ouch....painful breast again...

[BlueDragonfly]

can i stop this before it turns into fully fledged mastitis? i don't want to be that ill and in that much pain again

pain has been there for around 3 days now. i had put it down to latch as sometimes ds3 just cant latch properly on that side at night. am religiously checking he is latched properly but the pain has slowly got worse

no red patch yet.

Can you feel a lumpy bit? If it's a blocked duct then yes, you can stop it before it turns into mastitis!

You're doing well to check the latch. Keep doing it.

If you can feel a hard/lumpy bit:

1. Get in the shower or bath (warmth helps flow), and do some gentle but firm massage - use a combing motion towards the nipple first (to encourage let-down), them firmly (not so it hurts) massage the hard bit, and all around it, again towards the nipple.

1. Experiment with different feeding positions, eg rugby hold if you usually cradle.

1. You could try to use gravity to encourage clearing the blockage, eg, leaning forward more to feed, even feeding on all fours with babe on the bed (and yes, you'll feel a bit of a pillock but it worked for me!)

1. There's some doubt over whether or not this is really effective, but some people swear by it: positioning babe so lower jaw is pressing on blocked bit. Again, I think it worked for me, although it's one for home - you can find yourself in very odd positions!

If, however, you can't find a hard or lumpy bit, it probably ain't a blockage and might need a call to a BFCS (although I'm sure one will be along here soon) or a trip to the GP. Thrush or another infection can also cause pain.

Hope some of that helps. Well done for sticking with it

And remember lots of fluids (for you). Try using a wide toothed combed and gently combing the breast. Don't forget to massage all the way around the breast.

I found feeding and expressing loads helped me avoid mastitis when I had a painful boob.

no lumps so am thinking its not a blocked duct.

Have upped my fluids and am goingto have a vit c capsule thingy just in case i am getting run down too much (it seems to 'boost' me if i feel i am heading for a cold) I know you prob aren;t supposed to do that when BF but its only like eating a few oranges (isn't it??)

He is feeding more at mo - growth spurt?- and is quite sucky today so am putting him on that side at every feed, whether to start or to finish which i don't usually do as he is a one sided feeder

i cannot crumble with mastitis, this w.e is v important and busy!!

How old is your DS? Could be growth spurt, teething, bit under the weather, just wanting the mummy cuddles?

Sounds like you know what you're doing BD - I'm sure you'll have a great weekend. It's good to know you're not blocked up - I've had endless blockages and they're a right pain in the, well, boob obviously

He is 12 weeks. Today is crying day (him not me!) i had forgotten all about teething! oh nooooo!!!

So maybe he's hit one of those fussy patches that go along with a little development moment or a growth spurt? That would be quite young to have teething issues (DD was chomping and dribbling from about 16 weeks, although tooth didn't turn up til 26 weweks) but there are so many other thing that can affect feeding patterns when they're that young. You'll probably never know!

Good luck with your noisy day. It's sunny here - would recommend a walk and a cuppa at your favourite cafe