Think I'm having a lightbulb moment ... well, maybe - I'm not sure. I could possibly, occasionally suffer from mastitis. I say "possibly" as I've never had it before and am onto my third BFd bub (the first two were each BFd approx 14 months). So I don't really know what mastitis is like.

About four times now in the past couple of months, I've woken up with a partially sore left breast with a hard ridge (for want of a better description) running horizontally below the nipple, and a second ridge running vertically down the left side of my breast. Both ridges are sore to the touch and it takes me most of the day of massaging the ridges while BFing to get rid of the soreness and the ridges. When it happens I try and keep the breast as drained as possible, and the hard lumpy ridges always disappear and stop being sore. Obviously they are blocked ducts, but could it be early signs of mastits??

I've never had any other signs of mastitis that I'm aware of though ... except for the past three days I've had an odd headachey/eye strain type feeling plus a few general aches - all of which I put down to a mild virus as DS2 and DS3 are getting over throat/ear infections. And then I woke during the night with the soreness and hard lump/ridges. The soreness etc is gone now.

So - does this sound like masitis? Or just blocked ducts? Whenever I experience soreness in this breast it is always in the same two spots, and as mentioned, with continual BFs and massage it all goes back to normal within a day. I've not felt particularly yucko with it, but then I've always taken action immediately to unblock the ducts and ease the soreness.