# Mastitis vs Abscess? (Update, please help...)



## the2amigos (Apr 27, 2005)

Continue to nurse my 11 month old son...he eats bites of solids, but nothing great. Wednesday my right breast was a little tender when I woke up, nothing big, no mass or anything, by afternoon I had a fever and felt like I had been hit by a truck and by boob hurt even more. Went to the doctor, she thought she felt some fullness but no mass, maybe the beginnings of mastitis...started AB. Yesterday was awful, breast really tender, red, warm, noticeable mass, fever 103-104...felt like I wanted to die. Called the doc, give it another day. Today, wow, maybe it's an abscess, saw the surgeon, he lanced me open in his office (about 1.5 inches wide), dug around, couldn't find any pockets of pus or anything to drain, left me hanging open to see if it will come to a head out the opening. I'm supposed to call him in the morning. He of course told me to stop nursing and not to pump, "because you don't want to keep making milk, besides it's time he weaned anyway." HA!! I had talked with my friendly LC before I even went to him and have her as backup this weekend if I need it.

I can't take a shower because I'm gutted open like a dear, but I'm doing warm compresses and as much massage as I can handle (not a lot) and nursing or pumping that side every 2-3 hours. And continuing the AB. Any other suggestions? If this doesn't get significantly better by tomorrow they want to have me inpatient with IV antibiotics and I'll have a doozy of a fight on my hands to continue nursing.

Thoughts? (This hasn't been the best few days of my life!!) And what is this mastitis, abscess, something else?


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## lauradoc (May 21, 2005)

Sure sounds like mastitis, not sure why you didn't have a better response to the abx. So sorry to hear that you are feeling so bad! Hope you are on the mend soon! I have had good luck with sleeping with the affected (infected) breast on the hot water bottle and taking 800 mg ibuprofen every 4 hrs for a couple of days, along with nursing the baby absolutely as often as baby will go for it . . .


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## the2amigos (Apr 27, 2005)

I feel much better today and no fever either. My breast is still a little firm though, not as bad as it was but definately firm...a little red too. I suppose I'll keep doing what I'm doing and he can sew me back up on Monday. Lovely. Why would I get something like this now? We've been nursing for 11 months! For some reason I thought this usually happened early in the nursing relationship...I was wrong!!


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## the2amigos (Apr 27, 2005)

OK, major redness is back and really firm!! I think my supply is going down the tubes also...and I'm getting scared! I'm also still gashed open like crazy. I can't massage the area too well because it pulls the open skin and HURTS!! I do put heat on it often and am taking ibuprofen. DS nurses ok, but hardly gets anything from the affected side and gives up. I haven't pumped for months and get drops when I do. I even tried feeding him only from the affected side and pumping the other and don't get much from the unaffected side when I do pump (a 20-30 minute session gets like 2oz and I know he just chugs from that side when he nurses). Usually he'd nurse one side for under five minutes then 3-4 hours later nurse the other side for under five minutes. He does a lot of comfort nursing while sleeping, but it's more of a chewing than a sucking, not helping me much. So I'm trying to pump in between feedings on that side but getting nothing and now my nipple is starting to get sore from pumping.

I'm going to cry. Any thoughts? Off to drink more water....


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## lilylove (Apr 10, 2003)

sounds really hard









Here is a link with info on abcsesses.
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/...t-abscess.html

I would call that LC for sure, and you could also call a local LLL leader.

Can you hand express, I always had better luck hand expressing then with a pump. Are you getting as much rest as possible? Try not to worry about anything else, just care for you and your son and let all else go. Good luck, and hang in there


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## DaryLLL (Aug 12, 2002)

How are you doing today? I jus saw your 2 threads about this. Sorry for what you're going through.

You can get mastitis at any time. If your ds has started acrobatic nursing he might have started to not be in a position to drain all the alveoli (milk producing glands).

Another thing that may have happened is, we get busy at the holidays and do too much, get a little rundown, or shorten or put off feeds when you have a lot of extra holiday chores.

You say you have a LC? What does she say?

You may not be getting much milk when you pump b/c you are not letting down to the pump the way you do to your baby.

Are you resting and eating well?

Your milk may seem lesser now but it can't go away overnight. Most moms have milk in their breasts months after fuly weaning.

Get some soy lecithin from the health food store. This can help plugs move out and stop new ones.

read this link about mastitis (there are links at the bottom for abcesses and soy lecithin):

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

good luck and I hope it resolves soon!


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