Painful boob :(

[MrsT2011]

Hi girls

I have the most painful boob - its red, hot, lumpy and sore. I pump all my milk for B but I'm struggling to get much out this side and as a result it's starting to get engorged. It started last night and I'm trying to persevere and pump through it but my god it hurts

I've googled symptoms and I'm unsure if it's mastitis or a blocked duct. I can see a gp tomorrow but I need some advice to get me through the night. I'll be pumping every 2-3 hours through the night and I use warm and cold flannels when I do pump but any more suggestions?

 

[pinkyprincess]

I used to put a hot water bottle on and massage, massage,massage! ESP when pumping. I once got rid of a blocked duct in a day doing this. Hot showers too (massaging when in there) and feed in different positions (laying down, rugby ball, over the top lowering yourself onto baby) fx its not mastitis!!

 

[MrsT2011]

Thanks PP - hot showers have been my saviour thanks for advice.
I'm off to the dr now as its so painful and I'm hardly getting any milk out of it when I pump so having to use emergency formula supplies

 

[pinkyprincess]

If you can put baby on as they literally pull it out!

Good luck at the docs!

 

[kanga86]

I had this a few weeks back. I found pumping didn't do anything, got nothing out of it. Only baby sucking at every night feed through that night cleared it up. Hope u get on ok at the docs xx

 

[MrsT2011]

It's mastitis
Course of antibiotics and got to buy a cabbage! Apparently ginger beer helps with supply so going to see if tesco stock it.
B won't feed on that side at all so I'm just permanently expressing his milk for him now with occasional night feed if we're lucky.
The Dr also noticed that on my other boob some of the milk ducts aren't filling up so could be one of the reasons my supply seems low.

It just feels like its one thing after the other with breast feeding - there always seems to be an obstacle in the way. I've made my peace with not being successful at breast feeding but I'm determined that B will have my milk for as long as possible even if it means I have to continue only having 3 hours sleep a night so I can express for him.
Right that's my morning moan over!

 

[pinkyprincess]

Your doing great hang on in there. I know ISH went from expressing to bfing so might be worth taking to her?
This websites a little bit fabulous http://www.mother-2-mother.com/ExclusivePumping.htm

Your doing a great job! Hope it clears up soon!

 

[MrsT2011]

That website is fantastic! Thank you so much x

 

[kanga86]

U are doing a fab job fully expressing for ur baby. Hope the antibiotics clear up the mastitis soon xx

 

[hellywelly]

Wish I'd seen that website when I was trying to express exclusively. My LO point blank refused to breastfeed, even with someone coming to the house for the first 10 days after birth to help EVERYDAY (midwife, midwife assistants and a feeding counsellor!). I decided to pump and feed from a bottle but my supply dried up after a fortnight. There are some great tips there that no one tells you at the time!

 

[KarenC]

That's a really useful website, thank you! I am breastfeeding, expressing AND topping up with a bit of formula. It's a bit crazy, but it's working, just about. It's killing me, but I am determined to keep going with it.

Keep up the good work, MrsT. Hope the mastitis clears up and you can express milk for at least a while longer for your LO. xxx

 

[nikkie88]

It sounds more like a blocked duct to me.
If it was mastitis, you'd have a fever, and flu like symptoms,
I had it and felt like death. And the last thing on your mind is thinking of touching your boob never mind getting a baby or pump to suck on it. It's vile.

Hope you get better soon.

 

[nikkie88]

oh. also, baby might be refusing, as the inflammation can cause a sour taste in the milk, i was told, it doesn't harm the baby but they may refuse to drink, which is why they offer you a pump (our MW service had a double pump to rent out for those in need) - it is hard going and u just think "I'll give up and give formula" but something tells you to try for as long as possible.
Good Luck.

 

[pinkyprincess]

Just read this about cabbage leaves

 

[MrsT2011]

Thanks everyone for your support - Nikki I think your right in that it seems more like a blocked duct but I do have a raised temperature and cry like a baby every time I try and express that side all for 1/2 oz. thank god I can get most of his feed from the other side. X

 

[MrsT2011]

oh. also, baby might be refusing, as the inflammation can cause a sour taste in the milk, i was told, it doesn't harm the baby but they may refuse to drink, which is why they offer you a pump (our MW service had a double pump to rent out for those in need) - it is hard going and u just think "I'll give up and give formula" but something tells you to try for as long as possible.
Good Luck.

That's interesting coz the Dr said that the quality of my milk wasn't great and to really drink as much fluid as possible and have this ginger beer to make my milk richer.
I thought my son is quite happy to drink my milk so it can't be that bad!

 

[nikkie88]

yeah, my lil man still drank it too, never seemed fussed about the taste, just latching was an ordeal for both of us.
I remember being so tired and in pain i would cry as soon as he woke up i knew id have to get my boob out and hed ave to eat. I would literally sit on the bed bawling my eyes out.
Mine was cause by a tear on the nipple (he was a violent sucker), so the infection got in that way it lead to scarring and now my nipple is slightly inverted!...
I LOVE BEING A MUM!!!! lol

 

[MrsT2011]

Bless you Nikki! Sounds like you did really well to get through all that!
My mum got mastitis with me and gave up breast feeding at 6 weeks on Dr advice! Amazing how times have changed - the Dr I saw was really helpful and full of ideas.

 

[nikkie88]

I lasted about a month, and my nipple never really healed, so i was still in extreme pain, the midwife came round and i told her i was shattered (feeding every hour, half hour some times) and my nipple wasn't having a chance to heal as it was getting whacked out every half hour.
I told her i wanted to switch to formula as much as i regret it now, at the time it was the only thing i could do to keep my sanity, i expressed as much as possible without causing too much pain, and switched to formula.
After a week of Formula, the MW came back to see how i was healing and how he was getting on, he was taking 7oz every 3 hours, she said "bless YOU, how on earth did you keep up with that kind of demand" --- I said exactly i don't know! and she said I never really had a chance, but congratulated me for going on for so long and him still gaining weight like mad, whatever i did give him must of been some good stuff!!

Hope you're feeling better. x

 

[Karate Kid]

I don't think I ever anticipated how hard BFing would be. I am doing a mixture of expressing and BFing and we are slowly but surely getting there.

Hope you start to feel better soon Hun.

Xx