Mastitis???

Question

I have a question for all the women and mothers out there. I had mastitis and just got over it. Well I couldnt breastfeed because it hurt way to bad to even touch my boobs. Now I can only get about 2oz out of my boobs, thats together. How do I get myself to start producing more again? My son is only 3 weeks old so I want to keep breastfeeding but I am not producing enough to fill him up right now. Any advice would be appreciated.

Answer 1

Nurse and pump as much as possible. It's all about supply and demand. The more you nurse or pump, the more you'll make. Since you didn't nurse or pump while you were ill, you told your body to stop producing. Now you need to nurse and pump a lot to tell it to ramp production back up. (And it's important to note that pumping is not a good indicator of supply. A baby who is latched on and nursing properly will get more than you can pump.)

You can try eating oatmeal for breakfast every day. Some moms report that helps them.

Take a "nursing vacation" and do nothing but self care and breastfeeding for 2-3 days. This will help you step up supply. Have someone else handle the cooking and let the housework slide for a couple of days.

Make sure you are staying well hydrated, as it's possible you got dehydrated while you were sick.

If your supply isn't better in a week, consider adding fenugreek supplements. 3-4 capsules 3x per day. Be sure to read the link below before taking it, as there are a handfull of people who should not take this supplement.

If you ever get an infection again, it's really important to keep nursing or pumping through it. It might have hurt at first to nurse, but it should have helped to make you feel better as you emptied the breasts.

Answer 2

I am *so* sorry that you're having such a hard time.

And, good for you for not giving up! Breastfeeding is so healthy for your son, it's totally worth the effort.

My NUMBER 1 recommendation is that you go to the La Leche League web site and find a local leader in your area. If you call her, she will talk with you about your situation and will help you come up with a plan that fits your needs and she'll work with you to fine-tune it depending on what works and what doesn't.

If you get her answering machine, here are a few suggestions for "in the mean time."

* Fenugreek supplements and/or mother's milk tea a few times a day to help increase your supply.
* Stay hydrated. Drink as much water as you can stand.
* Try really hard to get some rest. My supply drops more when I'm overtired than when I get dehydrated. I know that's really impossible with a 3 week old, but at least catch some catnaps.
* Pump as well as nurse. DO NOT STOP NURSING. Your son is better at getting milk out of your body than the pump is, so if the choice is between nursing and pumping, NURSE.

BUT.

Try pumping right after he eats, especially in the early morning. Typically, that's when your supply will be the highest.

If you have a hand pump and are coordinated enough, you could also pump one side while he eats from the other side. (I wouldn't be able to do that, but some people can.)

You may also want to make sure that you massage while he eats and/or while you pump, so that your ducts don't get clogged again.

Another great place for suggestions is KellyMom.com

Answer 3

Get a pump and try to pump between feedings to produce more. Get a good pump $200 not $20

It is really hard to increase milk supply after a rough start. Give the baby all the breast milk you can but give him some formula after so he will get enough to eat and grow (my first did not grow well until I supplementd). Also dont freak out that you are going to damage your baby, many of the benefits to a baby from breastfeeding cannot be seperated from the benefits of having a mother who cares enough to try.

So most of all love the baby that is of greates importance

Answer 4

Glad your feeling better. Try getting an electric pump. The theory is, the more you express your milk, the more you will produce. Also, try taking a nice hot bath to help let your milk down. You can freeze the milk you express in bottles, so someone can babysit when mom needs a break.

Good luck.

Answer 5

Supply and demand is key here.

If you body knows there is a demand for it then it will produce more.

Start pumping on a regular schedule to get your supply back up.

www.justmommies.com had a forum with great girl and lots of info about breastfeeding. Check it out!

Good luck to you!

Answer 6

darling, use warm water pads, showe with warm water, drink sesame juice (it sounds silly but it makes you produce more milk, on my own experience), and the more milk you take out with a pump, every 3 hours, the more milk your body's going to produce. good luck!

pd: buy on MOtherhood the lotion for swelling boobs...it doesnt harm the baby.