3 bouts of mastitis in 7 weeks, should I wean?

Question

I am just recovering from my third bout of mastitis and my daughter is only 7 weeks old. Each time it is getting worse and is very depressing, I ended up having to go to emergency this time. The doctor tells me that it is due to the fact that I am producing a lot of milk so expressing could just make it worse. Much as I want to continue breast feeding I am starting to think that I should wean her as a depressed and ill Mum is not much good! Has anyone got any tips on either preventing mastitis or dealing with the guilt for weaning so early.

Answer 1

IF you do waen DO NOT WEAN DURING ABOUT OF MASTITIS!!! Doing so can lead to an abcess that will require surgery.

Are you finishing your anti-biotics each time you get them? If not this can be why it is recurring--you're never really getting rid of it, don't stop antibiotics just because you are feeling better.


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. Work your way from behind the lump toward the nipple. 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 reference pages I have listed on the 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

Sadly, most doctors know little or nothing about breastfeeding.
Have you seen a Lactation Consultant or a La Leche League Leader? (A LLL Leader will help for FREE and might be able to visit you at home.) http://WWW.LLL.ORG
Get advice from other breastfeeding moms at the LLL forums http://forums.llli.org/index.php

If it is an over supply issue, you should treat that to prevent the mastitis
When a mother has more milk than her baby can handle, the following behaviors may be common:

Baby cries a lot, and is often very irritable and/or restless
Baby may sometimes gulp, choke, sputter, or cough during feedings at breast
Baby may seem to bite or clamp down on the nipple while feeding
Milk sprays when baby comes off, especially at the beginning of a feeding
Mother may have sore nipples
Baby may arch and hold himself very stiffly, sometimes screaming
Feedings often seem like battles, with baby nursing fitfully on and off
Feedings may be short, lasting only 5 or 10 minutes total
Baby may seem to have a "love-hate" relationship with the breast
Baby may burp or pass gas frequently between feedings, tending to spit up a lot
Baby may have green, watery or foamy, explosive stools
Mother's breasts feel very full most of the time
Mother may have frequent plugged ducts, which can sometimes lead to mastitis (breast infection)

If many of these experiences seem familiar to you, it may be because you have an overabundant supply of milk, which can cause a forceful milk ejection (sometimes referred to as overactive let-down), and/or foremilk-hindmilk imbalance.[1][2] The infant behaviors described above are caused by these issues but may frequently be misdiagnosed as colic, lactose intolerance, milk protein allergy, reflux, or hypertonicity (stiff muscle tone).

If you are experiencing oversupply, a forceful milk ejection, or foremilk-hindmilk imbalance, the strategies described below may greatly improve your breastfeeding experience. Fortunately, many mothers find that oversupply naturally adjusts to a more manageable level by the end of baby's third month.

You can try blockfeeding to reduce supply.
If nursing one side per feeding is not working after a week or so, try keeping baby to one side for a certain period of time before switching sides. This is called block nursing.
Start with 2-3 hours and increase in half-hour increments if needed.
Do not restrict nursing at all, but any time that baby needs to nurse simply keep putting baby back to the same side during that time period.
If the second side becomes uncomfortable, express a little milk until you're more comfortable and then use cool compresses - aim for expressing less milk each time until you are comfortable without expressing milk.
In more extreme cases, mom may need to experiment a bit with time periods over 4 hours to find the amount of time per breast that works best.


To learn more browse the "too much milk" board at LLL forums http://forums.llli.org/forumdisplay.php?f=32

Answer 2

Good on you for choosing to breastfeed in the first place. I had one bout of mastitis so don't know how you've handled three! I'm sure your doctor has told you that you can't stop breastfeeding until the mastitis has cleared otherwise your breasts won't be draining and it will get worse.

If you're producing too much milk, try some old wives tales like using cool compresses and putting cold cabbage leaves in your bra (freaky i know but it works) It helps soothe engorged sore breasts and can reduce milk supply.

Try contacting your midwife or baby nurse (if you have one) find a lactation consultant or ask the breastfeeding association or looking up their website.

If all else fails, and you do decide to wean please don't feel guilty or let anyone else's opinion upset you. As you said it is better for a baby to be bottlefed and have a happy mother than be breastfed with an ill and sad mother. Good luck!

Answer 3

Do NOT feel guilty. There are tons of options, from complete weaing, to cointintuing exclusive breastfeeding. Some may work for you, others may not.
Do what YOU feel is best. If people criticize you for any option (trust me, I have a husband who is urging me to stop pumping, and in-laws who think I'm "needy" for pumping, so, I know it goes both ways), shrug it off. You do what is right for you and your baby!

Re: your question about mastitis...I had a bout, so....

1) Allow baby to nurse on demand. If possible, point baby's chin at the sight of the lump/infection. If not, massage that area while baby nurses. Nurse first on the affected breast.

2) Pump after nursing. If you don't have a pump, hand express.

3) Massage the breast, concentrating on the impacted area.

4) Hot compresses on the affected area. With my bout, I went in the tub, ran the water over a washcloth as hot as I could stand, put it on my breast and massaged the area rather hard.

5) Don't sleep on your stomach or on your side where the breast is...it can clog the ducts.

6) Don't wear an underwire bra.

Re guilt: You have given it your best shot. I was deadset on breastfeeding, but I dont' produce enough. When my baby was six days old, we took her to the doctor after two days of screaming and accepted that I didn't produce ENOUGH (I know, opposite problem). But, the fact is, we HAD to suppliment. You have done everything you can for your baby. You've done more than most babies get ( seriously....less than half of new moms are exclusively breastfeeding at 2 months...). You've done a great job. Millions of people were raised on only formula or with supplimentation. It's FAR more important to have a completely healthy, happy, pain free mom in your first year than to have breastmilk.
Kudos to you for what you've done. If you decide to keep going, all the better...if not, the same...all the better for both of you!

Answer 4

I did not have mastitis (hope not to) but was on my way to getting there, so I did some research on how to prevent it and ease the pain. Hopefully you fill find some of the advice helpful.
Massage the breast when feeding the baby and after the feed, it will help with the clogged ducts. This really helped me with the pain and stop mastitis on it’s track.
Take long warm showers and express some milk to help prevent clogged ducts and make you feel better.
If you can’t pump out of fear of getting more milk try expressing the milk by hand. But pumping can be helpful after a feed to empty the breasts and prevent clogged ducts.
Try to rest as much as you can and make sure that you cure mastitis fully, and take the medication even after you feel that it is gone.
This link may also be helpful to you. http://www.llli.org/FAQ/repeatmastitis.html
Good luck and hang in there.

Answer 5

Please do not wean!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then you may have to deal with all kinds of allergies and food issues with your baby. Plus it will be very painful as your breast will be engorged for quite some time.

I have had mastitis only once, but I understand the pain.

Some questions: are you letting the baby have free access to the breast? if you are timing feeds or have her on a schedule, she may not be draining the breast enough. Nurse her "on demand" and do not stop her before she has had her fill of each side.

Are you taking a penicillin antibiotic? If so, perhaps you should try something different.

Are you taking probiotics? if not, you should do some research and figure out how to prevent yeast, which can be a side effect of too many antibiotics.

Please try and see a certified lactation consultant and come up with a plan to help future recurrences.

Answer 6

My s-i-l has the same problem. Her doctor told her to alternate meals (breast milk then formula) in order to slow her milk production. That way the baby will still get breast fed at least half the time, and the mastitis shouldn't come back.

My poor s-i-l is a 34 G right now. YES, G! She's miserable and saving her pennies for a reduction.

Answer 7

I breast feed all three of my kid's, so I know your pain. To try and keep breast feeding you need to make sure that you are expressing enough milk out each feeding, so if the baby is not emptying the breast we she nurses you might want to think about pumping. Feeding with a bottle wont hurt or confuse the baby. If this keeps going on you should wean her. before you end up with a really bad infection.

Answer 8

I just went through this with my second child. I had exactly what you went through. My third bout of mastitis put me in emergency as well. I felt really terrible about switching to a bottle. After all lots of people make you feel like a terrible mom if you don't nurse for very long. But you know what, my son is growing great, he is healthy and there is not a bit of difference between him and his older brother (who was nursed for 7months). Do what you can. What is important isn't breastfeeding. It's loving your child, caring for them, kisses and hugs. Those are the important things. When you look at a playground of children can you tell who was nursed and who wasn't? I can't. I am not saying quit nursing or keep nursing...I am simply saying look at your life, your family and choose what is best for you. You have to take care of yourself too. Good luck.

Answer 9

You know what is really important that your baby is getting fed regardless if you have to formula feed her and what is also really important is that you are happy and comfortable, dont let stupid people force you to breastfeed longer, ive been told byso many people the first few days are the best days to breastfeed after that its just the same as formula,Read up on it a bit and congratulate yourself for lasting so long, your brave with mastitus too.

Answer 10

take hot showers and let them drain without expressing any milk. most importantly don't give up you will miss it. i didn't have any support while i was breast feeding and i eventually quit. that was the worst feeling i ever had because i felt like she didn't need me anymore. don't give up and good luck!