Breast infection?

[Anonymous]

Hey Everyone

I wasn’t sure where exactly to post this but I hope it’s okay here. I’m in SO much pain right now and I can’t get to the doctor untill the morning so I know it’s the 4th of July but HELP!!! I’m a first time mommy so I’m not quite sure what this is. It’s just my right breast and it’s SUPER tender to the touch and aches starting today. It stings a little at the beginning of feeding the baby and subsides after but comes back in minutes. No lumps(blocked ducts), no streaks, I feel fine except for the throbbing, no fever, and Kate doesn’t have any thing in her mouth(thrush?) I don’t know what this could be. Could it be a breast infection? I’m just having trouble with my right side and like I said it just started today. If it is and I end up on antibiotics, should I be worried aboutClostridium difficile? I’ve heard that somewhere and was wondering what it was. Anyway, thanks for the help if you have any!

[Anonymous]

My neighbor had mastitis and it was SO painful. I wonder if that is what you have. She was a nurse and knew right away. She did go on an antibiotic and it took several days before she nursed pain free.

I hope you can get in right away in the morning! Good Luck!

[Anonymous]

Can you PM Laura (hellbennt)? She’s pretty knowledgeable about this stuff.

I once had a blocked duct- there was a hard, red, hot, painful area on one of my breasts. Do you have any of those symptoms? My sil had the same symptoms but more severe with fever, and they said that hers was mastitis.

Here are some links from the birth den (Dr. Newman’s site). Kellymom also probably has lots of info:

http://www.thebirthden.com/Blocked%20Ducts%20and%20Mastitis-January%202005.doc

http://www.thebirthden.com/Treatments%20for%20sore%20nipples%20and%20sore%20breasts-January%202005.doc

[Anonymous]

Claire,

I am just thinking mastitis… I hope you feel better soon.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like mastitis to me, too. I just went through the same thing about 3 weeks ago with nursing Nathan. Never happened the first time around, so I wasn’t sure what it was either at first.

For me it started with a very tender breast (I couldn’t even carry my 3-week old over my right shoulder because the pressure on my breast was excruciating). Then the next day I had a fever of about 102, so I called the Dr and got on an antibiotic. The pain was MUCH better within just a couple of days, and in the meantime the red streaks showed up on my breast, but they were completely gone within a week.

I’m sorry I don’t know anything about clostridium difficile…

Hang in there and keep nursing on the affected breast as you normally would, even though I know it hurts terribly. I hope you feel better soon!

Paula

[Anonymous]

Well, I’m glad that my multiple breast issues are finally useful! Because of Ben’s reflux, I have had MANY experiences like you are describing and some even worse.

From your description, it sounds like a plugged duct. You may or may not be able to feel the actual blockage.. sometimes I can feel a hard little area, and others it feels like a patch of hard, hot pain.

What you need to do:

1. Always start nursing from that side. I don’t know if you are switching breasts yet or still block nursing, but make sure you get that breast as empty as possible… even pump after she eats to empty it completely. Do this for AT Least 24 hrs.. maybe even 48.

2. Take some ibuprophen for the pain. I know that nursing moms don’t usually take this, but this is what an LC said to take to help with the inflammation.

3. REST. This is an absolute must. LIE on the couch or go to bed if at all possible.

4. Get plenty of fluids.

5. Use heat on the breast and even alternate with cold if it helps.

6. Try to masage the area to work out the plug.

7. If the pain worsens OR if you develop a fever and have Flu like symptoms, you may have to take an antibiotic as it may have developed into mastitis. HOWEVER, I had a fever and felt like crap just about a month or so ago, and was able to avoid the antibiotics by following the suggestions I gave you.

If you do need to go on the antibiotics, I would take a probiotic to do your best to avoid thrush… I have other tips for this if you need them.

[Anonymous]

Oh, and Claire… is it your breast or just the nipple that stings??? IF it’s just the nipple and if it stings when water hits it in the shower, then that is almost certainly thrush. You can have it on your nipples and still not see it in Kate’s mouth.

[Anonymous]

I was going to say thrush too. I’ve had both thrush and mastitis and to me your symptoms sound more like thrush. I’ve had it without my baby having it in his mouth too.

[Anonymous]

Hey girls,

Thanks for all the suggestions. It’s my whole breast that is just SUPER sore and the pain while ursing isn’t as bad and I definately don’t feel pain in the shower. I went to the doc today b/c I was scared and she said it was mastitis. I’m on antibiotics which stinks. Now I’m worried it’s thrush b/c I thought we were in the clear with no white film in Kate’s mouth!!! Man, how do I know? Should I just believe the doc? I have such little faith in docs these days after all the incompetence we’ve run into with Kate’s situation…… Is there a way to know for sure? Thanks again for all your replies!!!

[Anonymous]

If your nipple stings, especially when the water hits it… then I would suspect thrush..

But the whole breast being sore, sounds more like a breast infection/mastitis.

Just to be on the safe side… even if it’s not thrush, since you are on the antibiotics and could develop it from that… you may want to wipe out Kate’s mouth after each feeding and take a probiotic.

[Anonymous]

When I had thrush it didn’t really hurt to the touch but when the baby would nurse it was almost unbearable pain that would shoot from the nipple up through the breast. The nipple area was also kind of red. It so hard to know which it is! I guess you’ll know in a couple of days and if the antibiotic doesn’t help you can get some nystatin. Good luck! I hope whatever it is it clears up fast and you get feeling better!

[hellbennt]

ugh I had mastitis w/ jonah!

high fever, chills

do a lot of nursing from the painful side,

take a lot of hot showers

and in the shower massage your breast downwards, making

milk spray when you reach the end

(sounds like I’m telling you to milk yourself, lol, which I guess I am)

this helps clear out the ducts…

if you can, try & ‘follow’ the ‘main’ ducts- you’ll feel them as you massage/work your way down your breast- don’t forget under your arm, too to start to work downward…

as for the antibiotics if I recall, I was able to avoid them as well, but

if you’re taking them then take probiotics and also give them to baby

[Anonymous]

Oh, Claire, bless your heart! I had mastitis once with Jonathan, and I did what Laura suggested after reading to do this on a breastfeeding site. I never needed antibiotics, but I did have a fever and chills and was VERY tired, so rest is key to recovery (easier said than done with a reflux baby!). I’ll say a prayer for a quick recovery for you! (I think it was gone in less than a week.)

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