who treats mastitis?

[blueRhino]

I seem to have a clogged duct that I am hoping does not take a turn for the worse, but if it does and I need to seek medical attention, who could treat that? I am kind of in between PCPs right now, though there is a doctor who recently treated me for pink eye I could probably see. Can a midwife treat that? My son is 16 months so this is not an immediate postpartum issue.
Thanks for any advice you might have!

[PatioGardener]

Depends on if your midwife can prescribe the needed antibiotics. A family doctor would work, or even a walk-in clinic if you knew exactly what to ask for.



(just in case you haven't read it, here is the kellymom page: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/mastitis.html

[K-Mom3]

I saw a midwife--she was a nurse midwife, though. So, I would first suggest seeing a midwife, if yours can write prescriptions.

If not, call a lactation consultant hotline and get some support and info before you see a doctor. You don't want someone telling you you need to wean. Once I was out of town, in a land with old, male doctors and no female practitioners or midwives in sight....and so I called a lactation consultant on the phone, got some advice and then took that advice to the old-fashioned doctor. I was able to persuade the doc to do what the lactation consultant advised (namely, a 10 day antibiotic instead of 7) because she had armed me with research data.

PS--so sorry you have mastitis. It can be brutal.