doc and one of his collegues (breast surgeon) has said she'll do an ultra-sound to check for abcess if things not improved by thurs and do any relevant draining etc (hoping it won't come to that, I'm scared of needles).

At the moment I'm taking the anti-biotics, using warm/cold compresses before each feed and expressing from the affected side to make sure fully emptied after feed. the other thing I'm going to do tomorrow is get my bra size checked while I'm in town - the last time I was measured was to get my first lot of nursing bras when dd was about 10 days old and I've a feeling I could do with going up a size - a small bra certainly won't be helping! If you can think of anything else I could do all tips gratefully received.

Thanks as well for your tip NQC!

If you think your bra may be part of the problem, try to feed without it when possible, until you've replaced it.

Pls could someone help me,i have mastitus,but in the left boob this time,only just recoving from it 2 wks ago in the right,what am i doing wrong?
Got anti b but got to go back thurs as doc thinks there is an abcess...what does that mean,feel so ill...tia

Twiga and ebbie- as daft as this sounds I had mastitis whenever i wore the black bra that came in the multipack (even though it was the same size as the white and similar fabric there was obviously something different about it.

I also got mastitis where the seam for the bra was- must have been a pressure point or something.

What I'm trying to say is try the bra on and make sure its comfy. Personally I couldn't use breast pads as they seemed to irritate me and could have been a contributing factor to the mastitis.

I had 3 lots of mastitis and have to say that ibuprofn taken at the first tingle stopped me developing it several more times.

If you think you have mastitis though get to the doc's for antibiotics straight away before it gets worse

thanks i went to docs today but too late as mastitus had already taken effort again,i knew i was getting at 2am this morn,but couldnt do anything about it...
what is an abcess and how do i get rid of it?boob so so sore.....

anyone??????????

Hi. I've had it 3 times in 13 weeks. What I've learnt:

*If you can get away with less support, wear sleep bras all the time (£18 for two at mothercare) - they have no seams and are quite loose when you're not engorged, but are stretchy enough when your boobs are feeling fuller.

*Massage your boobs during the 2nd half of your feed - thumb and forefinger gently pressing from the outer bit of your boob down towards the nipple. Gets some strange looks in Starbucks.

*Use ibuprofen (cheaper if you buy supermarket own brands) if you get that tingly feeling in your upper back or find lumps.

*Feed regularly if you can. It's tempting to let them sleep on sometimes, but if they are going to make you seriously engorged and you're mastitis-prone, might help to wake them up and stick 'em on...

*Check boobs regularly every night for telltale lumps and red marks. A hot bath every night also helps, if you have time.

*I have got a box oof flucloxacillin under the kitchen sink for emergencies, as the 2nd time I had it, I went from normal to death-bed in about 60minutes - there was no way I could have made it down to the doc's.

HTH. Good luck to you all - it's really horrible and we deserve a medal for keeping going :)

Thanks,been bk from docs,and have got a presciption to take on hols,as a just in case method,as i do too go from normal to deaths door so fast....
Its really making me want to give up feeding as its putting a downer on it for me BIG TIME....

The lump is still there and sore,but should be gone after 3 more days of anti bs,but at least they are same size[ish]lol,thanks again xx

Hi, sorry haven't checked in on this thread for a few days. Sorry to hear you've been having probs Ebbie, hope things are clearing now and that's the end of it.

I'm back on anti-b's, finished the last lot fri and by Tues it was all flaring again so they've given me diff tabs which are working so much better - improvement within the first couple of doses. Heading back up home this weekend so going to get on top of the bra situation - John Lewis in Aberdeen are excellent on a fitting front. So hoping this is the last time but dd will start on solids in a fortnight and I suspect that as we begin weaning it may be a danger time for mastitus again, gonna try and be as on the look out as I can in hopes of avoiding.