Is this mastitis??

[PizzaPatel]

my symptoms are

• very tender left boob
• high temp - 40.2 pre paracetamol, 39.4 now
• very painful shooting pain in left nipple on let down whichever side I’m feeding on
• no red patch
• no lump
• but also no other symptoms that could explain the temperature

DS is 7 weeks and exclusively breastfed

I think it can be.

www.medela.co.uk/breastfeeding/blog/treating-mastitis

I would take a warm shower and massage and try different feeding positions. If tender on the outside of the breast, try the rugby hold.

Best of luck. It's painful...

That’s a very high temperature, you might need antibiotics - I would seek medical advice if I were you.

Seek medical advice. I went from ‘fine’ to ‘hospitalised’ within a few hours with similar symptoms.

I agree re high temp. If still high I’d potentially go to a and e.

I have felt really ill before the red patch appears. Years ago but unforgettable.

Has the baby missed a feed/slept through.

Can you massage the breasts in a warm bath and empty them? Dose with paracetamol? Savoy cabbage leaves in bra - it honestly does help.

If no improvement tomorrow get straight to out of hours. I'd say go now but they will be rammed with Satirday night drunks. 6am on a Sunday morning is better if not an acute emergency.

Yes it sounds a lot like mastitis in which case you will need antibiotics. Any GP should classify this as urgent but as it is Saturday call 111 asap and be very clear on your symptoms - the pain, the temperature and the fact that you are breastfeeding a new baby are all strong indicators worth checking out. In the mean time keep on with the paracetamol and the cold compresses on the breast to ease pain. I agree with PP - cabbage leaves do work although frozen peas inside a loose bra top also helped!

I had it several times and didn't always have an obvious lump and red patch but did always have the tenderness, pain and temperature.

Yes that's mastitis, you need antibiotics and feed as much as possible off the affected breast

OP you do need AB's and medical attention but honestly, I think 111 will take 3/4 hours to get back to you.

As I said B4, paracetamol, warm bath, massage the milk through any lumps, cabbage leaves or indeed frozen peas or cold flannels from the freezer. Dr

Sounds like it OP. Get a GP appointment ASAP or go to a walk-In/A&E tomorrow for antibiotics.

If you can feed from that side as much as possible (I know it hurts and I couldn't do it when I had it - took two days of just expressing from that side whilst the antibiotics kicked it before I could feed from it)

Hope you can manage ok until you get seen.

Oops - drink lots of water to keep hydrated.

If you can, try to get some sleep until baby wakes for a feed. When he or she does feed to empty and hopefully, in the early hours, head straight to A&E, hopefully after the drunks.

PS: they will give you AB's. Get some canestan tablets ASAP, because they are the sort of AB's that cause thrush.

Good luck, get well.

I agree with calling 111 to seek medical advice and with a view to being prescribed antibiotics. Not to scare you but Mastitis can get very nasty very quickly. I’ve had it twice - the first time I took longer to start taking the antibiotics and was severely ill for days and practically hallucinating with the pain. The second I started taking them early with similar symptoms to you and recovered very quickly.

Yes seek help asap. My mastitis has just turned into an abscess which resulted in an emergency hospital trip last night to have it drained and I have to go back next week for an ultrasound. Do not recommend. Get antibiotics asap.

Please, ignore the advice about flannels, cabbage etc, and get proper medical advice. Actual mastitis can turn very nasty very quickly.

Oh jeez - I thought it was a treat at home type thing… thanks for the advice all. Will sleep tonight then head to a&e with early feed… think that’s my only option for out of hours

Hope you get seen quickly OP and feel better soon. Let us know how you get on.

I didn’t take any more paracetamol overnight - woke to feed as normal and the temperature went away and didn’t return. The boob is still sore but still no lump or redness so I’m going to hold out for GP tomorrow and haven’t been to a&e… hopefully it doesn’t get worse beforehand. I’ve been starting all feeds on the left, maybe it’s done the trick.