[notaperfectmom]

Has anyone else nursed with an abscess? and also...did anyone have an abscess resolve just with antibiotics?

I had sub-clinical mastitis a few days after my 5 wk old was born that looked like it had resolved. Then I started suffering from a recurring plugged duct and intermittent pain. Yesterday I ran a fever with chills out of nowhere. I got in the shower and massaged like crazy and started getting some stuff out of a lump I found deep in my breast. The fever is gone and my midwife has prescribed antibiotics but the abscess is "draining" pus through my nipple - ie it comes out when I express milk.

I don't know whether to keep nursing my baby on that side and I'm trying to find out anything I can so that I don't have to have it surgically drained....

any and all advice please.....

 

[MountainMamaGC]

From what i undersatand you can keep BFing when you have mastitis. If you are really worried maybe pump that one side until you know for sure. Did your midwife say you can or cant?

 

[MountainMamaGC]

http://www.imaginis.com/breasthealth...g/mastitis.asp

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/b..._mastitis?open

Both these sites say you should keep feeding the baby to keep it drained

This site says even if its bacterial it wont harm your baby to feed off the infected breast.

http://www.breastfeed.com/articles/o...he-flu-2747/2/

 

[PatioGardener]

I have always heard to breastfeed as soon as you can (sometimes where the abscess is located makes it too painful for a while.) Abscesses can be brutal, and can damage tissue/affect supply. Are you sure you got it all drained? An ultrasound may be worthwhile to make sure. The reading I have done about surgical drainage recommends ultrasound guided needle aspiration instead of actually surgery.