Is it mastitis?

[Uptown2022]

Good Friday I woke up with a pretty obvious blocked duct. A bleb on the nipple was soon visible too. I also felt like I was coming down with a cold, sore throat and achey.

Blockage seemed to clear by last night but now I’ve got a scab where the bleb was, it’s more painful feeding on that breast, and I feel awful! Don’t seem to have a temperature though. My husband thinks I’ve just got a cold now.

Any advice?

Hi there I am a midwife. How old is the baby? Is it your first child? The reason I am asking is because it would help me to work out what's going on

Usually with mastitis women get a segment on the breast that looks red, feels hard and hot to touch. Mastitis doesn't cause sore throat. The fact that one of your nipple feels sore is a worry- it tells me your positioning and attachment could be improved. I am going to send a short video on P&A in a minute. Good P&A and the baby draining the breast well is the best strategy to prevent mastitis

https://globalhealthmedia.org/videos/what-to-do-about-nipple-pain-portuguese/

Yes, first baby. She’s seven months now. Thanks

Hi there it sounds more like thrush in the breast plus the sore throat than mastitis. Those conditions are usually unrelated. I don't have much experience with babies over 28 days so I can't be sure. I heard that mastitis is unlikely to strike after the 1st month. I don't know how true it is. The fact that it's a Bank Holiday weekend is obviously not helping. I suggest you google up thrush in the breast and see if your symptoms match. I hope it helps

Further to the earlier post- you don't need to worry with positioning and attachment with 7 months old baby

I had mastitis with my boys... a mild version and a truley horrific version.
The blockage wasn't obvious in my case at all, but there was red blotches in the skin which started small but grew and grew.
It's not something you want to wait around with, I would ring 111 and speak to someone asap!

How old were your babies

It is possible to get mastitis later if something disrupts milk flow. For me I think it was a combination of teeth coming through and her latch changing because of this, and a few long car journeys where feeds were more spread out and the stupid car seat belt rubbing on my boobs stimulating them to produce milk.

I would look up the mastitis protocol and use ice and ibuprofen to try and reduce inflammation. Avoid things that will increase inflammation like rigorous massage, hot compress etc. I like La Leche league information as its clear on what to do and when to seek further medical help.

All under 1.
You can get Mastits at any point of your BF journey.
I really hope you get checked over, it's a truley awful condition. I felt like I'd been hit by a bus!

That’s what I’m wondering. Even though the blockage has gone, it’s now more painful! Thanks

Is it a pain shooting through the breast to your back? If it is it's a classic sign of thrush

Hello

where your bleb was has scabbed so that duct probably isn’t clearing. That part of the system could still be under pressure. Does it feel like a bruise when you press it with a sudden sharp needle like pain upon latch? Often feels like this.

Usual self care is ibruprofen, cooling the breast to reduce inflammation, gentle massage away from the breast towards the body to drain fluid away (flat hand and very gentle) and trying to feed from different angles to see if you can get some relief. Keep the nipple moist - lanolin - so the scab causes fewer problems.

You can ache and have a temp and still be showing an immune response rather than an infection but any spreading redness, failure to resolve then get antibiotics quickly so it doesn’t progress.

You haven’t reported any thrush symptoms and mastitis is never determined by the age of your baby. You can get infective mastitis when you aren’t even breastfeeding!

No, it’s just painful when she feeds the moment. Just localised pain at the breast.

Yes, that’s how it feels. Thanks for the advice @Passthepickle 👍

Hope it clears for you.