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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

PLEASE HELP! My right breast hurts........lots

53 replies

Swaliswan · 20/03/2008 20:50

Can anyone tell me if they think that I'm getting mastitis or if something else is up? DD is nearly 10 months old and is really quite poorly at the mo. BM seems to be the only thing that she is keeping down and soothes her sore throat and cough so instead of having two feeds a day, she has been having five or six. This is fine except now I have a really painful right boob. The pain started in one area towards the arm pit and has now spread throughout the whole breast. It is a deep pain that aches if I don't prod it and hurts more if I do! I can't see any red areas on the skin of the breast and I don't feel any more poorly than I already do. I'm not looking forward to the next feed as I was almost in tears just trying to examine the breast for redness. It almost feels like a painful engorgement type pain if I cast my mind back to having a newborn.

Any ideas?

OP posts:
fishie · 20/03/2008 22:36

i have read that getting the child to feed with their chin pointing at the painful area can do the trick too, may involve some acrobatics for both of you. comb in the shower worked for me, wide toothed not a tiny old fashioned men's one i hope.

peasoup · 20/03/2008 22:52

Dizzychixies- sorry but the worst case scenario is worse than antibiotics I'm afraid. I had Mastitis; antibiotics wouldn't shift it- turned into a breast abcess- had to go to hospital twice a week for eight weeks to have a lovely long needle inserted into boob into the absess and all the fluid drained. Yuck, yuck, yuck. And Ow, ow, ow!
So get to the out of hours doctor if it's still very sore tomorrow. Mine got a very rock hard patch and was incredibly sore when I got the absess and I spoke to a breast consultant on the phone who told me to get down to A and E straight away. I did try all the above stuff mentioned in this thread and also dragged myself to breast feeding support groups and health visitors and doctors, etc. and they didn't diagnose it. Kick up a fuss and mention breast absess if it gets alot worse. Better safe than sorry. Don't want to freak you out, just want you to insist on them exhamining you properly if it gets really painful. Breast absess is actually very rare.

dizzychixies · 20/03/2008 22:54

ok was trying not to freak her out but at least she knows now
sorry to hear you had such a hard time peasoup

theyoungvisiter · 20/03/2008 22:55

and even worse than that - a colleague of mine got mastitis, was moving house so didn't get it treated fast enough, and it turned into septicemia. She ended up in hospital with full on blood poisoning - really serious stuff!

theyoungvisiter · 20/03/2008 22:56

sorry - that was not to be too scary! Just to agree with Peasoup and say if it doesn't go away do get ABs promptly!

Original poster
Swaliswan · 20/03/2008 23:27

Erm, thanks, I think. Pain is really bad now having tried all of your suggestions. I have found a few hard lumps tha won't shift. I'm going to feed DD now and hope that she can sort the problem out for me.

OP posts:
verylittlecarrot · 20/03/2008 23:41

Swaliswan, you still about? I have another possibility for you. I know of a few other blocked duct gals who have found this really works for them.

Under a very bright light, examine the end of your nipple very closely; even squeezing your nipple between forefinger and thumb. Look at the nipple pores that your milk comes out of. Whilst squeezing, can you see any teeeeeny little white plugs - like blackheads, (but white)?

If you can, then squeeze them out for all your worth. You may find they pop out under the pressure of the backed up milk, and this should be followed by a release of all the milk and pressure. Hand express to clear it all out.

Hang on, and I'll link you to a thread on this...

verylittlecarrot · 20/03/2008 23:44

here you go

Do try this. You may not find anything, but if you do, I promise you this will make a huge difference.

Good luck.

mummyofsofs · 20/03/2008 23:48

I had this problem a few times, I bought these advent breast feeding shells.

When I used them for a day it would go away again. I think it was a block duct. Also a hot cloth soothes it abit.

Original poster
Swaliswan · 21/03/2008 08:19

Thanks Ladies. I've had a terrible night and feel very poorly. I've got the frst appointment at out of hours - 10am

OP posts:
MaryBS · 21/03/2008 08:25

SS - sorry to hear you are still feeling rough.

You're doing the best thing.

dizzychixies · 21/03/2008 08:55

sorry to hear you had a bad night, hope the out of hours are able to help

peasoup · 21/03/2008 09:43

Just logged back on this morning. Apologies if i just scared you with my post about the absess-I wasn't sure whether to tell you or not but just wanted to be sure you badgered the health services and didn't get fobbed off so it led to an absess. I'm really still not sure why mine turned into an absess; I tried all sorts of antibiotics to get rid of the mastitis but it still developed into an abscess. Probably just bad luck. Hope I didn't freak you out. I had a scan at A and E to detect the abcess so maybe push for a scan if you're in agony. Sorry Dizzy chick- i realise now you were just being tactful whilst i was just blundering on in freaking the poor lass out!! I hope it went well with the out of hours doc.

MrsMattie · 21/03/2008 09:50

Hi Swaliswan. I've had two very bad bouts of mastitis and all I can say is I am very glad you are going to see your GP today! Hot flannels, cabbage leaves and massage can ease mild cases of mastitis. Once the pain is as bad as you described, you need to see a doctor and probably need antibiotics. Well doenf or getting in to see the doctor. Hope you're feeling better soon.

MoosMa · 21/03/2008 09:54

Sorry you had a bad night, hope you get sorted this morning.

Flight · 21/03/2008 10:00

Oh you poor thing, antibiotics will sort it out fast, hope you are better soon xx

dizzychixies · 21/03/2008 12:48

how did you get on at out of hours?

Fingerbobs · 21/03/2008 14:52

I do hope you're feeling better - if it is a blocked duct - and when I had them they made me feel sick if I brushed the skin never mind poked them - then can I recommend those heat packs that you get for ski-ing? You just snap them and they heat up, so you can use them in the middle of the night before feed without bothering to get out of bed and fill a bottle or go to the microwave or whatever. Good luck.

Original poster
Swaliswan · 21/03/2008 15:37

I have mastitis and have been prescribed antibiotics. I've been toldto go back tomorrow if I'm not improving at all. I have several red patches of skin on the breat now, it's swollen and I have a temperature. On top of that, DD is even sicker today. I've been told to not feed from the affected side for 24 hours. I was given some painkillers at out of hours and was looked after by a lovelyy female doctor who helped me with my bra.

OP posts:
Original poster
Swaliswan · 21/03/2008 15:40

Sorry about the typos. I feel rotten and can't see properly.

OP posts:
MoosMa · 21/03/2008 16:00

Oh poor you, take it easy and look after yourself, hope you're feeling better soon.

Flight · 21/03/2008 16:48

Oh no

That's awful. I hope the pills kick in sooner rather than later, you must really be suffering.

{{{hugs}}}

wakeupeverybody · 21/03/2008 18:12

Sorry to hear you are feeling so poorly, and thank goodness you have got some antibiotics. I had mastitis at the beginning, and it made me feel very yuck. I just wanted to check that you are still expressing on the affected side if you are not feeding from it- there is no reason, other than it being painful, for you not to feed from it, and feeding will help you move the milk through it and help you feel better.
I've got no idea how to do links but kellymom is good on what to do:
www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/mastitis.html
Hope you feel better soon

Original poster
Swaliswan · 21/03/2008 19:54

Thank-you so much Wakeupeverybody. DH and I have read the page that you posted and it had some helpful info. It is so sore to feed from the affected breast but I did manage it this evening (although my pain is worse now ). We're hoping and praying that everyone here picks up soon. Last night I was so scared that this would spell the end of BFing. Just as well that it hasn't as BM is the only thing that DD can keep down at the moment. It seems that BM is also very good cough mixture

OP posts:
peasoup · 21/03/2008 20:16

Yes I did want to post to say you actually should keep feeding from that side as it can get further blocked if you don't but I didn't really want to go against what your doctor told you as i'm no expert! Glad someone else said it first! I expressed if i couldn't feed but apparently baby sucking is more powerful than the expresser so better at clearing the blockage. I used nipple guards to make it less painful (rubbery things). It won't spell the end of breast feeding, not if you don't want it to. As I say it'll get you better quicker by feeding not by stopping. Even when i had the abcess I carried on feeding as I was scared that if i stopped it would actually get worse as the ducts wold block more. So i soldiered on as the advice was it would help clear it quicker and went on to breast feed for a least another 10 months after the abcess cleared; only stopped when i got truely bored of it and DS was a huge hulking great 15 month old.