Urgent help please!

[mamakim]

Does this sound like mastitis? The breast i fed from last feels engorged, sore and lumpy. The other feels soft. During the night i've felt hot, cold, shivery and achey. But the family all have a cold so it could just be a coincidence. Oh forgot to say been breastfeeding 5 weeks almost. Surely i shouldn't be getting engorgement now? Dd hasn't gone any longer between feeds. Help feel really crappy!

Yes it could be mastitis.

You need to bf loads from the painful side. BF in different positions - lying down, sitting, rugby hold. Massage towards the nipple when you are feeding. Take a very warm shower and use the water to massage the sore breast.

Rest plenty, take paracetamol for pain relief and nurofen if you need something stronger.

Do you have a midwife or breastfeeding supporter you can phone?

Also hold a very warm flannel against the infected side.

If you are no better tomorrow, or feel worse beore then, then you should see your GP.

With it being the weekend do you think i should try and get in the docs today for antibs in case it gets no better?

I've had mastitis about 6 times (been bfing nearly 4 years in total). Twice I needed antibiotics because I was very run down and need not have a chance to rest and recover. The other four times I rested, fed loads, and massaged loads and my body was able to fight it off without antibiotics. I prefered this to antibiotics.

I also had a good midwife who advised me.

If you can rest today, then I probably wouldn't go to the GP yet, but it's hard for me to say for definite.

What are your surgery's hours like? I would stick it out until the afternoon if you can at all as (fingers crossed) it may just be a cold combined with rubbish sleep.

If they are a nightmare to get an appt with though maybe best to go rather than not IYSWIM. Hope it clears!