Treating Breast Infections brought about by Breast-Feeding
Another installment to my favorite ‘Totally Useless Information’.
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 antibiotics.
According to Raven Fox, R.N., I.B.C.L.C., 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 fo the breast, a fever of up to 102 degrees Fahrenheit, general achines, 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,” says Fox.
While you will need to see a doctor if you suspect a breast infection, there are a few 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,” stresses Fox. She recommends nursing at least every two to three hours, and more frequently if the baby is willing.
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 Phillis 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 about 24 to 36 hours for the pain to pass. But Fox stresses the importance of continuing the antibiotics throught 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 characterised 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 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 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.Source: The Home Remedies Handbook
Good lord! Now I have another reason why I don’t want to have a child. But now is not the right time to discuss that so I’ll comment on the article. The book was published in 1993 and I certainly hope that doctors and nurses don’t recommend breat-feeding your child with that infected breast. That is just so disgusting. And what about the antibiotic for the infected breast? Wouldn’t the child ingest that too as he breastfeeds from mum? I my mom did that to me when I was a but a wee kid, I will turn into a rebellious teenager. Hmm maybe she did that because I’m a huge pain in her neck. Another thing that bothers me about this article are the words used. Words and phrases such as ‘moist’, ‘engorgement’, ‘in heat’, ‘massage and stroke the breast’, ‘hot spot’ and ‘leaking’. It sounds like the writer of that article read a lot of erotica. Okay, they’re all in the breast-feeding infection context but I bet certain kinds of pervents would find pleasure in the article.
If the article has typos, I apologize but I really do put an effort into doing this crap. See how desparate I am for some cash?!
