No Lumps but very sore

Can someone please offer some help/advice as I have no idea how common this is.

This morning I woke up quite engorged as Shae had slept right through again. My left breast is the better of the two and as usual I woke up in a puddle. so I stuffed my pj top with a flat nappy and waited for her to wake up. about half hour later we were feeding, no probs at all from the left side.

Afterwards I noticed I was still quite sore if I squeezed my left arm down by my side (making the muscles in my left boob hard ITMS) and it felt kind of like a big white head pimple.

So I felt and felt around with my fingers this way and that way but no lumps to be found I did some massage towards the nipple but nothing happened so I went and had a hot shower - still nothing. I have felt around bent over forwards, I have laid flat, still no lumps. I can find the sore spot easily enough and there does feel like pressure deep underneath the nipple but I simply cannot find a lump.

There is no reddness no nothing but this engorged/sore feeling despite it being floppy after a feed.

Have I just aggrivated the muscles by all my fiddling and made it worse? could there be a very small blockage that I cannot feel with my fingers? what am I missing? why is it soo sore?

I should mention I do not sleep with a bra on either and have not been wearing one under my feeding singlets so boobs have been all natural for a few days.

Thanks all
Nae x

I think you need to treat it as if there is a blockage that you can't find - i.e. keep that side well drained for the next day or so.
It's probably from somethng as trivial as where a fold in the nappy pressed!

Thanks Kmn, I know for a fact that it could not have been caused by the nappy as I was sitting up right when I had it stuffed down my top :dunno: I just fed DD again from that side and it doesn't feel any better. I don't notice it unless my left arm goes across my chest or I lift up my breast from underneath.

Very odd, if I knew what was wrong then I could treat it, I will keep up hot packs and massage etc trying to work it towards my nipple but I don't want to do too much in case thats not it and I cause more pain/damage.

anyone else had this or got any ideas?

Nae x

:bump:

I wouldn't continue with the massage until you can actually feel where the blockage is. Just hot pack, feed, pump, hand squirt the last bit, cool pack (the recommendation is ice, but I can't handle that, so I just use a cloth nappy wrung out in cold water)!
Have you called the ABA?

That sounds painful hun :hug:

Sometimes blockages are deep in the breast so you can't feel them. But it might not be that - with a blockage you would expect some redness on the breast if it's not removed soon. It might be that you have just bruised it with the massage. Just in case though, I agree that continuing with frequent emptying, heat before feeds and cold after, is a good idea. If that doesn't help you can try changing Shae's feeding position to see if that helps, and feeding on all fours can be really helpful.

Also keep an eye out for redness, heat in your breast, or feeling really tired and fluey, and see a health professional immediately if this happens. GL hun.

Thanks Kmn and MR,
its official I have mastitis and am now on anti's to fight the infection, good thing mil told me to go to the Dr coz I had a fever last night and woke up feeling less than average today. so here's to good drugs :clap: !!

Hi NaeNae,

I'm glad you caught it in time and got antibiotics! I'm on the same right now- I've been BFing my DD for 14 months, and I thought I was past that stage. But a few days ago my right boob got really sore- exactly the same as you, no lump, no redness, and within a few hours I felt like I'd been flattened by a truck.

It's funny, because I had mastitis twice when she was less than a month old, and both times I had the big swelling and hot red lumps. Both times I got ultrasound treatment and didn't need antibiotics. I didn't even realise I could still get mastitis at 14 months (sounds like a dumb thing to say, especially since we're heading for weaning, but I just didn't think about it now that my milk supply is right down).

Anyway- from one mastitis-inflicted BFing mum to another, here hoping you feel better really soon. It sucks! I've never felt so tired, ever.

Claire

I hope you're on the mend soon Nae!