# Bras that avoid mastitis?



## Treasuremapper (Jul 4, 2004)

To make a long story short, I have had mastitis at least a dozen times. Working with my LC, I managed to narrow down the causes and have only had it one time since my new strategies.

Unfortunately, one thing that has helped tremendously is going braless. But I want to find a bra that will not ultimately give me mastitis. Am I extrasensitive, or is this common? Is there some superbra that helps?

I am tandem nursing my two children, but Gracie only nurses a few times a week now.


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## stafl (Jul 1, 2002)

if your bras are plugging your ducts which in turn get infected and turn into mastitis, perhaps you are wearing the wrong size. Some bras fit different shape breasts better than others, too. NEVER wear underwires! try www.decentexposures.com if you want some that are as comfortable as going braless.
Another thing to consider is that maybe you are overdoing things. If I get stressed, or if I'm busy doing other stuff and try to put off nursing if baby isn't *really* hungry, that's when I have the most problems.







take care of yourself and babies first, and everything else can wait!


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## mcsarahb (Aug 25, 2003)

I live in these from Blue Canoe. They have plus-sized, too.










Sarah


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## stafl (Jul 1, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mcsarahb*
I live in these from Blue Canoe. They have plus-sized, too.










Sarah

but they only go up to DD cup...


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## Treasuremapper (Jul 4, 2004)

I totally agree with rest and taking care of myself being a huge part of the problem, but I am taking care of two little kids less than two years apart with almost no breaks whatsoever except after dh comes home at night.

So I have to work with what I have.

I'm going to check out those bras. I have four different kinds of nursing bras, two were professionally fitted by different bra fitters (one was a lc). I hesitate because I have spent thirty bucks for bras that give me mastitis within two days several times. But hope springs eternal, so I will definitely try again!

What's wrong with underwire?


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## stafl (Jul 1, 2002)

underwire bras, and bras that don't fit properly can put pressure on the milk ducts, preventing them from emptying when you nurse, the backed-up milk sits around too long, the duct gets plugged, the plug gets infected. If your bra cuts into your breast tissue *anywhere* (for me, ill-fitted bras cut into the tissue near my armpits) it isn't a good fit. Just because someone has LC after their name doesn't mean they know diddly about bras. Most women wear bras that are too large in the band and too small in the cup.

try these links for more info:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/...-mastitis.html

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/mastitis.html

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/start/pre...tart.html#bras

Quote:

http://www.breastfeed-essentials.com/allaboutbras.html
Underwire bras require good fitting even more so than softcup bras. An underwire bra that is too small will dig into, pinch, and bind the breast tissue, making plugged ducts and breast infections more likely. Mothers should never sleep in an underwire bra as it is more likely that the wires will compress the breast tissue with lying down for prolonged periods of time. If plugged ducts and/or breast infections are recurrent, the size of the underwire bra should be re-evaluated or it should be replaced with a softcup bra until weaning occurs. Generally, however, an underwire bra can be worn during the daytime as long as it fits well and the mother is not experiencing repeat episodes of plugged ducts or breast infection.


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## arcenciel (Nov 26, 2001)

Hi,

I was going to post a similar question! In fact, I tandem nursed my first two for a total of 5.5. years and only had mastitis a couple of times at the beginning each time.

My DD has just turned one and I have recently had lots of problems with sore lumps and other mastitis symptoms that never fully turned into mastitis and disappeared after a couple of days.

It happened enough times for me to start wondering and I just stopped wearing a bra a couple of days ago to check if that's the problem. I've been wearing Bravado bras this time, which I never had before, and although they are extremely comfortable when I'm NOT nursing, I can't help feeling that bit of cloth that holds the strap up when I AM nursing, is what's causing me the problems.

If I'm mastitis free for a while then I'll try all my old nursing bras in turn and then perhaps try the Bravado ones again but leave the straps off my shoulders while nursing.

Hope you find something that works.


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