Deep pain in one boob after feeding

[TriJo]

My son is 15 weeks, have been 99% exclusively breastfeeding him. His feeding pattern changed quite suddenly at around 12 weeks from feeding every 45-90 minutes during the day with two night feeds to feeding around every 2-3 hours and sleeping through the night (generally of the order of 9pm to 7am).

For about the last 2-3 weeks my right boob has been temperamental, coming to a head around a week ago when I had a night of shivering, shaking, sweats and getting incredibly engorged. I went to the GP, who said I had mastitis and gave me antibiotics (flucloxacillin), which I've been taking for nearly a week, I should finish the course tomorrow. I'm getting a deep burning/stinging pain in my right boob after feeding and it can take anything up to an hour after feeding from my right side to fade. It's really painful and more than a little bit annoying!

I don't think it's thrush because there's nothing in my son's mouth and nothing wrong on my left side... anyone else had this, and anything I can do to stop it?

For mastitis, were you also working on unblocking ducts and releasing the milk? Antibiotics might clear up a bacterial infection, but if you still have a hard area in the affected boob then the blockage is still present. Kellymom has some info of blocked ducts and mastitis that might help.

It took several days for the bruised feeling and discomfort to go away when I had mastitis, even after dutifully unblocking the problem duct.

Yep, massaging the breast in a hot shower, making sure DS feeds off it regardless of pain, comfort pumping when needed etc.

Have you a hard area in the boob? Or some indication there might be a blockage left? If so, it's likely to stay sore until it's thoroughly unblocked and healed.

Also, does it hurt after you pump milk or just after your DS feeds? Does it hurt regardless of try position DS feeds in? Just wondering if it could be a latch issue on that side that is irritating the area tender from mastitis.

the position, not try position. Stoopid autocorrect.

I had exactly the same as you. Turned out it was just the mastitis not having cleared properly. I had to go back for more (stronger?) antibiotics. I thought initially that it was thrush, as had the same deep pain as I'd read about, and always after feeding. But it was definitely just the mastitis as it cleared up after the second lot of antibiotics.
Poor you, it's very painful.

Ps I didn't have the other, usual, mastitis symptoms that I'd had before (sick, shivers, aches, temp). Just the deep pain.

Deep pain can be thrush thogh, and thrush can be caused by abs, si it's worth being aware of that too.

Ductal thrush is possible.

No hard area in the boob. It hurts a bit with the pump but a little more when he feeds.

When I had thrush it was a burning sensation deep in the breast tissue, it felt like my boobs were refilling with boiling water, it was awful. I'd go back to the gp.

It's unlikely to be ductal thrush if it's only in one boob when directly bfing. Not impossible, but fairly unlikely, given what a pervasive bastard candida is.

I'd go back to your GP, OP... It's worth checking out if the antibiotics are doing their job. Don't take chances with mastitis.

Have an appointment made - Monday was the first available unfortunately!

Ouch! Hope you last ok til Monday.

In the meantime, try to keep the boob as empty as possible in cases it is mastitis still. Warm compresses (hot water on a facecloth or even a nappy) for a couple of min before a feed was my personal favourite - it got the milk flowing like nothing else.