Any Early Moring Advice About Breast Infection Possibly Mastitis?

RUN, do not walk, to your OB/GYN. I had exactly the same symptoms ten days out with my daughter, and it turned out to be mastitis. Either way, you can work with him/her on some BF-friendly meds (if it's necessary for you to take them).

Based on my experience, if it is a (not infected) clogged milk duct, the best thing for it is a baby! I got those all the time for the first three months of motherhood. I wasn't about to let the nasty case of mastitis return, so every time one of my breasts felt sore and lumpy, I'd climb into bed and let my newborn nurse to her heart's content. Problem was solved.

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I had mastitis four times in a 3 month period, fevers up to 103, with nausea and vomiting. Took tylenol for the fever, lots of fliuds, sleep when you can and brestfeed or pump as often as you can. It hursts like a SOB, but it is the only way of getting better faster. I FEEL FOR YOU.

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OUCH! Had this with my first. Apply warm compresses to the breast and massage, I know, painful. And nurse her a lot and pump. You gotta work the infection out. It's also ok to take Tylenol for pain and fever. Hope you feel better!

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I'm hoping you've already seen the doctor since this was posted yesterday. If not, please go, it's best to treat mastitis with antibiotics to make sure it stays gone.

I had mastitis only once - and once was more than enough. I was put on amoxicillin and told to not nurse but pump and give my son formula until the infection was gone(this was 1989). On the advice of my La Leche League leader I continued to nurse but, contrary to what some have posted here, she told me to not nurse on the affected side first to allow it to let down freely. She said babies can slow the flow of the milk when it comes out too fast, and she said it was best to just let it run. I too felt immediately better as soon as I got a few doses of antibiotics in me, and in less than 24 hours the ducts opened - like a geyser! After that I was careful to watch my sleep and stress levels and managed to avoid any further infections through nursing that child, and the next two - all of them for over a year.

Hope you feel better soon!

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I had this with my first child. I felt so much better after just one dose of antibiotics, but of course finished the rest of the medicine to ensure the infection was gone. You need to see a doctor today. Surely you could try and wait until tomorrow, but I remember being so completely miserable with mastitits that you will probably want to get started on the medicine ASAP. (Don't you love it when these things happen on the weekend?!?) In the meantime, try to nurse/pump as much as possible and take some Tyelenol for the fever/pain. Feel better soon!

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A little late as I am sure you have seen your doc or midwife by now. Just in case you haven't, it is absolutely fine to take Tylenol. Remember that we give babies Tylenol so it is safe for them, but the amount that would get through your breastmilk to the little one is far, far less tham you give her in a dose.

Continue feeding- nurse as often as possible to keep the milk flowing in that breast. You may need antibiotics or it may resolve on its own. Most people just go ahead and take the antibiotics to minimize the risk of complications.

Hope you feel better soon.

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I had the same issue earlier this year. Call your doctor! You can take medicine and continue to nurse. Your baby needs a healthy mommy. This infection can develop quickly, so don't suffer any longer - your doc can probably prescribe a round of meds over the phone for you. Good luck, and keep watching it, call the dr right away if it gets worse.

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Nurse as much as possible and, (this is going to sound outrageous) get a head of cabbage, peal and wrap the leaves around your breast. It works. I don't know why or how.

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Something that helped me was submersing the breast in a large bowl of hot water (as hot as I could stand it) and then massaging down towards the nipple. I did this several times a day. Also Tylenol, lots of rest, and I always started by nursing on that side as much as possible. I did call my midwife about getting some antibiotics but I remember that she did recomend me waiting a few days to see if I really needed them (in order to prevent me and the baby getting thrush, etc.). Hope you feel better.

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So sorry! hope you are better by now, but I thought I'd weigh in.
Had the same thing with both my girs, It is completly MISERABLE!! Just kept b-feeding - even more so on the sore breast, pump and really work out any lumps, use heat- take advil. Then if it does not go away, gets worse, OR you see red lines, get the antibiotics.
Good luck.

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I had mastitis last week and was able to treat it without meds or seeing a Dr. Always nurse on that side first. The goal us to keep that breast as empty as possible. Try to nurse frequently-at least every 2 hours. You can pump after nursing to help. Get lots of rest and sleep. I took a nap with my 4 month old and he must have known because he decided to latch on and nurse for an hour while we slept!
Also try to avoid sugar which can feed an infection. Drink a lot of water to help flush it out.
Good luck!

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Call your doctor and get a scrip for an antibotic - they are very painful infections! Usually because of a plugged milk duct - so the best thing is to feed as much as possible to unclog it! Just be careful if you go on an antibotic to watch for thrush - a yeast infection on the nipple. It happened to me once after mastitis - but my little one was on an antibotic at the same time for an ear infection. I thought the thrush was worse! Good luck!

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Hi C.,
I had mastitis(OW!!!!!) and I was taking penicillin or amoxycillin. It made my daughter have a colic type reaction for the two weeks I was on it. All of her flora and fauna in her gut were wiped out while I was taking the medicine. We added something, Calcate, Caltrite to her bottles of breast milk to calm her tummy. Nursing helps but the antibiotics worked best within a day, my breasts were not sore and the fever was down. My doctor said that the drugs would not get into the breast milk but that seemed wrong. My lactation consultant suggested the additive. With her gut stripped of flora and fauna, she was becoming allergic to the breast milk. A day after I took the last pill, she stopped the colic like crying fussy business and it was fine.

L. L.

Mom to Sarah, 4 and Devin 3.

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I nursed 2 babies. With the 2nd one because I was stressed out and not sleeping and doing way too much I developed a breast infection.(painful,start of red streak) The doctor told me to rest and do nothing for 2 days and to keep the breast empty. Nursing as much as possible. Take care of yourself, relax and breastfeed as much as the baby will take, always starting with the sore breast. It halped and didn't get any worse. Call your doctor to make sure you have nothing else going on. Good luck!

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Bedrest, TONS of fluids, and TONS of nursing will get rid of it. I mean nurse her as much as you can. GET THE MILK OUT. Pump if you have to. Just get it out. I know it hurts like crazy, but you have to.

Also, warm wet cloths on the breast will help. Standing in the shower with warm water on it. Stand in the shower with warm water on it and express the milk. Just get it out.

I had mastitis once and cured it without medicine but I drank and drank water and I stayed in bed with baby all day. I nursed and nursed and nursed. It's awful but you can get through it.

OH AND YES TO THE CABBAGE ADVICE!!! I had forgotten but that totally works.

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That sounds like mastitis. I've had it twice. I had no redness or lines but the breast was hot to the touch. I'd say call your ob and get in and get medicated fast. It's not serious if treated right away but if not I've heard horror stories cuz I guess blood can get into your milk. The dr will give you cheap antibiotics; they were like $5 or something but not overthecounter I don't think.

Just don't try to push the milk out from the top of your breast; it'll cause like a traffic jam with the milk down by the nipple. Have your baby keep nursing and take those meds.

Actually I had my husband try to suck out whatever milk my baby couldnt' cuz obviously an adult is more powerful and he said he could feel it was clogged and that's how I knew it was even mastitis! Good luck. It sucks but it's over in a couple of days with meds.

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The second time I felt mastitis coming on..I uploaded on my probiotics (2 after each meal), warm compresses, increased vitamin C to 2-3g and that did the trick for me to get rid of it. I continuted to nurse on that side too. I took Tylenol for fever, but the probiotics were key!

Good Luck,
J. W. MPH
Chicago Examiner Family Health

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If it has become mastitis you need to see your doctor. My understanding is that once the clogged duct becomes infected (mastitis) you need a prescription to cure it. I got multiple clogged ducts when breast feeding my son. The baby is the best one to get the clog out. it is recommended that you lay in bed with the baby all day (or as long as it takes) and continue to nurse her until she gets the clog out. If you change position so that she latches on differently than usual that helps a lot too. In fact, regularly changing her nursing position can help prevent future clogs. I found that getting plenty of rest and changing the baby's position helped prevent them.

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I know this probably isn't what you want to hear, given that you are probably very uncomfortable (to say the least!) on your right side, but you need to nurse, nurse, nurse on that right side until it gets better. I felt the beginnings of mastitis a few times with my daughter, and I just forced myself to continually nurse on the side that was bothering me. It worked every time. You need to try to empty the milk duct that's clogged. Best of luck... it is very painful, and nursing can be almost unbearable, but hang in there - it'll clear up and you'll be able to enjoy nursing your little girl!

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See a doctor or midwife - it sounds like mastitis to me too. In the mean time you CAN take Advil, which will help w/ the overall crappy feeling. Nurse a lot off the sore side and massage it HARD in a hot shower to see if you can get some of the lumps (which are plugged ducts) out. Ultimately they will probably give you 14 days of dicloxicillin, an antibiotic. I've done this 3x over the past 4 years and it sucks each time.... hope you're better soon! Oh - and it is perfectly safe to nurse the entire time you are on the drugs, and you SHOULD do this.

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You can wait 24 hours (some even say 48 hours) and watch for the fever to be going down. If it is you can avoid the antibiotics. It's good to do so - b/c you can end up with thrush from the antibiotics for mastitis and then have a whole new set of problems. BED REST, NURSE, warm moist heat on any lump, Ibuprofen. HEre is a fabulous hand out http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/mastitis.html

If you are uncertain you can also call a local La Leche League Leader for ideas and support. If you are not signifigantly better in 48 hours or if you are in coherant (I got there once) do call a doctor and get a script.

If you have any hard spots they MUST be worked out with nursing, massage, warm heat ect. They can turn absess. Antibiotics alone will not cure mastitis you must address the udnerlying cause. 9Change in nursing pattern - usually abruptly, new routine, increased stress, plugged duct ect.)

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C. - I had mastitis several times when nursing my first. I put a warm compress on the area for 10 minutes (wet thin washcloth under a heating pad) before nursing. Nurse as much as possible on that breast. Gently massage the area while nursing (toward the nipple, since there may be a plugged duct involved). And typical flu advice: drink lots of fluids and rest as much as possible. I didn't take antibiotics. If you do, make sure your doctor prescribes one that is safe for nursing. There are several, but some docs are clueless about breastfeeding and mastitis.

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Call your doc to get in and get it checked! In the meantime hot compresses on the infected breast, and massage of the breast helps. You can take Motrin to help with the pain and fever. This happened to me with my newborn, it hit me fast and hard. You will probably be exhausted too. There is nothing wrong with taking Motrin while nursing, they give it to you in the hospital.

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I would call your doc first thing in the am. I had with my first child when she was 6 days old with your same symptoms. They put me on anti- biotics that were safe for breat feeding. You will feel a whole lot better. Take care of yourself!!!

I've been on vacation but just wanted to add my two cents about the cabbage leaves. I had mastitis with my first set of twins and thought I had to go to the ER it was so bad. I did get on antibiotics which helped tons. But the key was the cabbage. You only need to put 1-3 leaves on to cover your breast. Then you take one of those newborn disposable diapers and fill it with hot water, as hot as you can stand it. Place it over the cabbage leaves and leave on for an hour or two. You do need to be careful. If you were to do this constantly, it ultimately will dry you up! With my second set of twins, I did not end up breastfeeding very long. I used this cabbage method to dry myself up with no pain at all! Works great!