help! mastitis :(

[Poppytime]

I seem to have got mastitis - DS is 6.5 months so unexpected. Saturday had hard sore lump in boob then woke up Sunday and it was worse, streaky red and I had a temp. Got to out of hours doc and got out on 500g penicillin (fluoxo something) 4 x a day, but i still don't feel better yet. Top section of boob is all red now and a bit purple :( I'm trying to feed but I started giving DS a bottle of formula mid morning for the past month so it's quite a chunk of the day I'm not feeding for. How long until I should start to feel better? I've got a 2 yo DD the look after too and it's been really tough today as I'm shivering and feeling sht. Ask scaring myself that it's actually inflammatory breast cancer, misdiagnosed as mastitis so getting a bit teary! Help! How long should I give it before i call docs?

Mastitis is SHIT. Sorry you're suffering. You really need to feed or express through it. Also warm compresses; the Lansinoh therapearl ones are amazing. Take painkillers and rest as much as possible.

(I realise how hard it is to rest. But you must, even if it requires hours of tv and other bribery for your toddler)

Thanks arse, I'm trying! CBeebies has been a saviour today along with floor puzzles with me helping from sofa while DS rolls around on his playmat. Still feeling very red and sore

You poor thing. I really do empathise. It will pass. Do you have anyone at home to help this evening? DH? The anti bs may take a little while to kick in but if you start feeling worse, call OOH

Mastitis is awful. I only had to manage with the one child and that was bad enough. Best things are rest, keeping feeding or expressing and fluids. Mine developed into abscesses and took a while to go, but I'd keep checking with doctors so they will keep ontop of it. Hope you feel better quickly.

I never got so bad I needed antibiotics, but I found sitting in a hot bath with a comb and hot flanel on your boob and um combing your boob from the sore lumpy point out to the nipple did help.

Antibiotics will take three days to kick in fully. It's grim. I had it twice and it's the sickest I've ever been. If no improvement by day four/five of abx then ring your dr. You should be improving by then. Keep feeding from that boob. That is essential. And keep going with paracetamol and ibuprofen too.

Same advice as everyone else. Keep feeding from that boob - your baby is the best person to help clear the blockage. Have you tried dangle feeding? I also think getting into a very hot bath and expressing under water is good.

Thanks for all the advice. Just got everyone to bed (and fed DS off the bad side - ouch) and will have a hot bath later when DH gets home from work. I have tried massaging etc but it's just so sore :( sorry and for everyone who has experienced this, it's just so horrid!

How are you feeling, OP?

Hi arse - not great, been in a&e most of the day, and whilst I support the junior doctors, this was not conducive to me getting anything resolved! Basically they wanted to do a scan and maybe drain if needed but by the time they sent me up to the breast clinic it had closed and docs one home - as he nurse put it 'we thought you weren't coming so we threw tie details in the bin'. Great. Why no one called down to a&e if they were ready for me or why I didn't get sent up sooner were apparently questions no one could answer. Oh well. I am home now with new stronger antibiotics and to go in tomorrow morning for a scan. They will call me - doc wrote my mobile number on a bit of scrap paper so not highly confident! Just shows how stretched they are I guess - and I'm not even a medical emergency...anyway sorry for the rant, thanks for asking though!

I had to go back a few times a week to the breast clinic to drain the abscesses away. It wasn't very painful and made a huge difference.