Infantreflux.org | Mastitis and Ear Infection???

This topic has 7 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated 19 years, 5 months ago by Anonymous.

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May 12, 2007 at 8:38 pm #33056

Anonymous
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This is a whiney post… just warning you.

When it rains…. ugh!

So, I posted on here yesterday about Ben’s recent cold and his difficulties eating which I had chalked up to his age and possibly some drainage from the cold. Well, his disinterest in nursing was causing some engorgement (or so I thought) in my breasts. However, I woke up this morning with a breast on fire and a fever. Called the doc. and she thinks it mastitis, though I’m not sure it’s not just a plugged duct. Anyway, I’m trying to avoid having to take the antibiotics for it, but I am feeling pretty crappy.

Their advice was to use heat and keep the breast as empty as possible. HAH!!! This would be easy if my son didn’t have reflux or if he was interested in nursing. To make it worse, Ben was getting crabbier and crabbier, screaming before his naps, fussing all day, not wanting to nurse, refusing solids. Well, he woke up from his very short afternoon nap with a fever… so I’m thinking ear infection… probably what caused the whole problem in the first place.

Lovely.. I’m supposed to be in bed resting to fight this infection and I have a baby with a fever and possible ear infection. YUK!

Trip to the doctor for us tomorrow.. Happy Mother’s Day.

May 12, 2007 at 9:01 pm #33060

Anonymous
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Oh no!!! I am so sorry Naomi! At least there might be a reason for his fighting food? Ear infections are NO FUN!!!! Do you pump at all? This might help to relieve some of your engorgement while Ben recouperates. Good luck and I hope you BOTH get better soon!

May 12, 2007 at 9:20 pm #33062

Anonymous
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I am so sorry. Like Amy said, I would try pumping as much as possible. If you don’t have a good quick pump you could always contact your local bfing support group like the la leache league (sp) and see if they could help you get one for free or for a really good price. Not sure if they do that, but worth a try. Also, lots of garlic. We actually take garlic tablets and vitamin c when we are sick and it knocks it out quick. For the boys we do liquid garlic. You only have to give a couple drops. Oh, sambucol is amazing too. For heat, I like to use a rice sock. They stay warm longer than a washcloth. If it starts to cool off you can just squeeze it and it warms back up. I really hope things get better soon.

May 12, 2007 at 9:47 pm #33066

Anonymous
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I’m sorry that you and Ben are both sick. That’s always the worst combination; mommy and baby both sick. I hope you have some help…maybe ask dh to let you stay in bed most of the day on Mother’s Day (hey, that would be a treat for me!). Just bring Ben in to nurse…

I hope you’re both feeling better soon.

May 12, 2007 at 9:58 pm #33067

Anonymous
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Iam so sorry to read this. Huge hugs your way. may i suggest maybe trying a mini electric pump to relief some of the engorment? of course if you happen to have one handy. i used to massage my b. even when it hurt a lot to try squeeze milk out and also it would help ease my pain , even when it hurts ( i don’t know if i am making any sense) any ways. i hope things get better and that Ben wil get better soon after some tylenol.

May 12, 2007 at 10:00 pm #33069

hellbennt
Keymaster

mastitis is awful!!! I had it with Jonah & ohmystars it was

beyond terrible!!!

hot long showers…

and the rice sock sounds good…

also: a diaper soaked in hot water- sounds funny but they hold a lot of water and it’s shape goes right over the breast

May 13, 2007 at 12:52 am #33082

Anonymous
Inactive

Ugh…. I had mastitis when Bryce was in the NICU. It started out with a plugged duct and turned into major pain with fever, etc. Anyway, I had no idea what it was until it was gone… so I never took antibiotics for it or anything. I just pumped as much as I could and tried to shift the pump more toward the part that hurt (if that makes sense). That seemed to help unclog the ducts. It went away on its own after a couple of days. I also massaged the painful areas a lot like Leo said. Good luck! I hope you both get feeling better soon!

May 13, 2007 at 9:46 am #33093

Anonymous
Inactive

Thanks everyone. I’m still in a lot of pain, but it’s a bit better, so that’s good. At least I can pick Ben up without pain shooting down my arm!

I’ve done alot of massage, ibuprophen (on advice of the LC) and heat (the rice sock is a great idea Shelby, thanks!), and that has seemed to help some. I do have a pump, thank God, so I’ve been emptying the breasts after he eats. I always struggle with OAL and oversupply, so I’m a little worried that this pumping is going to produce too much milk in a few days, but I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Ben seems a bit better this morning too. He nursed better this morning.. probably because my breasts weren’t over full since I had been emptying them. Anyway, I hope the doctor can actually find something wrong. I’ll be so frustrated if he says it’s just a “virus.”

I’ll keep you updated. But thanks for your sympathies, and I hope everyone has a wonderful Mother’s DAY!!!!
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