Boobs sore, but not engorged...

[The4OfUs]

Hi, ladies. I had a blessedly uneventful nursing relationship with my son, so the issues I've been having with my daughter make me feel like such a newbie...so I'm here for help.

We fixed a latch problem, which is great cause my nipples are healing finally, but now my breast tissue itself is sore, not the nipple or areola, but the breast itself, sore to the touch all over it, like I was engorged, but I'm not engorged at all.

DD is having plenty of wet and poopy diapers so I know she's getting enough; I don't see any signs of thrush in her mouth or any white on my nipple or areola, but could it be the beginnings of thrush maybe? The overall soreness as a precursor?

They're not hot or red, there's no streaking or hard spots that would be a plugged duct as far as I can tell. They're soft (DD JUST ate - nak), but they're very sore - like so sore I don't even want older DS to hug me . I can't figure out anything else that would be making my breast tissue itself sore, but no other symptoms.

[USAmma]

How long has this been going on? I would suspect a mild case of mastitis or a case of yeast inside the ducts. Both are very painful. The mastitis will show itself eventually with you feeling run down and some reddish spots on your breasts and maybe a low fever. Yeast can be in there for a long time and stay in there until you get rid of it, even if baby never gets thrush. Does it hurt to let down? Like a stinging sensation? My mastitis always started off with a lot of pain like crushed glass inside. I didn't always get the red streaks. I was just very tired and it hurt a lot.

You can also get some nerve or ligament damage inside if you had a bad latch or some kind of trauma, but it would usually be only on one breast.

[The4OfUs]

It's probably just been about the last 48 hours or so.

Let down does't hurt, just tingly like it was with DS so I don't think I can qualify that as a symptom.

Hmmm, mastitis or yeast. Guess I could try to treat it as yeast first, and if it's not then see my doc re: mastitis?

SO I've heard gentian violet, grapeseed, and probiotics...anything else?

Thanks so much.

[USAmma]

I'm not real good with the herbs and stuff. Someone else could help you better. For plugged ducts I found flax seed oil and Lecithin to be extremely helpful in both unplugging and prevention of new ones but that's probably not your problem. When I had yeast inside my breasts the only thing that worked was diflucan because it killed the yeast in my whole body.

Good luck! I hope whatever it is, you start feeling better soon.

[The4OfUs]

I've been Googling , and I think it might be thrush...cause I also started focusing on what exactly I'm feeling, and I do sense a little bit of itchiness...and my areolas are a bit "shiny".

Soo, off DH goes to the health food store tomorrow to get me some grapefruit seed extract liquid and pills!

I think mastitis is kind of unlikely because I don't feel sick, no fever, and I read that it progresses rather quickly (in a matter of less than 24 hours), and I haven't had anything major increasing in that time frame. So, I'm gonna go with thrush and see if this helps; the grapefruit seed extract is supposed ot help within a couple days, so I'll update if it helps in case anyone ever sees this thread and wonders.

Thanks again for helpign me work my way through this!

Thanks for helping me think this out.

[USAmma]

I hope you feel better soon!

[mamoyo1]

Sore boobs

Could be mastitis. Try expressing when having a soak or in shower to keep ducts patent. Cabbage leaves are good as well, but check which type you are to use. 48 hours if it has not cleared I would see Dr or ring midwife. Get well soon..