DD2 has been a great feeder from the start. She has good attachment. She feeds from one side only per feed but I'm careful about making sure I'm emptying out. At the end of each feed, she usually grizzled and gets cranky and it feels like I've got nothing left.
About a week ago I had a three day headache, tenderness in my favoured feeding boob and a red patch. I was a bit surprised because it is the favoured side. I massaged it after feeds, warm water and Panadol and it came good.
DD last week went from sleeping all night to waking 4-5 times each night. Fed each time. Supply adjusted accordingly and then she stopped as suddenly as she started and slept through again from Sunday night. Now I'm back to tenderness and hot on the preferred boob and the headache is back.
Should I have expressed a feed during the night to prevent this? Why is it happening when I'm doing everything I can to avoid it? I've woken DD2 up for a feed now to relieve the pressure (not that she's complaining lol). Any tips? Or should I assume that I didn't totally clear it out last week even though I felt better and the non-feed during the night has flared it up?
I would say that it either didn't clear up completely from last week and it is a flare up or it has just happened again. I'm not sure what else you could do other than maybe express after a feed and make sure the breast is completely empty?? You might need some antibiotics to clear it completely.
Hopefully someone has a few more ideas
I don't have too much advice, but i wanted to say that i got mastitis only once with DS1 who had a troubled bf journey, and then DS2 who was the perfect feeder and everything went wonderfully - and i got mastitis countless times with him, once even i had to go to the hospital day clinic for treatment.
Can someone come over and give you 3/4 hours rest? If you get it early it can improve very quickly. You might need ABs?
Thanks. I'm really favouring that side today, making sure she's feeding most often there. The other side isn't much of a performer anyway lol. The tenderness is easing again, sore to touch only now. I didn't expect it this time, never got it with DD1 and DD2 is a more enthusiastic feeder.
Sounds like you can probably handle it without ABs at this stage, but if you start to feel flu-ey or ill, please see a doctor.
Try taking an anti-inflammatory (helps with both soreness and the inflammation caused by the duct being blocked). Feed her in a few different positions on that side to get her to clear it, eg football hold, lying down, I've even heard leaning over the baby while they are lying on their back can work.
Try an ice pack after bfing, on the sore spot specifically. Heat is only good before feeding, afterwards you want to ease the inflammation.
Your supply will adjust depending on bub, so I wouldn't bother expressing, unless you're committed to doing it every night! If it's too uncomfortable, you can express off a little by hand to ease the pressure. But it can take a few days for your body to go back to realising she doesn't want to wake up during the night any more.
Seems to be clearing again. Sore to touch but no consistent tenderness anymore and no headache. Still favoring the one side and will until the tenderness is completely gone. I think I'm just going to have to be really careful during the times she feeds frequently and then stops again. Thanks for your advice.
Aww Hun so sorry to read you're having troubles! Jen has given some great advice here, I just wanted to add that if DD2 is a more enthusiastic feeder then sudden changes in her feeding patterns would have more of an impact on your breasts. Likewise if it is the favoured side, changes will affect it more than the other side.
You're doing the right things and definitely you might just need to keep an eye on things when her feeding latter changes suddenly, as you said. But please, as Jen says, if you feel fluey at all get to a GP.
Sounds like you will get through it. I managed to avoid the dr the two times I got similar symptoms with DD2, just much more aware than with DD1 (and more experienced, half a dozen bouts of mastitis will do that ).
Hope it's completely better soon and yeah, just be aware in future. Apparently you can be more prone to recurrences in the same ducts if they're damaged, or so my dr says (and unlike most GPs, she's pretty cluey on bfing). Don't push hard if massaging the affected area (if you can bear to touch it, light fingertip pressure is all you need).
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