Mastitis

Mastitis is an infection of the breast tissue that causes pain, swelling and redness of the breast. It is most common in women who are breast feeding however, it can occur at other times (and even in men!).

A little known fact is that you can continue to breast feed and there is no need to wean your new baby.

Symptoms

Mastitis is most common within the first six weeks are you give birth.

The symptoms can appear quite suddenly and include:

• Breast tenderness

• Your breast may be hot when you touch it

• Feeling like you are getting a bad flu

• Swelling of your breast

• Pain or a burning sensation continuously or while you’re breast-feeding

• Skin redness, often in a wedge-shaped pattern

• Fever of 101 F (38.3 C) or greater

It usually tends to affect only one breast at a time — not both breasts.

When you are breast feeding it is common for your nipple to develop a break or crack in the skin. When bacteria from your skin or the baby’s mouth enters those cracks or even through the milk ducts in your nipple, mastitis occurs.

Risk Factors

There are a couple of risk factors that you need to be wary of:

• Sore or cracked nipples, although it can develop without broken skin.

• A previous bout of mastitis while breastfeeding — if you've had it in the past then you're more likely to experience it again.

• The baby is not latching onto your nipple effectively and the breast is not fully draining.

• Wearing a bra that doesn’t fit properly and can restrict milk flow.

When to see your doctor

In most cases, you'll feel flu like symptoms for several hours before you notice a sore red area on one of your breasts. As soon as you recognize this combination of signs and symptoms, it's time to contact your doctor.

Your doctor can prescribe antibiotics that are usually very effective in treating the infection. If your symptoms don’t improve after the first two days on medication, you should head back to your doctor.

The reason? If the mastitis isn’t treated effectively an abscess can develop in your breast!

Prevention

You can’t totally prevent the infection but you can minimize your chances by making sure that you allow your baby to completely empty one breast before switching to the other.

If your baby only nurses for a few minutes on the second breast make sure that you start breast feeding that breast the next time your baby feeds.

You should also alternate the breast you offer first time and make sure that your baby latches on properly during feedings.

If you have mastitis, it's safe to continue breast feeding. Breast feeding actually helps your breast clear the infection.

To relieve your discomfort:

• Maintain your current breastfeeding routine.

• Avoid prolonged time between feedings.

• Drink plenty of fluids.

• If you have trouble emptying a portion of your breast, apply warm compresses to the breast or take a warm shower before breastfeeding or pumping milk.

• Wear a supportive bra.

• While waiting for the antibiotics to take effect, it’s ok to take a mild pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, etc) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc).

If breastfeeding on the infected breast is too painful, try pumping or hand-expressing milk.

Don’t let this scare you off breastfeeding your baby, just make sure that you get the best advice that you possibly can.

Please contact us if you have mastitis and are willing to send in a photo of your breast, we would be very appreciative. It would help to show other women what they should be on the lookout for.