Is it too late to avoid Mastitis?

[Juise]

My milk came in a few nights ago and I have been struggling with severe engorgement, so trying not to pump at all. I was hoping to just get through this until my body could adjust the milk level and deal with the pain and swelling until then and just try to make sure baby got fed, while trying not to stimulate more milk.

Both breasts have been hot feeling, swollen, very painful to try to get DD latched on to, and very painful to the touch, but that started as soon as the engorgement did. Now, though, on my right side, where the engorgement has been the worst, my breast is covered in red splotches and now that I have just finished pumping off 8 oz because I couldn't deal with the pain anymore, I can feel many very painful hard lumps in it. Can these be symptoms of simply plugged ducts, which hopefully if I take care of and will go away, or is it infected already and I am screwed?

Anything I can do right away from home to help if it is Mastitis? I really don't want to go to the doctor for this, not only do I not like how they treat it, but I have also been fighting with systemic candida yeast overgrowth since my pregnancy with DD1 3 years ago, and this is *not* a time I want to have to take antibiotics and make more of a mess of that, or risk giving DD2 thrush.

[katelove]

Hi,

Sorry to hear you are having a rough time.

I would pump again and try to massage out the lumps. Only pump until the lumps have gone (or nearly gone, sometimes it takes me a couple of feeds to get rid of a lump completely). Then I'd put ice on the breast and see how things went for the next few hours. If it's not getting worse, you're probably ok.

Oh, and I assume you don't have any systemic symptoms of mastitis, just the reddness and lumps?

All the best. I hope it settles soon.

[luv-my-boys]

one of the things that helped me when I had mastitis was to take really hot showers (as hot as I could stand) and let my milk down. Literally I took several showers a day to help with the hard sack of marbles feelings.

[CoBabyMaker]

I do your best to rest, drink tons of fluids and take extra vit. C. If you continue to feel engorged you may try hand expressing to get some relief.

[mom2happy]

Ive btdt so many times.
The shower, hot packs, and pumping to get it out while massaging the side where the plugged duct is.
When I have a plugged duct, I HAVE to pump or I will get mastitis!
Ive even had to sterilize a needle and open it myself a few times.
I know you arent supposed to do that, but having a newborn to take care of while recovering from childbirth is hard enough with out having a fever and feeling like you have the flu.
It will get better if you keep it under control. Keep massaging the sore area and warm washclothes on your nipples in case something is blocked there.

[MacKinnon]

I have found lecithin to be a lifesaver for me when I'm nearing mastitis. I have had massive oversupply with my first two and had to pump for a comfort. As soon as I started to get lumps I would start taking lecithin. Best of luck mama!

[Juise]

Between heat, massage, pumping, and nursing it has gone away now

Thank you so much for your responses and advice, I was feeling so doomed! I knew in theory that it didn't have to end up in ER and drugs, but it was so nice to hear that reinforced, it helped me get my emotions under control and deal.