Mastitis spectrum (blockages/blebs/infection)

Mastitis is one of those things you don't want to have. Ever. I'm told that man-flu is debilitating and I hazard a guess mastitis is worse.

So what's going on in the breast?

The breast is made up of many little ducts, little tunnels that move the milk from the alveoli where it is made/stored, out to the nipple.

Often, issues start with a bit of slow moving milk. This could be because of a missed feed/expression, or other reason like a bit of damage to the delicate tissue (for instance pokey bra wire, or toddler elbow to the boob).

This stagnant milk, or damage can cause a bit of inflammation in the tissue around the ducts. This is usually what we can feel on the outside (not a lump of milk).

This lump can hang around for a bit. It may get better, it may get worse. If it does get worse this is what can lead to infection. This is actually quite rare and is definitely not guaranteed, especially if you treat the initial problem effectively.

If it does lead to infection then this may require treatment with antibiotics, and you should speak to your doctor about this. If you are prescribed antibiotics then you should always follow your doctor's recommendations and finish the course, even if you feel better before the end of the course of medication.

But infective mastitis is not always the result of this situation. Often, with some effective self care methods, the inflammation can pass and the milk can properly get moving again.

You should:

• Rest!

• Take anti inflammatory medications (so long as you are able to)

• Use cold compresses between feeds.

• Notice how those three are the same as if you had a swollen ankle? It's pretty similar to what we are doing here - treating swelling!

• You may also find that a short bout of a warm compress immediately before a feed will help with your letdown (good hormones!) and get the milk moving well.

• Feed or express as you normally would.

• Do some work on positioning - perhaps move your baby to a different position, but make sure latching is always nice and deep.
  

You should not:

• Massage too vigorously (fingertip massage acceptable).

• Overfeed/express. It can be tempting to feel like feeding loads or expressing a lot will help to clear the problem, but it can lead to other issues in the long-run.

• Use vibrating things, in an attempt to clear the blockage

If you suspect that you may have an issue such as mastitis, you should consider seeking medical advice if the self help measures above are not helping within 24 hours.

If you seem to experience mastitis several times, then please do seek out breastfeeding support, as there could be an underlying reason for this, and a solid breastfeeding assessment will help.

If you would like to have a chat, then please contact me through the usual channels.

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