Got mastitis but dd refusing infected breast - help

[themothership]

Hello, have been diagnosed with mastitis after I came down with a fever and chills at the weekend Had been having engorgement and pain in breast and headaches for a few days before...

Am now on antibiotics and am supposed to carry on bf. Problem is that dd is refusing to feed from the left breast, which is the infected one. She has been for a while (maybe 5 days or so), so I don't know whether this has caused the mastitis or whether she is refusing is as a result of the mastitis. Anyone had any experience of this and can suggest something? I'm just going to have to express the left breast as much as I can but obviously don't want this to continue.

Can you feed her so she's lying on the same side as she would be feeding from your right breast? So under your arm maybe? Or lying down?

Hope you are better very soon.

Yes make sure left breast is soft enough for her to find it easy to latch on (so express a bit) and try different positions with that side, this may trmporarily include lying on top of her and her feeding lying on her back.

Thanks for all your tips - I started antibiotics on sat night, but was so ill with the fever then that I did express until last night (sun). Barely got anything, but put that down to it being late, and me being knackered still. However, just had a go at expressing now, and left breast (the infected one) is barely producing anything - can usually easily get at least 2 oz in one go. Right breast seems to be fine. Engorgement seems to have disappeared since start of antibiotics, but it still aches a bit.
...have just tried feeding her with rugby hold and lying down on left boob and only got screaming.

Don't know what to do!

Are you taking ibuprofen? It's good for the inflammation and so may make the milk flow more easily. Sympathies though, had mastitis a few weeks ago, very, very nasty.

Oh, and try to express in a hot bath, as hot as you can take.

Dd seems happy to suck herself to sleep on the left boob if she's already fed, lying down... she's one of those babies who refuses to nap during the day though, which makes expressing difficult too since if she's not asleep when she's supposed to be, she's screaming the house down cos she's overtired

But will carry on trying to express and offering her that breast. Didn't know ibuprofen could help, so will give that a go. Don't get to see hv until wed, but will talk to her about it then. Am thinking about ringing a bf helpline or something.

Good idea, TMS. Ring a breastfeeding counsellor - they'll be able to give you more info. Don't wait for the HV as the answer to all your probs - they often don't know much re breastfeeding (apologies if you have a good one though!)