Is this mastitis?

[burritofan]

Right breast is bright red and has been since the middle of the night. It was lumpy/hard in the night, and excruciatingly painful; I felt freezing cold and shivery despite the humidity, but I clamped the baby on as soon as I noticed and no lumps this morning, just red. Pain is gone.

No fever or pain, no chills any more or body aches, just a boob that's 3/4 red and hot to the touch. I've been feeding from it as much as possible, massaging (though there's no lump to massage?), stood under a hot shower, but the red/heat isn't disappearing. Should I worry?

Get thee to a GP for antibiotics. I ignored mastitis for a few short days and ended up with an 8cm abscess that needed surgically draining (and a hideously scarred boob as a result)

Ouch sounds like it. Warm cloth or shower or bath, hopefully it will calm down soon.

It does sound like mastitis, definitely, or a really blocked duct. If the chills are gone, you’ve probably avoided antibiotics, so feed, feed, feed from that side. My duct clearance strategy numero uno was to get in a deep, hot bath, boob submerged in the water and hand-express down into the water, rubbing right down over the red bit. Add in a wide-toothed comb if you have one. Unblocking a duct hurts like the bejesus, but when it’s cleared, it’s truly amazing...the milk squirted in a continuous stream once out of my nipple, clear across to the tap at the opposite end of the bath 😧

Another tip is to position your baby so that their chin is over the red bit - the sucking of the chin gives the block a helpful massage to help with dislodging.

🏅

Yikes, I'd like to be abscess free! Will call doctor tomorrow. Had just finished a round of antibiotics for c-section infection too; it'll be thrush next :(

You could be at risk of oral/nipple thrush with repeated antibiotics, OP. GPs are very antibiotic-happy with mastitis and it honestly sounds like you’re past the potentially infective stage. An abscess is a rare complication. I would strongly recommend a couple of days of feeding and clearance before going straight for antibiotics.

It sounds like it was and you're on the better side of it. As a pp said, feed feed feed on that side (but don't neglect the other!) I've had mastitis quite a few times and the redness for me took days to completely go. If you ever suspect it again take regular ibuprofen as soon as you can, it can help nip it in the bud, along with massage and regular feeding.

That’s oral thrush for your baby, OP, BTW - s/he would probably have been given a dose of antibiotics if you had a section, further increasing the risk of thrush. Once baby has that and you have nipple thrush it’s a bear to clear and so uncomfortable. Honestly try clearance before antibiotics.

Try feeding at different angles, so baby’s chin points towards the sore, red area. Rugby ball position is good for this also try going on all 4s with baby on his/her back again with bottom of chin towards the redness. It might seem a bit weird but it really helps to clear the blocked duct. I’ve done this every time I’ve had it and got it cleared without seeing the doc. It’s worth a try tonight and in the morning before you see the doc. Paracetamol also helps with the fever - good luck, hope you’re better soon x

Is it worth sticking the pump on it as well, should the baby be in an ornery mood? (I'm crap at hand expressing!) God I hope it disappears overnight, fed up with bits of my body going haywire

YY to ibuprofen, in combination with paracetamol to reduce inflammation.

Definitely pump as well, yes.

And massage armpit to nipple over the red bit while baby is feeding or while you’re pumping.

I misread the part where you said fever/chills are gone. That'll teach me to try and multitask. Agree you probably are past infective stage now but see how you feel in the morning anyway, no harm in calling the GP for reassurance.

Definitely, this happened to me. The midwife said once the fever had gone I was getting better, hot baths or showers helped a lot as they caused me breasts to leak.
I also tried to feed more on that breaths to alleviate the issue.

Hope it starts to feel better soon x

Thank you, everyone for advice and reassurance! Feeding right now (not quite athletic enough to dangle baby over shoulder for chin massage but will massage it myself!), popping ibuprofen, getting the comb out, all the big guns.

My chest looks completely comical, like a harlequin jester

Mastitis is hideous, was in hospital last month with double mastitis - feel your pain. Think you have good advice here but was just going to add that I found blasting any lumps with the shower head on full power worked when massaging didn’t. Good luck and hope you feel better soon!

You've had lots of great advice on here OP, I hope it's helped and you're on the mend.

My experience of mastitis was totally different, I was 20 years old and had no support with breastfeeding at all. The health visitor told me a bit of redness was normal and to just keep feeding, which led to me ignoring it until I was so poorly I was hospitalised. I had to stop feeding DD at 6 weeks old and the abscess left so much scar tissue that I was unable to feed DS when he arrived 2 years later.

I'm glad there's so much more support now, I would have had a very different experience!

@Myusernameismud Utterly mended, thank you! Boobs both a normal colour now. Feel I got off lightly – I'm appalled at your HV! (Mind you I think they're all awful and Mumsnet is my first port of call.)