Does mastitis make you feel spaced out and dizzy?

[daisyandbabybootoo]

DD is almost 15 weeks. I've had various problems with BFing but her latch seems to be getting worse as time goes on and she isn't draining me properly causing nasty blocked ducts on occasion.

i woke up this morning to pain in my breast and a red painful area next to my aereole (sp?). I have been trying to feed her on that side as much as possible and have been massaging, hot flannels etc, but the red area seems to be spreading and is very very painful indeed. For the last half hour I hve been feeling really woozy and disassociated from the wolrd.

Would mastitis do this or is it something else entirey...eg, I've had a raging sore throat on and off for ages.

TIA

yes it probably is due to the mastitis. I took ibruprofen and paracetamol regularly when I had mastitis. In some cases you may need antibiotics. I suggest you see your GP.

It's horrible isn't it? In my case it always went within 48 hours which is why I didn't need antibiotics.

what's your temperature?

Yes - when I had the beginnings of mastitis I felt exactly like that. Paracetamol and constant feeding helped a lot.

Mastitis is caused when the milk stays in the breast for too long and starts to leak into the surrounding tissues fooling your body into thinking there's an infection present so your body mounts an immune response giving you a temperature and fluey symptoms as well as pain and redness. The WHO say to massage, do hot/cold compresses and feed and express frequently to get the milk moving and if you're no better at all in 12-24 hours to see a Dr in case it is a real infection which requires antibiotics (rare unless there's a route for infection to get in like a cracked nipple).

Is there someone you could ask to help you with her latch to avoid it happening again in the future? A local BFC or support group?

oh daisy! poor you.. i have been following you for a while. can you head to bed and rest up? if you dont feel better 2 morro - head to the gp. xo

Cheers...this is the first time I've felt like this even though have frequent pain and blocked ducts.

I will see the GP in the morning and keep going with what I'm doing.

I think she has a bit of a tongue tie, and like her dad she is a bit of a chinless wonder so it tends to make latching difficult.

My HV, who is a "breastfeeding champion" 9??) apparently, checked her tongue and said it feels OK, but when she sticks her tongue out there is a definate indent in the end which I read is a typical sign of tongue tie.

There are a few BF groups and Baby Cafes locally so I will also try and get to one of those tomorrow.

She always seems worse on the left side as well.

14 weeks in, I'm still waiting for my BF epiphany

Thanks weeonion...I read through your threads as well, and what I'm going through is mild in comparison.

'Tis a pain in the tit though

If bfing is being held back by a tongue tie (hopefully someone at the baby cafe will be able to help you decide if that's really the case), can you ask your HV or GP about having it snipped?

I will lindenlass. I have asked about it, and have been told it either "feels OK to me" or "I don't think she has a tongue tie" but from what I've read lots of the signs are there.

I do want to keep going as long as possible, but it is increasingly disheartening. The only thing that is keeping me going is the reslulting engorgement if I stop. I remember it from stopping with DS and it was hellish.

Daisy,

hang in there your doing a fine job. Things will get better. I have had mastitis 6 times and an endless list of other problems including full blown nipple confusion.. with dd1 i didn't experience the bfing epiphany until around 4 months too.. but from that point onwards i loved it.

Ensure that you are taking paracetamol every 4 hours to control your temperature - if it has raised - as this is what makes mastitis worse.

feed, feed, feed and express express express between feeding! ensure that you keep that breast as empty as possible. Warm flannels before feeding/expressing then cold flannels afterwards to soothe it, cool the inflammation and reduce swelling (if any).

Feed on all fours to allow gravity to do its work

And most of all as much rest as possible.

Dunno if you have had a look at Plugged Ducts and Mastitis

Give yourself a well earned pat on the back, you deserve it. Well done for continuing thru the hard times.

thanks determination...maybe I can borrow your name? . It's ggod to hear that others have been there and that it does get better.

I'm not looking forward to the morning as DD generally sleeps all night. Short of setting my alarm to get me up in the middle of the night so I can express that is.

I've had a look on Kellymom for the reasons and there are a few things on there that are ringing bells for me.

Thanks for all the kind words

Yes, it definitely does make you feel like that. I've just had it for the third time last week. It has gone within two days every time though.

I lie on my front in a hot bath with ginger oil, really massaging it. Homeopathic Phytolacca was recommended to me as well as feeding the baby with it's chin pointing towards the lump. This might be tricky to position though.

Rest also helps. Hope youo feel better soon.

daisy, you are doing so well at this, with all the problems that you have had a less determined person would have given up by now. I can't offer any practical advice, but just want you to realise what a trouper you are!

Btw, I haven't had my bf epiphany yet either, but I'm too damn stubborn to give up!

bumper.

fingers crossed this will be gone in a day or two!

Thought i would add this;

While nursing:
Nurse on the affected breast first; if it hurts too much to do this, switch to the affected breast directly after let-down.
Ensure good positioning & latch. Use whatever positioning is most comfortable and/or allows the plugged area to be massaged.
Note: Advice to point baby's chin (or nose) toward the plugged area is not necessarily going to be helpful as it is based on the idea that the milk ducts take a nice, direct route to the nipple - recent research tells us that this is not true, and that a particular duct might begin in one area of the breast but can "wander" in many different directions before terminating in any area of the nipple.

This was found here

not read the thread through and so not sure if anyone's suggested that the probs might be because of a tongue tie. My ds had one and it caused havoc for weeks. We had it snipped and have got through the tough times. x

thanks tcmummy....I think she does have a bit of a tongue tie, but the HV siad she doesn't "think" so. I'm seeing the doc today for the mastitis so will ask his opinion. I couldn't get an appointment with the doc who is most knowledgeable about all things lactational though.

My DD also has a bit of an overbite/regressive chin, which I don't think is helping me either.

I look like someone has drawn all over me with red marker pen this morning so I think I need anti-biotics...

...oh joy, another dose of thrush here we come

daisy - goo dluck today. thinking of you and if you think thrush is starting, try and get it sorted asap. i finally seem to have got rid of mine and honestly - things seem a bit brighter! not quite an epihany but better. will check inlater to see what the doc said. x

Thanks weeonion . I'm a bit scared about seeing him as I'm not sure how sympathetic he will be to BF, and I'm dreading being questioned about wanting to continue with it (she is 15 weeks now and most people ae surprised I'm still doing it, especially given all my problems).

I'm trying to sort out a lactation consultant, and am prepared to pay if necessary.

How are things with you? Are you still going yourself? I noticed you on a thread the other day saying you were the pumping queen or something? Does that mean you are just expressing?

The doc was very nice today. He has given me anti-biotics and some cream and a pessary incase of thrush, but I don't suppose that will help my boobs any . He also checked DD and is pretty sure she doesn't have a tongue tie, so I'll need to look for other reasons for recurrent blocked ducts. I'll get to a BF support group tomorrow hopefully.

I'm feeling very sorry for myself though so am going to bed with a hot drink and a book, and DD of course, for the rest of the day.

DH has taken the day off work to deal with DS thankfully.

Glad to hear you're resting up . That REALLY helps with mastitis.

On the tongue tie our mw said ds had a small one, the doc said he didn't think he had much of one either. The specialist consultant said it was one of the most severe one's he's seen.

Seeing a lactation consultant would be good for you. Hope you can find one on the nhs.

And at the red lines. Oh I remember them well...

daisy - I'm glad the doctor was helpful. He probably gave you the pessary because antibiotics can cause vaginal thrush - in my case, antibiotics cause thrush every time I've ever taken them.

Hope you're feeling a lot better today.

LOL belgo, I was concerned about breast thrush as I have already had that and only finished a course of oral fluconazole three weeks ago!

Things are much better today, swelling has gone down and red lines have all but disappeared. Still very sore and I can feel the blockage is still there, but it is much much smaller.