Mastitis, feeling like crap, is anyone around?

[Christiania]

Just realised this is what it is, been feeling a bit rough for a few days, now my breast really really hurts and I feel awful.
Just taken some paracetamol, have fed baby twice overnight for what felt like half an hour each time, from that breast which I hope helps in some way - is this right?

Rang OOH Dr who is leaving me a prescription to pick up this morning.

Is there anything else I should be doing, I had this a few times when Ds1 was nearly a year old, and had to stop feeding him at 16mo, so really want to avoid a repeat of that - little one is now 11mo.

Thanks x

Sorry that should say, when ds1 was around a year old, obv up to the time I stopped feeding

I never get it in the early days, which seems odd.

Its awful isn't it? I only got it once - like you, when DS was about a year old (just as he began nursing like a newborn again...).Feeding from that breast is good - also, try and cool it down, an ice pack, a pack of peas from the fridge, cabbage leaves too work well apparantly. Hope it works itself out soon. Take care.

Oh thankyou, someone is there

Yes, why is it that they seem to start feeding much more around now? Maybe I should be giving more solids by this stage, I don't really enjoy the weaning experience - he is very messy at it! So still nursing him several million times a day/night.

He seems to have more teeth coming which is maybe why he is doing it, for comfort I guess.

If I started giving him bottles/sippy cups of milk sometimes, (presuming he will take it) would this make it worse or would it be less likely to happen again?

I am such an ignoramus about all this. I've always just bunged him on and left him to it really

I seem to remember they slow the feeding down again after a few weeks...I think around the one year mark, they are experiencing so many new things - walking (for mine anyway), new food, etc. that they feel comforted by the breast and use breasfeeding as a way to reconnect to mum - they then feel ready to start another new and exciting day!
It just takes a while for your body to adjust when they start feeding more (or less) so even if you give cups etc, your body still has to adjust - give it some time. Obv. take the meds to cure the mastitis...good on you for continuing this far, btw. I breastfed DS until he was 3! and like you, I would just bung him on and leave him to it!

I sympathise, Christania. I had masitis with both mine, the first time around I was really ill with it and could hardly move. Infact, my GP allowed me to have a supply of anti-biotics "on shelf" at home so I could start taking them as soon as the symptoms appeared.

You have done really well to continue feeding. I was determined with my second DS to keep going despite the mastitis, and in the end I managed it very well.

Hope you're feeling better by the time you read this. Those meds should do the trick.

Poor you.
Keep feeding / expressing from the infected breast. Lots of rest, paracetamol and fluids. A warm flannel on the breast is very soothing too.