Do I have an infection in my boob?

[PinkPunch]

My left nipple has been really stingy the last 2 days. I thought it must have been a poor latch but today both nipples seem sensitive and raw and surely I know how to latch him by now?

Then tonight I felt a big lump in my left boob. Not a hard serious lump, just a big lump of what feels like milk- is it a blocked duct? I don't know if my stingy nipples are related to this.

What can I do? Nipples are on fire so I have a bottle ready for his next feed because I can't face it

 

[Rayoflight]

Oh hun, not good! We covered this on my course yesterday. The worst thing you can do is miss a feed. You need to get the milk and bacteria moving through that blocked duct. So either feeding or expressing often is the key.

A warm bath or shower helps as does massage during and after feeding/expressing.

You need to clear it asap because it could become mastitis which is nasty and worse case a breast abscess (although these are rare these days). If your nipples are on fire have you got nipple shields and Lansinoh cream? X

 

[PinkPunch]

Thanks for replying so quick. I have lansinoh cream but I can't find it anywhere. I've just given him a bottle so I'm going to sit in bed with a warm facecloth on my boob & massage it and hand express any milk out, does that sound ok? Feel a bit upset about all this, bf was going so well

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

I had mastitis and the dr encouraged me to keep expressing and it WAS so painful but cleared up the blocked milk in no time xx

 

[PinkPunch]

I had mastitis and the dr encouraged me to keep expressing and it WAS so painful but cleared up the blocked milk in no time xx

Ok thanks. I could bare the pain if I thought it was clearing it. Did both your nipples hurt or just the lumpy boob?

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

just my lumpy boob I us kept upto date with the pain killers the dr gave me as he reassured me that very little went into the milk and that seemed to ease the pain (a little) it was toe curling for me, but I promise it does clear up quick xx

 

[PinkPunch]

Thank you so much!

 

[Rayoflight]

How has it gone hun?

I've got a blocked duct for the first time in my right boob (usually get minor ones in my left). Sat here with a wheat bag on it, massaging it and it's helping. Feeding him then was painful but I did my hypnobirthing breathing and it was ok. I too can't find the bloody Lansinoh! Or the nipple shields... Grrr. I'll try hunting again when the house wakes up.

Hope you're ok xxx

 

[PinkPunch]

How has it gone hun?

I've got a blocked duct for the first time in my right boob (usually get minor ones in my left). Sat here with a wheat bag on it, massaging it and it's helping. Feeding him then was painful but I did my hypnobirthing breathing and it was ok. I too can't find the bloody Lansinoh! Or the nipple shields... Grrr. I'll try hunting again when the house wakes up.

Hope you're ok xxx

Well earlier I managed to squeeze quite alot of milk out and the lump seemed to go down a bit. Then I feed him there at 5:30am and it's all gone!! I made him take every last drop so pleased. It was sore (and is still stinging) but at least it's gone. It was like a small golf ball!

I have a question though, maybe you will know. I normally give him both breasts and was thinking maybe they are not getting completely drained properly. Should I maybe offer just one boob per feed to make sure he gets all of it which will help reduce the risk of getting this again?

Thank you so much for your help. I had never had anything like this before and was a bit worried! When i googled it i wasnt sure if i had mastitis, yeast infection or if they are the same thing?! lol

Hope you can get rid of yours as quickly as i have! Lansinoh is too expensive and precious to lose isn't it. I must have a good look for it tomorrow too because my nipple feels like someone has held a lighter to it lol

Keep up your training ROL, your going to be fab because your so passionate about it. And your advice really does make a difference to people. It's certainly helped me xx

 

[Rayoflight]

Aw thanks love!

Really glad yours has gone. Golf ball size doesnt sound too pleasant. I'm pleased to report that mine has gone too. Just after I posted I went and expressed that boob until no more would come out and it's all fine now.

As for the one side/both side debate I am a one side feeder. Then, if he is extra hungry i've always got the other to offer if he needs it. It's all personal choice though. Do you make sure the one you have fed from is completely empty before offering the other? Like, check it? I never did until Evelina mentioned doing it and once I did that I found it worked better for me doing one side than both as he wasn't completely emptying that boob. All the books you read by la leche league say you should empty the breast then your body will know to make enough to fill again. Also, feeding off one boob surely means that baby gets the right balance of fore/hind milk? I might be wrong there though, that's me using my (sometimes not so) common sense.

I don't know the correct advice on this one but maybe someone else does? Going to google though as it's a good question. Will put this on my blog I think.

X

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

when I was expressing they always said to just express one side at a time so that the milk didnt block the ducts not sure if its the same as breasfeeding, I was expressing every 2 hours xx

 

[PinkPunch]

Do you make sure the one you have fed from is completely empty before offering the other? Like, check it?

Probably not to be honest, im maybe being too inpatient. How do you know it's completely empty? Do you have to wait until they stop swallowing? I probably would have stopped when he does about 8 sucks to 1 swallow. Or when the nipple is getting tugged on hard at the end of the feed.

 

[inky]

C always stops feeding when its empty, I never have to check, I just know he's done if you know what I mean? I always offer the other boob too, usually he just has the foremilk to wash down his feed then that's him done

 

[PinkPunch]

C always stops feeding when its empty, I never have to check, I just know he's done if you know what I mean? I always offer the other boob too, usually he just has the foremilk to wash down his feed then that's him done

I suppose I did that too. I'd feed him with one til he looked sleepy & full then use the other one but I did try and even it out a little instead of using one boob for longer. Didn't want 1 big & 1 small boob! But earlier I made an effort to get him to take all of the one boob and some of the other and he slept for 5 hours which isn't like him during the day, so I'm all for it!!

The sore boob wasn't that bad earlier when feeding but stung for a while afterwards :s not looking forward to using that boob again

 

[PinkPunch]

Both my nipples are stinging now after that feed, especially the one that had the blocked duct. The nipple is a bit White, do you think it's a yeast infection? It's really burning

 

[inky]

It could be - does LO have any white spots in his mouth? C and I had thrush when he was 3 weeks old, it felt like I had needles coming out of my nipples, I was almost in tears each time I was feeding him If not then it could just be that the skin is a bit cracked? I remember still being quite sore in general when C was the same as your LO, I really hit the wall so to speak!

 

[PinkPunch]

Inky did the doc give you antibiotics for it or is there an over the counter product you can buy? I don't see any spots in his mouth though.

Bf was going well though, my nipples stung for the first 2 weeks then they were fine so I don't know why it would be like that again. With my sorest nipple he'll do about 5 sucks then on the 6th suck his gum line hits against the nipple which hurts and this happens throughout the feed.

 

[PinkPunch]

Just fed DS and nipples don't seem as bad. Do you think my nipple is cut from feeding with a blocked duct? Maybe he sucked too hard when he wasn't getting as much and now it just needs to heal? I hope so. Hate having to see a doc etc.

Edit: found this article which is quite helpful http://www.kellymom.com/bf/older-baby/sorenipples-older.html

 

[inky]

I think it's more likely your nipples are irritated rather than thrush - believe you'd know you had thrush lol! If he was having trouble feeding from a blocked duct then he may have altered his positioning so subtly that you wouldn't have noticed but it obviously made a difference? It's good that it wasn't so bad last time

 

[PinkPunch]

Thanks inky, I think your right. Im feeding him right now and again it's much better so pleased! Thanks x