Mastitis? Milk drying up?

[MommyMaggie]

(If this is the wrong spot, I am very sorry! Still trying to get my bearings around the forum)

Have any of you had Mastitis?

I am on my 3rd bout. My Ped and Doc have both told me after this I cannot nurse my son at my breast. They think he is the one causing the infection. Now I am on some serious antibiotics, so I'm pumping and dumping for the time being.

DS is only 2 months old... It is way too son for him to switch to formula! I have enough milk stored up for 3 weeks. That's it.

Have any of your supplies dried up but you were able to get it back?

[4myfinn]

I had mastitis and continued to nurse. In fact, my doctor encouraged me to nurse as much as possible to help it clear up. But I didn't have a reinfection like you did, so perhaps that's why you've been advised not to. Did they say that you could not go back to nursing at that breast ever?

[remijo]

Originally Posted by 4myfinn

I had mastitis and continued to nurse. In fact, my doctor encouraged me to nurse as much as possible to help it clear up. But I didn't have a reinfection like you did, so perhaps that's why you've been advised not to. Did they say that you could not go back to nursing at that breast ever?

nak

Like she said...I have it now and I'm still nursing but its also a first time thing. my dr said nursing would help...

[Abraisme]

I have always nursed through mastitis.. The more your nurse and massage your breast the better it feels! I think it's strange advice and I personally wouldn't follow it..

[claddaghmom]

This lady was on bout 4 of mastitis...some good suggestions in the thread:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...light=mastitis

[texaspeach]

can you see an ibclc (lactation consultant)? I think you've been given bad advice. I have never *knock on wood* had mastitis but at LLL when someone does the advice is to nurse frequently, use warm/cold compresses and take good care of yourself. your baby might be contributing by nursing only in one position or not draining the breast, but to say never nurse again is extreme. if it starts with a plugged duct you can take soy lecithin to help prevent it, and be sure to nurse in different positions

[2boyzmama]

Goodness, unless there are other factors that I don't know, the advice you're being given is not correct.

If your baby is only 2 months old and you have 3 weeks of breastmilk pumped, then it's safe to say that you have an oversupply. THAT is probably why you have mastitis, your baby isn't capable of draining your breasts, which can lead to plugs, and the plugs can become infected causing mastitis.

What antibiotic are you on? Most are safe for breastfeeding, please don't pump and dump!!! At the very least, pump and store until you can find out if the drug is safe for breastfeeding. Some drugs that are safe include all variants of Penicillin, Erythromycin, Bactrim, Bioxin... I have had mastitis 5 times (3 times with my first son, and once with my second and third son). I have breastfed through all 5 bouts.

Another contributing factor to mastitis, aside from oversupply, can be thrush. Look up the signs/symptoms of thrush, if you think you or baby have it, then start treating it aggressively now. Start probiotics (you should be on them anyway since you're taking an antibiotic), get some gentian violet for you and baby, wash all your bras in a vinegar solution, change nursing pads at every nursing/pumping session, sterilize your pump, sterilize the baby's bottles/pacifiers, wash your bath towels after every shower, cut sugar out of your diet, etc.

How is baby's growth? Oversupply can cause a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance, and can sometimes cause baby to be excessively gassy, fussy, and to have poor growth. Does baby have green stools? That's a sure sign of foremilk/hindmilk issues. You will need to work to tame your supply, once you've recovered from the mastitis. You can decrease your supply by block feeding and pumping only to relieve engorgement and prevent plugs.

So I'd say first thing, is contact a Lactation Consultant to find out about the antibiotic. If it truly is contraindicated for breastfeeding, ask to be switched to a different antibiotic that is safe. Then get baby back on the breast!!! Work with the LC to find out what the root cause of your repeated mastitis is (for me with my first son it was deep tissue thrush with an oversupply, with my second son he had a poor latch due to a cleft palate, with my third son it's oversupply again). Then work with the LC to lower your supply a bit.

[teagan01]

I had Mastitis from pumping (twin daughters were not BFing at the time due to heart surgery and balancing between both babies). My supply went WAY down but I continued to pump for 2 months (lost 2 ounces every pump on the one side from having Mastitis). Then I became a SAHM and started EBFing both babies. My supply went way up again.
I had a bad experience though with my Mastitis. I didn't do well with antibiotics, had 8 days of high fever, 105, and then hospitalized for 3 days with a staph infection. I had to pump and dump since I had a PICC line of Vacomicine, it was the only antibiotic that helped, I was extremely sick. The infections disease doctor said I should stop pumping but I knew that the first few months are the most common for the infection so I ignored their advice.
What also helped me after my Mastitis was to put a warm wash clothe on my breasts before I pumped. This helped a lot and I actually pumped a ton more milk. It helps with any clog ducts too.

[Punchy Kaby]

Please get yourself another opinion, because these mommas are right, nursing is the right thing to do as long as the antibiotic is baby safe. I would suspect thrush as the culprit as well. I had Mastitis several times with my current nursling and each time it was due to thrush (we never had any symptoms of it other than me having mastitis.) I take Biotin to keep the thrush at bay as well as probiotics and now kefir, both milk and water types (tons of probiotic throughout the day!) When it got really bad I used Grapefruit Seed Extract.

Take care of yourself and get as much rest as possible. Hard I know with a new baby!

[Vegan Princess]

I had recurrent mastitis in the beginning. I highly reccomend soy lecithin capsules, like a PP said. I have not had one plugged duct or bout of mastitis since starting it 10 months ago. And I am prone to both due to a previous breast surgery. I don't see why you should have to stop nursing! It did effect my supply on the side I got it on. My daughter stopped nursing on that side and my milk really dwindled on that side. Hugs to you - mastitis is something awful to go through!

Cindy

[annettemarie]

I'm going to move this to our Breastfeeding forum.