How many bouts of mastitis before I give up BF?

[ejbab]

I can't believe I'm back here talking about bloomin' mastitis again. But anyway, I am currently on my 6th bout and am on AB yet again. (worked out I have been on them for 60 days since May )
I don't think I'm being a martyr/ hero or anything for continuing to BF: I love it, DD2 loves it, it's easy, yes I'm proud of myself for getting this far and as this is probably my last baby, it's my last BF experience so I don't want to stop unless DD2 wants to.
DH and my parents are very supportive and have pretty much stopped suggesting I switch to formula so I don't keep getting ill; as are my friends. One of my best friends has even said she'll give me a prize when I get to eight bouts as I'll have trumped her own experience with mastitis.
However, I don't know if I'm being ridiculous. Should I just switch to formula?
DD2 is 6 1/2 months and I wanted to keep BF for at least a year. But at the rate I'm going that will mean I'll have had mastitis 12 times.
Is just this the fate of the stubborn, dodgy-boobed BFers like me?
WWYD?

I had alot of bouts of mastitus on ds I started putting a safety pin in the bra of the side I last fed on and have you tried not switch feeding or changing to switch feeding . When I did those things I stopped getting mastitus and bf ds for 2 1/2 years because I loved it so much.

Also currently bf dd 4 months and if I feel my boob going funny I give her a long feed of it and it seems to stop the mastitus before it starts.

It's always the same stupid boob and nothing I've done seems to stop the attacks. I've had an ultrasound to see if anythign funny is going on in there, but nothing came up. I've done block feeding, too but my supply has settled in the past month or so now DD2 has spaced her feeds out a bit more. I thought that would help, but no.
It's got to the stage where if I look at a tight bra I get the red streaks. Usually it's down to DD2 bruising the nipple at night-time. I think that breast is just super sensitive now and anytime there's any 'trauma' it gets poorly.....

Actually if your dd is slowing down feeding that could explain it as IME mastitus tends to come if you don't drain the breast fully.

If you want to give up then of course you have done brilliantly but it sounds like your mastitus is caused by change in feeds in which case you have one more change in feeds when dd is moved on to three solids a day or four if you are offering four and then you probably will get mastitus but after that the feeds don't really change much so there is a good chance IME that the mastitus may stop.

Also maybe if the breast is feeling full I would try having a hot bath putting a hot flannel on the breast and expressing a small amount before mastitus starts you know the first days when you get the red streaks and overfull feeling and lessen the amount expressed each day so that the problem breast has a slower decline to adjust to your dd needing less feeding requirements.