Mastitis already - how to clear and avoid in future?

[Ozziegirly]

DS2 is 2 weeks old and certainly seems to be feeding ok - he doesn't "drain the breast" or anything but he seems happy and is slowly gaining weight.

My left breast has been painful on and off and I can feel a lump but deep inside, and I can't clear it. I'm trying to get DS to feed more from this side but then the right one is really leaky and big.

Anyway, this afternoon I came over all feverish, have a temp, feel shivery and crap. It goes off a bit when DS feeds from left breast.

I'll go to dr tomorrow but I plan to bf DS for months and I need to know what to do to avoid this in the future.

With DS1 I had mastitis 3 times, back to back, as soon as anti bs stopped I got it again BUT I was expressing and bottle feeding as he wouldn't feed from me. Had assumed the expressing was the problem, not my breasts.

Any suggestions or help to avoid constant mastitis again?

I have some experience of this. Any lumpy areas I deal with right away with my second. Massage hot compress showers hand expressing etc. if I feel he has not finished a feed I used my hand pump in the early weeks, but did not over do it. Also I did not let baby go more than two hours in the day and four at night, until one month. I think I am prone to blocked ducts. First baby was a terrible feeder but second is great bit it is still plaguing me a bit. Be careful with expressing too much at the end of a feed if you do so you don't end up with an over supply. This is just my own experience. There is an nhs booklet on mastitis and no doubt something on kellymoms site too.

Agree kellymom has sone good information on mastitis, good to read before you go to the GP as the GPS advice might not be totally upto date. I'd also give one of the bfing helplines a call, have you got the numbers? If not, try googling the national Breastfeeding helpline

Can you go to your doctor as soon as you have finished the antibs, and request a milk test to check it really has gone? Then if it hasn't, you can start the next course immediately. Mine took about three courses to go.

(Stupid system wouldn't allow them to send a sample unless they strongly suspected or some rubbish, but if I went to my normal MW instead of the BF specialist, she could act uninformed and send for a test. ?? )

Take anti inflammatories now to calm down the reaction until you get antibiotics. I found with blocked ducts that the only thing that shifted them was a really long feed. I used warm flannels, and combed the breast with a wide toothed comb towards the nipple, but the feeding did the job. Make absolutely sure that nothing presses on that breast, with me it was a sling, and one of my bras, that caused blocks. Oh and sleeping against a pillow. There is a homoeopathic remedy to take at the first sign of a block, phytolacca 200c.-If you use homoeopathy.

It is horrendous, isn't it? Poor you.
I agree with above - nurofen, massage, heat, frequent feeds and checking latch. Also try a different position - particularly a 'dangley' one!

I was bad and forced any blockages I got out by pushing them along with my hand in a really hot bath and using my breast pump under the water.
I wouldn't recommend it though because I know you're not meant to press hard.
I could have made things worse really.

I had mastitis twice with ds1 and got a horribly swollen under arm duct on day 2 with this new little one. In addition to the tips by other posters re massage etc my mw had me rugby ball holding with my arm up to open the ducts up. It's worked and duct has cleared with no infection.

Came back to post about lying on my side, the wrong bra or top or sling seeming to cause me a problem to and yy to ibuprofen. Hope you are feeling better.

How are you today Ozzie? Did you manage to find the info on kellymom?