Mastitis, I hate you

[Aka mommy]

I've now had 3 cases of it, and it's killing me.

I bf both my girls for 30 months and EP'ed for my surrodaughter for 1 month before mastitis got in the way and stopped me. Now i'm at the point for the first time in my life where i'm contemplating formula. My breasts are ravaged and so miserable. My left breast, i have a permanant duct that will forever be collapsed and it is painful to breastfeed to this day. Not something that kills me, but ughh some days I wish i produced NO milk. I know women fight tooth and nail to produce, but i hyperlactate. Think over 120 oz a day. And poor ds cannot keep up with it.

For example. Today alone he brought my milk in 4 times, only wanting to be rocked to sleep and not wanting anything to do with the milk that was drowning him. So there the milk sat, and because dh was gone I couldn't pump because that meant laying down ds SCREAMING for me to just hold and rock him. And i cannot stand the sound of his pitiful screams.

Yeah, i'm not looking for any answers. Just having a pity party and a moment of 'I want to give up after all these years and cases of mastitis' moment. I wish my body produced normally instead of over the top.

[jannk]

I SO feel your pain. In addition to a never-ending case of thrush, I had a serious bout of mastitis last week. It was the worst. I know you said you're not looking for answers but I'll just throw this out there with hope that it might help. I did two things that really helped:
Use a mini-massager (you can also use a vibrator) on the clogged duct(s) that were causing the mastitis. It really hurts but it does break it up.
Put miso paste on the breast and let it sit there for a bout 30 mins

Also:
Use moxa (a Chinese herb that can be ordered online. It's like a big cigar that you light and hold very close to the area that is in pain)
Pump while lying on a bed w/ the bad breast hanging down - this way gravity also works in your favor to empty the breast.

I'm sorry you're going through it - so hard especially when you just want to care for your children!

[mediumcrunch]

Is there anyway you can use the old drying up remedies without drying yourself up completely?

I'm sorry you are having such a miserable time! and I get whiny when I get a plugged duct :embarrassed:

[Aka mommy]

Originally Posted by mediumcrunch

Is there anyway you can use the old drying up remedies without drying yourself up completely?

I'm sorry you are having such a miserable time! and I get whiny when I get a plugged duct :embarrassed:

This is something dh & i have been discussing. Currently i'm taking sage tincture daily which helped a bit. My worst cases are ones that start at night because of the random nursing sessions. I may start working harder at drying up & see if dh can do night feedings, so i can do more consistant pumping (every 3 hours instead of nursing ds every 45 mins)

[neldabean]

I have a friend that got mastitis all the time. I told her about soy lecithin. She has been taking it and has had good results.