Question about Mastitis??

Question

I am currently breastfeeding my 4 week old son. I woke up yesterday feeling miserable like I had the flu. Body aches, chills, and a headache so bad that I couldn't open my eyes. My left breast was obviously engourged and had a faint red blotchy line from my nipple outward.. by mid-afternoon I had a fever and called my doctor. She determined I have mastitis and prescribed me some antibiotics. I have been taking them 24 hours now and although I feel better as far as the flu like symptoms my breast is still engourged and now the entire left side is RED and quite tender.
So my question to anyone that has taken antibiotics for mastitis, how long after the antibiotics did the redness and engourgement start improving?

Answer 1

When I had this, I got steadily worse for the first 24 hours until the antibiotics kicked in. After that, my flu-like symptoms got better, but my breast continued to be swollen and red. It also stopped giving milk AT ALL (I was pumping). By the end of the second or third day on medicine, all of a sudden I got a LOT of milk out, but it was lumpy. It stayed lumpy for about a week, but I felt better every day.

Remember, anything that comes out of your breast is OK for your baby to eat. Continue to nurse on the infected side, or you will lose milk production. If nursing is too painful, you have to pump. Your baby may want to eat more often until the infection is cleared up - go ahead and feed whenever the baby seems hungry.

In the future, keep an eye out for any lumps in your breast, even if it is not sore. If you find one, massage it while the baby nurses, and call the doctor as soon as you notice any redness or tenderness. That way, you can catch an infection before it gets bad.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Good for you for chosing to breastfeed. Sorry you got mastitis.

momma2min. . . has great advice

Here is the advice I give my clients on Mastitis:

DO NOT quit nursing as this can lead to an abcess and require surgery

The type of bacteria involved in mastitis is usually staphylococcus, and the two safest and most effective classes of antibiotics against this organism are cloxacillins and cephalosporins. Other frequently prescribed antibiotics are Augmentin or erythromycin. All of these antibiotics are safe to take while breastfeeding. Even though you will feel better after a few days of taking antibiotics, be sure to complete the full course of antibiotics prescribed by your doctor (usually ten days); otherwise you run the risk of the mastitis returning. If you don't feel better after two or three days on antibiotics, call your doctor. He or she may wish to prescribe a different medication.

Things you can do to feel better:

Rest, rest, rest.--the best thing you can do is take 24 hours and lay in bed with baby and nurse on demand. Have dad or grandma or a friend wait on you and take care of your needs.

Alternate warm and cold compresses on your breasts. Cold compresses relieve pain; warmth increases circulation, which mobilizes infection-fighters in the inflamed area.

Gently massage the area of tenderness. This increases circulation, helps to loosen any plugged ducts in the area

Breastfeed frequently on the affected side. If it hurts to nurse the baby, start the feeding on the breast that is not sore, and switch to the sore side after your milk lets down

Vary the baby's position at the breast, so that all the ducts are emptied. Try to point baby's chin toward the sore part of the breast.

Take analgesics for fever and pain. Acetaminophen and/or ibuprofen are safe to take while breastfeeding.

Drink lots of fluids, as you would if you had the flu. Fever and inflammation increase your need for fluids.

Sleep without a bra

Don't quit nursing at this point. Weaning increases the risk of a breast infection turning into a breast abscess that requires surgical draining. Continuing to nurse your baby is the best treatment for engorgement, mastitis and breast infections.

If baby refuses to nurse on the affected breast, it may be because inflammation of the milk glands increases the sodium content of your milk, giving it a salty taste. Most babies either don't notice or don't mind, and go right on nursing. Some may object to the change and fuss or refuse to nurse from that side. Try starting the feeding on the unaffected side and finishing on the salty side. As the inflammation subsides, your milk will soon return to its usual taste.


Here are some refrence pages I have listed on th subject that you might want to check out

http://www.llli.org/FAQ/mastitis.html
http://www.llli.org/FAQ/repeatmastitis.html
http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/LV/LVMarApr93p19.html
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mastitis/DS00678

Answer 3

DO NOT quite breastfeeding.
If you're uncomfortable to let your baby feed directly, pump it out.
While pumping, look into the milk and see if there is any pus. else, with this info, you can decide if you want to feed baby directly.

You need to continue the antibiotics as prescribed and take rest. Pump/latch frequently. The main point is to empty your breast. Baby is your best pump ever.

To relieve engourgement, used frozen cabbage leaves. place them on your breast and massage slowly. it's painful, but bear with it and get it done with.

Drink some warm drinks like milo and try to rest. Let baby drinks from you.

If the pain is really unbearable or you have low pain threshold, you might want to ask for pain killers from your doctor.

Remember, you need to empty your breast to get better.
Hope you get well soon

Answer 4

In addition to the prescription antibiotics, I would recommend the following -

- Nurse as frequently as possible.
- Cold packs between nursing sessions to relieve any swelling.
- Heat applied to the breast prior to nursing to get the blood flowing and soften the breast if there is any engorgement.
- If you have some raw garlic cloves in the house, chop them into "pill sized" pieces and swallow them. GREAT natural antibiotic.
- Take lots of vitamin C.
- Push as many fluids as you can.
- REST. Don't do anything but self care/nursing baby.

It's normal to have some tenderness for a little while after the infection, but it should be gone in a couple of days.

Answer 5

Yes. Anitbiotics are necessary but it may take a few days to feel better. Keep drinking fluids and keep nursing. If the red line isn't better by 48 hrs, call your dr again.

To prevent in the future, be sure to nurse or pump on your regular schedule. I took a six hour auto trip, was sick for three days and had to go home...

Answer 6

I had the same thing, they say to keep breastfeeding. I felt better almost immediately (chills, stc.) but had the pain for a few days. I would call and get it checked out. I still breastfed, it hurt in the beginning but I had to keep going. everything I read said to keep breastfeeding to prevent it from getting worse or recurring. Good luck and hope you feel better soon.

Answer 7

Continue with the antibiotics and yes NURSE NURSE NURSE. The worse thing to do is quit nursing. Keep up the good work mommy!

Answer 8

Keep feeding your baby, thats the best thing you can do, as it will releave you. Dont express as this will create more milk.
If you have any big cabage leaves, put them in the fridge then (this is very weird but it works) put them in your bra.
Having a hot steamy bath can help as well.
Hope you get better soon! x

Answer 9

take the antibiotics till u run out or else you risk it as coming back

Answer 10

It should not be getting worse on the antibiotics. The organism may not be sensitive to this one. I hope you have quit breast feeding with the infection and antibiotic. Keep your nipples sterile to prevent this from happening.