# I think I'm getting mastitis - any way to head it off?



## chlobo (Jan 24, 2004)

So my left breast hurts. It hurts while nursing & hurts while not nursing. And, I feel achy this morning. Seems like it might be mastitis. Any way to head it off before it gets really bad?


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## LianneM (May 26, 2004)

LAY DOWN! Seriously, just stop trying to do anything, take baby to bed and nurse and rest. (Not sure how old your baby is but you know, whatever is appropriate)

Nurse as much as you can to keep the milk flowing. I know it hurts, I'm so sorry







: Take a hot shower and even put a hot compress on the breast to help the milk keep moving.

I would start to get a plugged duct/mastitis when I would try to do too much. It usually coincided with my baby sleeping extra long, which meant a longer time in between nursing. Those two things can quickly lead to a plugged duct. OUCH!

Feel better soon!


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## taterbug1999 (May 5, 2006)

I agree with the PP totally. You gotta rest. I recently managed to fight off mastitis without antibiotics. I would lean forward in a hot bath and as much as it hurt, rub from rib cage to nipple doing deep tissue massage trying to loosen the plug. It was painful but not much more so than just the pain of the duct itself. It really did help, I could feel the blockage move and loosen the more I worked the area. I also took Ibuprofen for the pain and swelling. Seemed like if I would stay pretty regular on that it helped keep the fever at bay and the pain as well. I even had my husband do the massaging cause it did seem easier for him to do (kinda like painting your own nails is harder than having someone do it







). Plus he didn't mind a bit!

Good luck momma! Hope you feel better soon!


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## Breastfeeding Insomniac (Jan 15, 2007)

It sounds like it could be a plugged duct or mastitis. This will link you to a page describing signs/symptoms of each and corrective actions to take:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/mastitis.html
Feel better!


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## mtn.mama (Apr 1, 2007)

Hope you're over it already, but if nt then consider drinking some milk from the effected side. I've not had to do this myself yet (but it will be my first line of defense when I do) - but I have talked to two moms who swear its totally effective within 24 hours.
Lisa


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## Bellejar (Oct 2, 2005)

If your not already better a good friend of mine who is a lactation nurse gave me a good trick. If you can get a disposable diaper fill it with hot water and put it inside your bra on the affected side. It helps with plugged ducts and may help stave off mastitis. Something about the warm moist heat. Hope you are feeling better.


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## Ammaarah (May 21, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bellejar* 
If your not already better a good friend of mine who is a lactation nurse gave me a good trick. If you can get a disposable diaper fill it with hot water and put it inside your bra on the affected side. It helps with plugged ducts and may help stave off mastitis. Something about the warm moist heat. Hope you are feeling better.

I did this a couple months ago when I almost ended up with mastitis...I had a plugged duct that just wouldn't deflate. After 20-30 minutes with the warm sposie on my breast, that side shot milk 3 feet or so!







It worked so quickly.

I also got great advice here to up my garlic intake (yum, no problem) and just keep massaging with a combing action. I felt some achiness in that breast for a day or two but I think that might have been from massaging too vigorously.


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## lovevolving (Jan 27, 2007)

Here's a link to an article I wrote on treating mastitis at home with herbs (many of them common culinary herbs):

http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...ith_herbs.html


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## mamallama (Nov 22, 2001)

Good advice, but I think these 2 points bear repeating:

*Go to bed! Drink a big glass of water first, and take a big glass with you! Other than refilling your glass and using the bathroom, stay in bed until you're better!

*Consider ibuprofen. It will alleviate the pain, but even if you don't need it for pain, it will also help out with swelling. Reducing the swelling will help the duct clear.

Good luck!


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## DisplacedYooper (Aug 10, 2007)

I have headed off mastitis twice - one right after Ben was born and once just a few weeks ago after being exhasted from visiting family in the UK. Each time it had progressed to the point where I was achy, had a fever, and was experiencing chills. This is what I did:

1) As PP say, REST! Go straight to bed if you can. This second time, I had to go to work for a short time one day, but just try to stay in bed.

2) I didn't use 'sposies (don't have any in the house!) but I did take two short baths a day where the water came up high enough to cover my breast. During and after each bath, I expressed as much milk as I could

3) Nursed Ben mostly out of the affected side. I didn't ignore the other side (it's my lower producer anyway) but you have to get the milk out of the breast to heal. After he nursed each time I would express until I was only getting little dribbles and no streams. You can deal with any resultant over-supply later.

4) I used ibuprofen to combat inflamation and (less importantly) reduce fever. In each case, I only needed one or two doses before I really began to feel much better.

In each case, it took about 48 hours before I felt like I was really recoverd, and much of that recovery took place in the last 12 hours. For the first 36, I felt pretty constantly crappy. If my symptoms had persisted longer than 3 whole days, or if I had felt like I was getting worse or still had a high fever after taking ibuprofen, I would've gone to the dr.


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## jamiew (Oct 3, 2007)

Ow! I feel your pain.

I only had a plugged duct once (so far...), I just kept a hot compress on it, kept pumping and nursing. Massage it, even though it hurts. It took me, as well, 2 days for it to clear.

You'll know when it clears, it's like asprin taking effect for a headache, it'll just stop hurting.


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