Treating Breast Infections
Cracked and bleeding nipples brought on by those first few days of breast-feeding can leave you vulnerable to infection of the breast, which is referred to as mastitis. While it is rarely serious, mastitis can be quite painful and cannot be cured without the use of an antibiotic.
Signs that you may have mastitis include a reddened area on the fleshy part of the breast that is painful to the touch and ranges from the size of a quarter to the whole side of the breast, a fever of up to 102 degrees Fahrenheit, general achiness, and chills. You may have one or two of these symptoms, or you may have all of them at once. They tend to come on very rapidly. “You may be feeling a little off at 7?30 in the morning and an hour later feel as if a truck ran over you.
While you will need to see a doctor if you suspect a breast infection, there are afew things you should do on your own during the course of an infection.
Continue nursing, starting with the infected breast each time. This may, sound like sheer lunacy when you are in so much pain, but it helps clear the infection and will not hurt the baby. “The milk is absolutely not infected. It is the area around the milk duct that is infected. Nursing at least every two to three hours, and more frequently if the baby is willing is recommended.
Prior to nursing, pack the breast in heat. Again, use a warm towel with a plastic bag over it to maintain the heat. “Then massage and stroke the breast from the fleshy part down to the nipple, focusing especially on that sore spot,” says Phyllis Frey, A.R. N. P
Get in bed. You need to go on full bed rest. This is your time to take care of yourself and let everyone else nurture you while you get over the infection. Usually, it takes only about 24 to 36 hours for the pain to pass. But Fox stresses the importance of continuing the antibiotics throughout their full 10-to 14-day course, despite the fact that you’re feeling better.
Other problems that can cause discomfort include yeast infections in the nipple and clogged milk ducts. “Yeast infections can cause ongoing discomfort in the nipple and need to be diagnosed and treated by your doctor,” says Frey.
Clogged ducts, on the other hand, usually resolve themselves within 24 hours. They are characterized by a hard, uncomfortable lump in the fleshy part of the breast. It can be very tender to the touch but
isn’t usually accompanied by a fever To relieve the pain of a clogged duct, pack the breast in heat before feedings, get the baby to nurse on the infected breast first, and massage the hard spot the whole time the baby is nursing in order to loosen up the milk and unclog the duct.
“If the milk is locked in the duct for more than 24 hours, it can start leaking into the breast tissue and leave a moist breeding ground for bacteria,” cautions Frey. ‘And once it becomes infected, it is a hot spot that hurts all of the time.” Fox adds that the pattern tends to be sore nipples, engorgement, clogged ducts, and mastitis. Solving the first two problems will usually prevent the latter.