Mastitis - Spokane,WA

Mastitis, that is a awful one! I got it and then cleared, then got is again, then cleared then got it again....I finally said enough and switched to formula. The doctor told me it was because I was pumping. But there was not another choice, work for me too. Anyway, I was told that cold cabbage leaves work...by many people, I never tried that, but I got a hot compress and after I pumped would lay with that on me for 20 min. That seemed to help the pain.
Good Luck!

W.,
I used warm almost hot cloths on my breasts. I also layed in the bath (Warm/hot water) and the shower. The cloths worked the best.

Best wishes to you.

Hi W.:

Boy, do I feel your pain!! I had mastitis twice after the birth of my dd - once at 1 week postpartum and once at around 2 months postpartum.

The symptoms will go away quickly with the antibiotics. Mine were gone in about 48 hours after the first dose of antibiotics.

However, you should know that once you've had mastitis, you're slightly more at risk for getting it again. So, you're smart to be asking about prevention.

This is what I learned:

I got mastitis the first time, because my husband let me sleep through a feeding (he gave our dd expressed breastmilk) - he was trying to help me and I didn't know any better, but it set me up for plugged ducts, which then led to mastitis.

I got mastitis the second time, because my period started - my supply dropped during my period (conflict of hormones!), then came surging back when it was over. I didn't keep on top of it and I got a plugged duct, which led to mastitis.

This is what I learned:

1. You want to check for plugged ducts every day - you probably already know this, but they will show up as tiny white dots on your nipples. If you see one, do whatever you can to unplug them. If you have questions about this, I'm happy to share more - just email me.

2. Take a lecithin supplement. This has been proven to reduce plugged ducts.

3. Keep to a regular pumping/feeding schedule - the fact that you could only get one pumping session in probably set you up for the mastitis. If you need to change your schedule, do it slowly over 3 to 4 days.

4. When your baby starts to take a substantial amount of his calories from solid food, you'll need to be watchful of plugged ducts - it will take 24-48 hours for your supply to drop due to your little one's demand. Pump to release the pressure and check often for plugged ducts during this time.

I hope this helps!

My great-grandmother died of mastitis 1 month after the birth of my grandmother. My grandma still talks about how she never got to know her mom. Anyway, I am very grateful for antibiotics!!!

Best of luck, M.

Hi W. -
I've had plugged ducts a few times and actual mastitis only twice. For me one problem was my nursing bras. Usually the underwire did not fit against my ribs under my arms, but instead was too far forward on my breast cutting off the milk flow in the ducts.

A couple times it was unexplained and more in the front of my breast. I usually try to switch the hold I use when I have pain so that my daughter can more effectively clear me out. The way their nose is facing is where they'll get most the milk from, so for instance I usually use the cradle hold, but when I had pain on the area between my nipple and my chest I started using the football hold and that helped drain out that area first.

When I've had trouble it's only lasted about two days because if I notice it I get pumping/nursing, massaging the area in the shower. It hurts to touch it, I know, but if you can massage toward the nipple while pumping/nursing it will help clear it out.

I've never taken antibiotics for it, because it's not usually an infection. Antibiotics have a high chance of giving you both Thrush, which is more long lasting and just at painful! (I've had that, too!) It will go away with rest, water, and clearing out, so why take the antibiotics which are bad for both of you?

Mastitis sucks, there's no way around it, but if you can, take some time off and cuddle with your son alot and let him nurse whenever - he's your best medicine! Then just really try to follow a good schedule of nursing/pumping each day.

Cabbage is part of European folk medicine and has been described as a poor man's poultice (see www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/327/7412/451-c). If there are controlled trials of the healing power of cabbages, they are not easy to find - Ed

Cold cabbage leaves will have the simple effect of a cold compress, and reduce heat in the same way as a cold flannel might (but without the drips). However, the beneficial effects of the cabbage are increased if you heat the leaves, by running a hot iron over them or by blanching in boiling water, before applying. The heat releases various anti-inflammatory chemicals as well as phytohormones. Leaving the leaves in the bra will have a slow-release effect as the body warms them and draws out beneficial chemicals.

Hot cabbage poultices have also been used for sprains and strains and to draw out splinters. I used the above remedy to treat a breast abscess (a side-effect of mastitis) resistant to antibiotics. Greek women used vine leaves for the same purpose. It would be interesting to find out if the leaves have the same chemicals in them.

Vivienne Tuffnell, Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK

Cabbages are members of the Brassicaceae, a large and diverse plant family. Among many other chemicals, brassicas produce glucosinolate compounds, one of which, sinigrin (potassium myronate), gives rise to the pungent smell associated with cooking cabbage.

In the presence of water and the brassica enzyme myrosinase, sinigrin forms "mustard oils", which are noted throughout history for their healing properties when applied as a poultice. Crushed or chopped leaves are applied externally as a counter-irritant to ease swellings and painful joints and to cleanse infections, and a warming sensation can be experienced in the skin. Mustard oils can lead to blistering, however, so must be used with caution.

Richard Eden, Consultant botanist, Southampton, Hampshire, UK

Thought that this might be of interest. Chris

I got Mastitis three times with my last baby. The first two times it went untreated (I thought it was just a clogged duct) but it never fully went away. Pain and chills are common but it can escalate to be the worst flu like symptoms you have ever had. If it is a clogged duct then pump through it and push down on your breast to help unclog it. A warm wash cloth can help as well. However, if you have full blown mastitis then you will need antibiotics. I got it because I was nursing more than I was pumping but because I produced so much milk my baby wasn't draining my breast. Working and pumping is tough- been there! Symptoms won't last long if your doctor put you on antibiotics. Prevention is religious pumping at work (morning, lunch and before you go home). When you want to stop, cut it down to 2 times a day for two weeks, and then move to one. Do it slowly and you should be okay. The second you sense any pain, pump or nurse and massage your breast as you are doing it. Good luck.

I had always thought mastitis was something that nursing women had. In my late 30's I had mastitis. My only symptoms was pain and a red line running down to my nipple. It quickly healed with anti-biotics.

I've had no experience with nursing but I was told by a mother that putting moist heat on her nipples helped to unclog the ducts.

Hi W., I'm sorry you are going through this. I had it about 2 months after my daughter was born. I was prescribed antibiotics so it went away quickly. Most likely you got it due to not pumping/nursing enough or completely emptying out your breast. You need to make sure that when you nurse or pump that each side is totally empty. That way you won't get clogged ducts that lead to infection. If it stills bothers you put warm compress and you can take tylenol. Good luck.

Request Ultrasound therapy. Very good prevention of clogged ducts and mastitis. Yes, the lack of pumping on that one day probably was a factor. You were probably engorged the next day and your milk supply may have gone down as well. Bummer that you have to work... Good luck!

i have had mastitis and I nurse so I do not think that is why you got it. After taking the meds i felt better in the next 24 hours.

I had one duct go through this and it was painful. I hope that you are doing alright with your schedule and this condition on top of your sleep schedule.

I got mastisis when I started forcing myself to go out just to be out. I missed pumpings/feedings about twice a day for three days in one week.

I knew what had happened right away and started with hot compresses and just forced myself to pump. I also cleaned out the duct, but I am accustomed to this sort of thing using syringes to remove puss form animal cysts and wounds. I would not recommend it for anywone without some medical background.

The mastisis lasted less than a week, but it was a very painful week.

Hi W.! Sounds crazy but it really works. When I experienced that I loaded with vitamin C. I am very little (about 105lbs) and took 5 vit in the morning then 5 more with dinner. The downfall was that it gave me loose stool however it relieved my mastitis so quickly. Your body will discard what it does not need but the for some reason by dosing heavy it gets rid of the mastitis. Best of luck. S.

It's imperative that you pump and nurse frequently if you have mastitis. I went thru it once with my second child as I returned to work after 2 months. Your doctor probably gave you an antibiotic, told you to nurse, nurse and nurse. Use warm compressess and after you nurse to express out whatever milk you may have left in that breast. If you take your breaks and lunch period at work to express/pump, you should be okay. But don't skip any, especially while you're recovering. Don't stop nursing from that side!!!

Ah, I had mastitis too and it was horrible. I was told by my OB as well as at parent-baby classes at the hospital that a common correlation for mastitis was wearing an underwire bra. It just so happened that I had worn an underwire bra for a couple days prior to my symptoms because I had to wash my nursing bras without underwire! I vowed never again to wear an underwire bra while nursing!

I took one day off work, saw my OB and was given antibiotics. I sat in a hot bath and had my daughter nurse throughout the day and by the next day I was much better.

Great advice. Here is my 2 cents: I had mastitis my first week back to work! It was so painful, I seriously could not see straight. I kept pushing myself saying, "I'm fine" then when I felt faint upon getting out of the car, I realized that I really was sick. I had a fever that reached 103F. Basically, the antibiotics are incredibly strong (hard to believe they are okay for breastmilk!) but they work. Also, do nothing physical to help yourself heal faster. A Lactation Consultant told me to treat it as bed rest. Once I did that and laid on a heating paid plus breast fed hourly,I was fine. Really,do anything you can to just relax. And, yes, do drink plenty of fluids! Then once you are healed, and the antibiotics are done, just contine to listen to your body.

I would be cautious with using cabbage leaves. They can help with pain and swelling but they can also diminish your milk supply if used too much - they contain an estrogen like substance.

I only experienced a mild case of it with one of my five children. For some it is very common! Drinking lots of water and either pumping or nursing are your preventative measures. If you are trying to make it so your baby is formula-only - you should slowly and gradually reduce the number of times a day and how long you are pumping for until your body is used to it. Drink lots n' lots of water!

Every case is unique, but one thing that can cause it is repeatedly nursing your baby in the same position, what happens is that all of the ducts don't get emptied and you get in trouble, so try mixing it up with the football hold or other positions.

I lost my milk supply due to mastitis @ 9mo...and it could have been worse, i got reeeeeaallly sick...I didn't have insurance, so I put off seeing a doctor. Hurray for antibiotics!!! (& Yes, we did try everything to get my supply back, and no dice.)

I actually picked mine up from my son (or so the experts told me), he was developing a little bit of an infection...but not enough for him to get sick, just mom! (Fortunately HE had insurance.)

We were told you can get infected with so many things (yeast, bacteria, viri), that it's a wonder that we don't come down with mastitis MORE often. Hurray also, for the antibiotics secreted from our nipples!! Clogged ducts is another one that brings on mastitis.

One way I found to avoid clogged ducts was to express a little in the shower everyday. I also took 2-3 showers a day, once after I woke up, once before bed, and then at some point during the day. Another is cabbage leaves. They help reduce painful swelling, as well as minor amounts of swelling, which can help keep ducts clear. Sounds strange, until we think about the fact that morphine comes from poppies, and cough syrup from tree bark. What I DON'T know, is the mode of action with cabbage leaves while nursing, although I've been assured many times, maybe one of the other mom's here more versed in herbology/pharmacology then I am would.

Good luck, & I'm so glad you had such a successful outcome!

The severe symptoms lasted about 2 days for me.
prevention- my baby was only a week old and nursing frequently, but maybe not enough when I got it. Sorry I'm not more help there. Make sure you pump/nurse both sides evenly.

It could be from no pumping enough. I think it lasted a couple days for me. Nursing, using heat and changing nursing positions can help a lot. Check out this site.
http://www.drjacknewman.com/help/Blocked%20Ducts%20&%...

Hi W. - sorry to hear about the mastitis...that must hurt. Here's what Dr. Jack Newman, a breastfeeding expert, has to say about mastitis:

The following is my approach to dealing with mastitis.
• If the mother has symptoms consistent with mastitis for more than 24 hours, she should start antibiotics. If the mother has consistent symptoms for less than 24 hours, I will prescribe an antibiotic, but suggest the mother wait before starting to take it. If, over the next 8-12 hours, her symptoms are worsening (more pain, more spreading of the redness, enlargement of the hardened area), then the mother should start the antibiotics. If, over the next 24 hours, the mother has not worsened, but not improved, she should start the antibiotics. However, if symptoms are starting to decrease, there is no need to start the antibiotics. The symptoms usually will continue to resolve and will have disappeared over the next 2 to 5 days. Fever will usually be gone within 24 hours, the pain within 24 to 48 hours, the breast hardness within the next few days. The redness may remain for a week or longer. Once improvement begins, on or off antibiotics, it should continue. If the course of your mastitis does not follow this pattern, contact the clinic.
Remember:
• Continue breastfeeding, unless it is just too painful to do so. If you cannot, at least express your milk as best you can in the meantime. Restart breastfeeding as soon as you are up to it, the sooner the better. Continuing breastfeeding helps mastitis to resolve more quickly. There is no danger for the baby.
• Heat (hot water bottle or heating pad), applied to the affected area helps healing.
• Rest helps fight off infection.
• Fever helps fight off infection. Treat fever if it makes you feel bad, not just because it is there.
• Medication (acetaminophen, ibuprofen) for pain can be very good. You will feel better and the amount that gets to the baby is insignificant. Acetaminophen is probably less useful as it does not have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Here's the link to the full article: http://breastfeedingonline.com/22pdf.pdf