# Recovering from mastitis, still swollen, advice?



## pookel (May 6, 2006)

I've been on antibiotics since Monday for mastitis in my right breast, and while the infection is definitely clearing up, my boob is still swollen. Also, my pumping output is way down on that side. The nipple is starting to crack a little and I'm leery of doing anything to aggravate it, but I want to make sure I clear out any blockages, too.

I've been doing the hot water/hand-expressing thing since Sunday night and am no longer seeing any blood or pus. However, I feel a big lump on the top of my breast (NOT where the previous lumps and red areas were) and I feel kind of engorged all the time and can't seem to drain with the pump.

What's more important - letting it rest and heal, or squeezing the heck out of it some more?


----------



## pookel (May 6, 2006)

Geez, no one ever answers my threads.







It's much better today anyway, so never mind, I guess.


----------



## stiles' mummy (Jan 16, 2005)

Hi Pookel,

Glimpsed your post and could not ignore. although I'm not breastfeeding now, I suffrered from Mastitis when my ds was only 3 months old. I too had a lump that would not go away and I was on antibotics. I had to go to a nursing clinic for them to diagnose me as my own physician had no clue why the lump was still there









Turns out they needed to drain the lump. It wasn't a blocked milk duct, it was an actual infection. Just giving you a "heads-up" to get it checked out if it does not improve soon.

Good luck


----------



## jencen (Nov 29, 2007)

Hi! Had a really stubborn, horrible bout of mastitis (104+fever) when ds was really teeny tiny. The swelling lasted quite some time after starting the antibiotics--for me, the thing I found most helpful, for pain relief and for getting rid of the mass, was to get a very wide toothed comb, soap the tines up, and run it over the mass--from just behind it towards the nipple. It really seemed to help and if ever I felt a hardening and suspected a plugged duct was coming on...I would get out my trusty comb and it would loosen right up. It gets really tiresome kneading your breast and expressing by hand IMO. I agree on getting it checked also if it doesn't clear up soon...I even had mine ultrasounded (not a real word) to make sure it was not abscessing. Also, just clear you calendar, stay in bed for one whole day and nurse, nurse, nurse and then nurse some more. Hope you are feeling better soon--best of luck mama!


----------



## sophi4ka (Jun 28, 2007)

Did you try cabbage leaves? They usually reduce inflamation.
You can try either cold or warm compresses with them ( I heard conflicting advices on the temeperature). I used cold cabbage leaves compresses with my mastitis and it helped with the swelling. Just beware that supposedly those compresses reduce milk supply, so don't overdo. Usually compress for about 15 minutes is enough.


----------

