Breastfeeding Chatter #16

Hi Ladylove :hello:

How long should I expect my mastitis to hang around for? I missed a few doses of anti biotics over the last week, so am wondering if that is related to there still being pain and lumps. I don't feel like I have a temperature anymore or the terrible body aches, which seem to be the only "improvements". I admit I haven't tried expressing from that side, because my let down hasn't been very cooperative when it comes to expressing, adding extra pain. Plus, Mack has been pretty windy over the last day or two, pulling at the breast whilst feeding or comforting, for just a bit more pain! The doctors around here seem quite hopeless unless you can pay $53 to see them, which I cannot (not even a health care card entitles you to bulk billing), or go to the hospital and be told that it's for "emergencies only". :cry:

:bump:

Does anyone know how long mastitis will hang around for???? I'm starting to feel a little desperate... I was reading a printout from the dr I saw on Friday, and it says that it should start clearing up within 48 hours with anti biotics. It's still going on, so need help PLEASE!

sounds like maybe the infection has cleared up but the blockages remain Netix?
Is there a women's health physio around your parts? Can you try the pump again, or a different one? The thing, really, is to get the milk out. Gentle massage or even using a toothbrush can help some women. Give the ABA helpline a call for more ideas - 1800-686-268

Hun, it really should clear up quickly with ABs. I've never had the fever and ill symptoms last for more than 24 hrs once on ABs.

Have you tried an anti-inflammatory as well? It might help reduce the pain and inflammation around the lumps. Don't massage too hard either, gentle stroking in the direction towards the baby while feeding. Ice packs on the sore areas after feeding will also help. Try bfing in different positions (football hold, crouching above the baby on all fours, lying down) to clear blocked ducts as well. I would avoid expressing in favour of feeding your baby if you can, he'll clear it much better than a pump or by hand.

Do you think there might be something else going on as well as mastitis? Have you had thrush? It is probably worthwhile taking a probiotic as well while you're taking the ABs.

MadB; I will give the ABA a call, definitely! I could *guess* that the infection has cleared up. I don't think there is a women's physio around here, but there is a women's wellness clinic, or something like that, at the hospital.

Jennifer13; anti inflammatory as in something like nurofen? I was taking nurofen and panadol at maximum dose for a few days (and nights), but now just taking it at night, more for my sore back than anything else. I have been massaging during feeds and I think that has maybe helped a bit. At least the grazing has mostly healed now, that is another help. I have also fed lying down, but I'm not sure if the outside of the breast is draining properly, since I'm laying down, and that side is then lower than Mack's mouth. Did I explain that right? I have had thrush before, and am not taking a prebiotic.

Today was the first day DD locked eyes with me whilst feeding =) I have been trying to get her to look at me whilst feeding for a while, but she was always been to into the feed... this time we made eye contact and just gazed at eachother for minutes =D and even better...I then got the biggest grin from her (whist she was still attached). She melted my heart.

Most general physios can also ultrasound blocked ducts - the equipment is the same as the ultrasound that they use for muscles. Make sure when you make the appointment that they are happy to do it though.
Have a think about things like seatbelts, bras, slings, baby knees when they are in slings, and anything else that might be pushing on the affected area and making things worse. Also - go gently on the massage. Too vigorous and you can cause a blockage rather than clear it.
And heat before feeds and cold afterwards is also helpful.

To clear the blockages you have to get the breast really, really empty. This usually means feeding baby, pumping, and then hand squirting out the last little bit (and hopefully the blockage). Give hand expressing in the shower after a feed a shot - that was what usually worked for me.

Yep i second that as I think (hope) I've got most of my own blockages cleared. I massaged firmly with baby oil after a hot shower last night, and this morning before feeding and pumping I sat with a hot washcloth for 5-10 minutes. The cloth really softened everything. But now my boob hurts where the lumps were and the muscles feel a little knotty... Maybe I was too firm?

Teirae that's adorable! DD at the moment spends far too much time staring at me, trying to put her hands in my mouth and playing with my hair than actually feeding. Cherish the long relaxed feeds now I say.

Netix, it's probably best that you don't let your little one go too long before feeds both for his weight gain and the health of your breasts. Just in the short term, wake him and feed him every three hours. don't ever let your breasts become overly full. If they are full and uncomfortable pick up your baby and feed him or express some milk for comfort. It seems tempting to let everyone sleep a bit longer, but not if the result is mastitis.

Kim; thanks. There's really nothing that pushes on my bb's that could be making things worse. My bra isn't too tight (well, I don't believe it is), and the mw's told me to not go without a well-fitting bra for too long to help prevent over-engorgement. And I am not good at hand expressing :( .

Barb; mack doesn't go too long between feeds, except at night, where sometimes he might sleep for five or six hours... And yes, I use that time for sleeping :redface: . I don't think I could wake myself to feed him.

So DD has this habit of snacking - though she will go a long time between 'snacks', like 3 or sometimes more hours. She will make like she's really hungry, then only take a few sips. Sometimes a burp is involved but even after winding her she won't go back on. In fact regardless of apparent wind or not, if she's had her measly few sucks she will make a huge fuss if even suggest she has more. Is this normal? It has nothing to do with letdown - at least not consistently- as sometimes she does this before letdown and other times after. I've tried different positions, walking while feeding, feeding in a dim quiet room, feeding with her face partially covered, tricking her with a dummy...

Ladylove, how long has she been doing it? For me I'd say its normal, DS done that a lot right up until 12 months. It'd go for 2-3 days and just when I was starting to get a little angsty he'd suddenly feed normally again. They wont let themselves starve, if they are really hungry they'll eat. Thats what I kept telling myself when I started to think "hmmm is this something more???" and then bam, normal feeding again :)

Sorry in advance for the me post....... Does anyone have any recommendations for lactation consultants in Perth?

Ive got blocked ducts which are so painful but the reason we think isbthat DD has a weak suck. I also suffer from vasospas which im not entirely sure isnt frompoor attachment even though everyone here (i am in country WA) says it looks perfect. Im offto perth in a week or so and want to see an LC while im there. These blockages will keep happening unless we get DD to suck harder i think.

LC recommendations or advice ingeneral is much appreciated!ill come back later too do a proper post ;) hopefully with nice soft boobies!

whereabouts in Perth will you be?
sometimes attachment is just a bit off and that can stop babies from effectively draining the breast. Has she been thoroughly checked for tongue tie, etc? You could also call the ABA - 1800-686-268 - or post a question for barb glare, our resident LC.
I think the 'weak suck' thing really often means "we don't know why".

Shan23 she's been going longer between feeds for about two months and the snickety-snacking has been a few weeks.

I'll be south if the river near huntingdale. You could be right it is so frustrating not having adequate services here. You feel so isolated and forgotten and you know what I live about an hour away from a major regional city and don't mind travelling there but there isn't any point. There is nothing!

Going to call ABA tomorrow about the blockages and the latch/weak suck. At the moment the poor poppet is feeding but not getting much. We are feeding in all sorts of positions and every 1-2 hours. Hoping they clear soon and we can move on.

Went to book ultrasound at the physio and apparently you need to have been on antibiotics for 24 hours prior. But I don't have an infection...yet however if I don't get these cleared I may do. Seems silly to me. I don't understand why but was in no state this morning to discuss politely.

In the meantime ill keep expressing, massaging and feeding :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

How many wet/dirty nappies? How are the weight gains, etc?

That policy doesn't make much sense to me!

There's a lactation clinic at Mercy Hospital, which is a bit of a hike from there, but also has specialist physios who do ultrasound.
You can find a few names here - http://www.lcanz.org/find-a-consultant-wa.htm. Barb would be able to suggest someone too, as can an ABA counsellor, if you ask (they can give you 3 names).
The other one I know of in Perth is Rebecca Glover, she's in Lesmurdie. (google her)

A woohoo for me. DS is 6 months old and has been pretty much exclusively breastfed (dd has tried feeding him random stuff when we are not watching). We offered him some potato and carrot slices last night. So, 27 months breastfeeding and 6 months tandem breastfeeding for me. :leap:

Hotl that's excellent. And lol re your DD.

thats fantastic HotI, this is when we need the like button =)

Well done, Hot1! :clap:

wow! well done

That's awesome hoti!

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

We are going to our first ABA meet today =), todays is just a play n chat, so no special topics, but will be good to meet some different people, hopefully I dont bombared too many of them with questions!!

actually, we went to the doctor yesterday because I have a cold complete with green yummy stuff (ew), and she seemed like she might be getting it, anyway, the doctor made a few comments about her rolls and chubby cheeks and how awesome a job I am doing BF her because she is so healthy =)

Enjoy the meeting TT40, I'm sure they won't mind lots of questions :) . And congratulations on the healthy bf chubby bubby.

thanks Netix!! we had a great time.

sounded bad me saying we were sick and at the dr and then going to a meet up, but we are ok really =)

hows your boy and bb going N?

Glad you had a great time. I didn't think anything of you saying you were sick and going. I'm quite hopeless when it comes to picking up on that kind of stuff :redface: . As you could probably tell!

I'm exhausted, bb still sore (has a few lumps, which aren't really hard lumps, but a bit odd to me), feeding going super, and so is Mack! He put on 600g since the infamous re-weigh-in, and is in the 90-something percentiles for just about everything (we had mchn apt yesterday), and mchn is very happy with this fabulous big boy. :)

yay to your big boy!

sent via my vortex manipulator!

Netix and TT40 yay for both BF such big little champs.

lovely fat boy! :) That's great news

As for me I'm on day 4 of a two week coffee elimination diet. With DD still super fussy feeding and not being able to pin it to anything except maybe mild reflux and or wind (spoke to GP about reflux and since she's *mostly* happy between feeds and sleeping / feeding well at night neither of us wanted to medicate her just to see if it is reflux).i thought I'd try coffee. So far so good- fussy this afternoon but fed really well in the morning feeds so who knows. Then again she will have a couple of good days anyway where I think phew, she's over this awful stage, then it's back to scream feeds.

hope she settles for you L. i got myself decaf cause once i have one cuppa i need like 5 more..i love the taste and warmth and everything about coffe =) so figured decaf was the way to go. not that we had a major issues but i have been trying to limit my caffiene intake for a long time

sent via my vortex manipulator!

Yep I'm on decaf too. Problem is, I was never an instant coffee kind of girl anyway. It was always from a cafe or percolated at home. I'm drinking Moccona decaf and it's not cutting the mustard.

I should probably drink the decaf stuff too :redface: . I think I probably drink a little bit much coffee, instead of eating properly, I often just make a cup of coffee, as Mack is crying as soon as I put him down. Vicious circle, you reckon?

Anyway, my mastitis bb is sore again, and got its little hard lumps back overnight :( . Urgh, all these other stresses are getting to me I am sure of it! :cry:

hugs N.

yea i know i drink too much. i use to live off a particular energy drink. im trying to keep my intake low atlesst while she is still little.

sent via my vortex manipulator!

Oh Netix you poor thing!

Netix :( I hope the mastitis clears quickly.

A question for all the ladies... do you leave a few drops of milk on your nipples at the end of each feed? I've noticed some dries on my nipples at the end of each express. At least it looks like that, doesn't seem to be thrush and it doesn't hurt at all.

Is anyone else REALLY thirsty? I don't know what it is, I've never been one to drink much, but since BF DS all I do is drink and drink and drink. Probably around 2-3ltrs a day.

:

---

Is anyone else REALLY thirsty? I don't know what it is, I've never been one to drink much, but since BF DS all I do is drink and drink and drink. Probably around 2-3ltrs a day.

---

Yep me too!

Yep, happened to me too especially in the early days. I kept a 1L sipper bottle of water next to me at all times and it'd go through a few refills throughout the day.