This is somewhat after the fact but I really am wondering.
Had "classic" mastitis last year when DS was 3 weeks old - flu-like aches all over body, hard red area on left breast, fever. Was prescribed antibiotics and bed rest and it resolved in a few days.
Last month, we went on a family holiday in MIL's camper. We left on a Saturday afternoon and I'd noticed earlier that day that my left breast was quite sore - it felt bruised, as if DS (then 17 months) had kicked me a few times. But there was no hardening and no red swollen area. The entire breast was quite soft but extremely painful even to light touch. Sunday, while driving down the coast to California, I felt like absolute crap - horrible flu-like body aches, my joints hurt, my head hurt, breast very very painful to light touch but still no red hard spots. Nursing was only painful in that DS burrows in and the pressure hurt, but carrying him on my left hip hurt because of the pressure of his body against my breast (and I am totally uncoordinated with carrying him on my right). I took some ibuprofen and paracetamol Sunday mid-day because I hurt so badly all over and it helped, it was absolute bliss to feel the body aches disappear. I don't know if I had a temperature as we didn't have a thermometer with us and were following the West Coast Heat Wave south so were sweating like pigs anyway.
I reluctantly decided that if things weren't better Monday we'd stop at a walk-in clinic to get antibiotics, but the body aches didn't come back and my breast, although still painful, wasn't as excruciating anymore.
Monday night when DS woke for his middl-of-the-night snack, I suddenly felt a very sharp pain towards the nipple as he was drawing the milk out. It was quite, quite painful, and happened again with his morning feed. After that, things improved hourly and by Tuesday my breast was only a little achy to touch and I think I had one more episode of that sharp lancing pain towards the nipple as DS was nursing.
So ---- was this mastitis?? Or what could it have been?
I thought it might have been either mastitis or a blocked duct but was confused by the fact that there was absolutely no hardening or redness or swelling - I palpated the entire breast a few times every day and although painful to touch, it remained soft all over.
????