Mastitis, four times in four weeks...

[MissRatty]

My little one will be four weeks old tomorrow, and as my post suggests, this is my fourth bout of mastitis. Been given antibiotics for the first two bouts, and it's still come back. The last time I had it in both breasts and I just rode it out, but this is the fourth time in as many weeks and I'm starting to get cheesed off by it.

I'm doing stuff like pumping (expressing) loads, feeding the dude as much as I can and massaging that boob, wearing a loose support top as opposed to a bra, hot and cold compresses, plenty of water, paracetemol for the flu type feeling and aches, but does anyone have any hints or tips that might help a) shift this bout, and b) flippin' stop it coming back. It's so annoying, painful etc., it almost makes me want to give up bf, but I can't be beaten by this stupid infection...

have you had someone good check your attachment is spot on? Because recurrent mastitis suggests the breasts aren't getting drained as well as they could be. It sounds miserable, I hope you can get things improving soon

Sorry you are going through this - I know how hard it is as I had recurring mastitis with first dd. Hope this might help (sorry can't do link properly)
www.llli.org/faq/repeatmastitis.html

Are you well otherwise? I had recurring mastitis with ds2. It turned out to be linked with a thyroid issue.

I do feel well otherwise, knackered, but because of little one!

He's latching ok, and because his poo had gone green for a bit I was advised to keep offering the same boob until its drained.

He does have a tendency to fall asleep on the boob, and no amount of hand rubbing and cheek tickling seems to wake him (changing his nappy works but I can't do that constantly when he's feeding as we'd get through thousands of nappies a day...as soon as he's latched he tends to shut his eyes!

Will definitely check out that website, and try to make sure each boob is drained. I'll be going to a breastfeeding support group soon, so can also get attachment checked...

sounds like you were advised to try block nursing. That needs to happen in conjunction with ensuring the resting breast doesn't get engorged

however, greenish poo is usually a variation of normal and not a big problem. Sounds like rectifying a non issue might be triggering the mastitis.
can you ring a helpline, they are open as usual over the festive period

Poor you mastitis is the pits.

Which antibiotics were you on? A 10 day course of Flucloxacillin is best practice in terms of treatment.

Has your LO been checked for tongue tie?

Once you've had it once, it's more likely to return apparently.

I only ever got it once but it's bad enough.

The older they get, the less it seems to reoccur so after 3 months it's a lot less likely to reoccur but of course that's quite a way away.

I think all you can do is carry on doing what you are doing.

I was on flucloxacillin, twice, but having suffered many many tonsil infections etc as a child I am resistant to a number of antibiotics, and this looks like another to add to the list! The mini due has been checked for tongue tie too.

Looks like i'll have to get used to it, I was just hoping there was some odd old wives cure that might do the trick! Just going to keep feeding, massaging, compressing, pumping etc.! If I do get it again I'll go back to the docs, but I feel awful as I've been ringing them a lot with my boobs, my stitches, dude's reflux etc.!

Good thing is it is really unlikely once you have built up a supply and have a feeding schedule that is dictated by little man (i.e. 8am, 10.30am, 3pm, 6pm, 8pm & 2.30am) after a few weeks of this your body will get used to this and produce that amount for that time automatically.

I took antibiotics for mine and it did help, although did put me off my food a bit (that's a bit of a help actually, as I eat like a pig whilst BFing).

Well that's what the doctors get paid for to hear from concerned parents and people who have illnesses. It's better to phone them a hundred times with minor ailments than to not phone them once for something serious. They are used of hypochondriacs going in so at least you have a reason. It's tricky though. I saw 4 doctors in 3 weeks and I think they must be sick of seeing me there now.

I expect it will happen less and less though. Was there a bigger gap between between the 3rd and 4th bout than there was the 1st and 2nd one? If so, it looks quite promising.

Found this OP:

kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/recurrent-mastitis/

Thanks all. Actually the gaps are getting longer I think between bouts. Thing is, my little one feeds at irregular times, we just feed him when he asks but the timings can vary and lengths of feed too, so I express after most feeds to try and empty the boobs now...except sometimes my dude will then decide he's hungry again after I've pumped both!

Haha yep, sounds about right.

They don't tend to get a regular feeding time til they are 2 or 3 months or at least my daughter didn't.

But they are all very different. These first few weeks are all about establishing feeding moreso than actually having a feeding schedule perse.

Promising that the bouts are further apart though.

Am confused about your expressing and feeding, are you expressing when not suffering? Are you still offering one side usually?

I am expressing when not suffering. Because little one lost more than 10% of his weight after birth I was advised to express so that my OH could give "top up" feeds at night, which now he feeds little one for a shift during the night so I get a four hour stretch of sleep.

Sent you a pm