my left breast hurts so so much both during and after feeding that I end up crying and swearing. Plus when I put lo on this breast she keeps bobbing on & off continously making it even more sore. Found out couple days ago i have mastitis and so want the antibotics to work now.

This cant go on this way so have tried different position, using pillows and painkillers to ease the pain but doesnt work.

Do you think it would work for me to express from that side every other feed and feed her a bottle of EBM, so that my stocks on my good breast remain good?

The problem I forsee with this is that it may tie me to the house more often if I need to express. Plus Im would be giving her a bottle about 4 times a day as opposed to the normal one which is part of her bedtime routine so not sure if this would confuse things for her.Finally I would try and express from that breast last thing at night and first thing in morning to save expressing it during the night.

What do you think?

Thanks for your help.

Susan

mastitis is an overproduction cycle which is usually followed by an under production cycle, so my advice would be to express or feed from that breast every time it felt full, until it stops being painful, then again when lo would usually feed from it for a couple of days after to ensure your body pulls through the underproduction part of it.
It sounds like a lot of work but it is important that you constantly empty the breast as (worst case) it could develop into an abscess, then once you've cleared the mastitis, you need to build your supply up again.
if you express from that side and feed from your other side it should keep your supply for your good side up enough (and you can freeze all the milk you express to have some in stock )

xxx

Thank you so much mummysteph.Is the underproduction bit the swollen part which is blocked? How long do you reckon it will take to clear?

I mentioned it to the HV today at the baby clinic and she told me to hand express for the next 24 hrs on that side at every feed for 5 minutes as the pump will also make it painful.

Thank you so much again for your advice.

Hi hun, i had mastitis with Molly and can honestly say it took only a few days after the antibiotics to kick in for it to improve! I remember feeding her with my eyes clenched going ow ow ow, with tears rolling down my face, dreading ever feed, making excuses she wasn't needing fed etc etc and then one night i hand expressed in a nice warm shower and when i fed that night it was lots better (i think the shower helped soften the breast as well).

Now nearly 7 months later i have no pain and am enjoying feeding her!

Sometimes people need 2 doses of antibiotics for it to clear but don't stop feeding from that side the best way is to keep feeding, take some paracetamol to ease the pain.

Good luck hun! It WILL get better!!!

xxx

That was me last nite.

do you think when the breast is soft, even with the lump in it, it is not as painful to feed lo?

do you think 5 mins is enough to hand express as I thought the breast needed to be drained?

i just eased a little out so it wasn't so full, made it easier for her to latch on as well.

The best way to clear it is for you to keep feeding you lo. I know how hard it is but worth it!

When feeding try and relax, try feeding lying down on the bed, so for example lie on your right side and have your wee one lying next to you with your tummies touching and place your left hand behind babies head to keep them in place while feeding.

If it doesn't clear or improve in a few days speak to your hv! x

couldnt have put it much better than el_pinko

the sore bit is part of the over production as the breast is too full and the duct becomes blocked and inflamed.

it does usually clear within a week (at most although rarely it has taken two weeks - only one mum i know had it that long) and the antibiotics will help loads.

if you find paracetamol arent helping with the pain ask your gp to prescribe you co-codamol which is perfectly safe to take whilst bf (I'm on it now)

Hope it clears up for you soon.
xxx

Thank you for your replies.

How long do you let lo feed off your sore breast for?

I have been trying lo to take the sore breast but she doesn't want to know and won't latch on. I have tried expressing before hand, and after she has had a feed on the right so she isn't desperate for it, and she isn't taking any, she comes straight off.

I had a bath last night and got a bit out, but then it just become engorged overnight despite hand expressing at 3am and 7am. As a result, still feeling a bit feverish this morning.

I would feed her with the sore one first and don't take her off until she is finished. She is probably refusing that one because she will tell you are uncomfortable with that side. Try not to tense up and make relaxing noises like shhhhhh, good girl etc and she will relax and feed better. You could express some of the fore milk out first so she gets the good stuff quicker and will ease of the pressure of fullness in the breast. After that feed you could then put her onto the right side for some fore milk for a drink.

I wouldn't express as much as you are, if she is awake at that time in the morning feed her from the left side first and then top up from the right if needed. The more you express the more your body will think you are feeding and keep producing more milk to keep up with demand. I used to express a little out onto my breast pad on the sore side (also my left) removing any of the lumpy bits and then feed straight away.

So i would always offer the left side first because she'll be hungry and she will unblock it and make it better for you!!!

Good luck hun and hope you feel better soon! x

I also want to add that your doing a fantastic job hun and i admire your determination to carry on bf!!!!

It honestly will get better and def go back to the doc for stronger painkillers if needed!!!

Also if the fever and flu like symptoms don't improve in a couple of days i would go back again!!!

*Gentle* Hugs x

was also thinking about her positioning...

When feeding her put her on her tummy across yours so she is unlikely to move out of position, I used to feed Molly on her side so she was twisted round to feed causing incorrect latching on. Place your hand on the back of her head gently keeping her in position.

I found lying down the easiest position for feeding. x

thank you so much el pinko. i really dont want to stop bf cos i see it a personal achievement if i can get thro this. Will try all your suggestions n see how things progress.

big hug

xx

well lo still wont feed off infected breast, so much so she screams when i p;ut her to it. have started expressin with a pump and dont get lot out.

breast is a lot more redder and engorged. had a fever yesterday, temp was 38. been to docs this am to get stronger painkillers. doc examined me and said if its gets worse, to call surgery and they will arrange scan of breast

Just noticed this thread - I really hope it gets better soon. Mastitis is such a nasty thing, the advice and tips i can see you have been given has been great. I hope it doesn't develop into anything worse but good that they are going to take action with a scan to check if need be rather than fob you off.
Just want to say, not to worry you as fingers crossed your lo will soon latch back onto the sore breast, just to say it is possible to carry on bfing with the one breast rather than give up bfing, as my friend had to feed her lo on just one breast from 3months old after suffering from an abscess and is still successfully bfing her lo now at a year old x

aw hun, i hope it clears up soon! It sounds a lot worse than i had it and thankfully mine cleared up after a few days. maybe see about changing the antibiotics? I hope the scan goes well!

Take care x

Babybear- that is such a relief that I can feed with one breast long term if needs be, because I have tried hand expressing and pump expressing twice during the night and didn't get anything out, so I was in tears yet again thinking my milk was going to dry up. My concern has been if there has been enough milk in one breast to satisfy lo, and whether it will continue to be sufficient for her as she gets bigger. Do you think its an option to feed from the sore breast if an abcess is founded and sorted?

El pinko - I haven't got a scan booked yet, I am going to get my breast checked on Tuesday and see what they say.

One of the things which I have found which works is to dunk my breast in a bowl of warm water rather using a warm compress, i have been able to get some milk out plus it eases the pain when massaging.

im feelin bit better, but breast still hurts a lot and is still red. i dont see it getting better soon with the little i can express out.

thank you for you support, i really really appreciate it as i have noone to talk to about it and offload on, who understands.

hugs
xx

Well another day passes and my breast still is hard and red. Not getting much out by expressing, and really think that lo does take from it because it is so hard - she cant get sucking on it. I now think it is an abcess because it wouldn't be around for this long would it? Either that, or the HV gave me wrong info by telling me to hand express it. It no fun sticking around the house all day so that I can stick my boob in a bowl of warm water and express, I just want it over with now.

Will keep you updated.

Hiya,
I have replied to your question on my thread but have just seen this. I would go back to your GP as, like you said, it may have gone to an abcess or you may just not be responding to those particular antibiotics. I got my mastitis while on two other antibiotics for infections in my episiotomy wound that opened up - one of which being the one they use for mastitis, so I am on a different one for that now.

Hope it all clears up soon for you.

Sorry to hear you are still suffering. Just a thought but have you tried expressing while you are in the bath? Or while your lo feeds from the other side? Both of those things can help with let down so you might be able to get a bit more out.
Hope you get it cleared up soon, mastitis really is the pits!!
xx

In reply to your question, if you did have to resort to feeding your lo with the one breast, there should be sufficient enough milk for your lo, as mothers with twins manage to breastfeed with one boob for each baby it may be just the case of lo feeding from you more often for a 3 or 4 days to increase the milk supply for that breast, hopefully you will be able to feed lo from the sore breast soon, it may also be the fact that because you have mastitis, the milk in that breast will taste slightly salty which may be a reason why lo is not wanting to feed from it .
After my friend had her abscess sorted she was told she could start feeding from it again but after the amount of trouble she had from it (The first treatment she had didnt clear it!) she decided to stick with feeding from just the unaffected breast and didnt even have to give her lo formula to supplement. But what happened to her was rare so hope i havent caused anymore worry just that she was one of the unlucky ones.
Not sure if you are aware but when you massage your breast remember to do gentle massage not rough and hard as you can make it worse, and also another thing to try as well as the other things is if you have a wide tooth comb use that in downward stroke on the breast or even you fingers in that way like a comb. Really hope it clears soon or they get you a breast scan soon if not. Take care x