Posts Tagged ‘mastitis’

Up & Coming Events

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

Breastfeeding Workshop
Wednesday 29 September 3pm – 5pm
Let’s Breastfeed Practice – Twickenham

We are having so much fun with the water theme, I have decided to continue with it a little longer!

Join my fun and interactive September Breastfeeding Workshop and learn the practicalities of breastfeeding through play!
This workshop is totally different to any other workshop out there, even mums who have done the NCT courses can’t believe how incredibly useful this workshop is! (I keep them small so that I can teach you more)

We cover and practice everything from holding, positioning, attaching, winding, expressing, bottle feeding and we also cover potential problems, how to recognize and avoid them.

Due to popular demand, you can also get all the products you need while you are here. Not only are they the best (tried & tested by thousands of clients) but I can also give you expert advice on how and when to use them, so that you don’t create more damage, OUCH!

Book early as places go quickly!

Breastfeeding Workshop
Saturday 9th October 10.30am – 12.30pm
Earthlife

We are sticking with the water theme – learning is always easier when you are having fun, right?

Join my fun and interactive October Breastfeeding Workshop and learn the practicalities of breastfeeding through play!
This workshop is totally different to any other workshop out there, even mums who have done the NCT and hospital courses, can’t believe how incredibly useful this workshop is! (I keep them small so that I can teach you more)

We cover and practice everything from holding, positioning, attaching, winding, expressing, bottle feeding and we also cover potential problems, how to recognize and avoid them.

Due to popular demand, you can also get all the products you need while you are here. Not only are they the best (tried & tested by thousands of clients) but I can also give you expert advice on how and when to use them, so that you don’t create more damage, OUCH!

Book early as places go quickly!

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Expressing when you have mastitis

Friday, December 4th, 2009

Well, you already know that there is a lot of conflicting advice with regards to almost anything, so it is hardly surprising that with an emotive topic such as breastfeeding, feelings and opinions run much higher!

With regards to mastitis and expressing, there are a couple of things I think need to be said, as their omition is causing far more damage than necessary.

So what happens when a mum develops mastitis?

Mastitis is a breast inflamation and a result of a slow build up of milk in the breast, that for some reason is not being drained. When milk is not drained from the breast, it seeps into breast tissue around the milk producing sacs and this leads to swelling and tenderness in the breast.

If the back log of milk is not dealt with effectively, the breast becomes more inflamed and then escalates into full blown mastitis where mums experience flu like symptoms including body aches and shivers accompanied by high fever. As the breast has not been drained, your body produces a lot less milk and goes through a recovery phase, where milk supply is very low.

The good news is that this can easily be avoided. At this time of the year, many nursing mums are at risk of developing mastitis when their babies pick up a cold and develop blocked, stuffy noses. As babies are nose breathers, breastfeeding becomes uncomfortable for them and this can lead to them shortening their breastfeeds.

If your baby suddenly starts pulling off the breast a lot sooner than normal, you will feel full at the end of the feed and this could become a problem if your baby continues to shorten breastfeeds over a number of days.

It is at this point that you should consider expressing the excess milk off the breast, so that your breasts are drained at the end of a feed to their normal level. Expressing to ensure the breast is empty will stave off any bouts of mastitis and will also maintain a good milk supply, so that when your baby is back to good health, your suppply is abundant and feeds revert back to normal quickly.

Many mums find that having expressed breast milk to hand for when your baby recovers and demands more food, is also reassuring.

I believe an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so be alert and act quickly this winter!

Much love,

Geraldine

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Third course of antibiotics in 2 weeks! Help!

Thursday, April 17th, 2008

Dear Geraldine,

My baby is 2 weeks old and I am on my third course of antibiotics for mastitis! My husband says that I should give up breastfeeding as he can’t stand to see me is so much pain, but I really want to breastfeed my baby – my mother breastfed 4 of us for nearly 18months each! Please tell me what I should do as I can’t seem to shift this lump/mastitis and I can’t cope with the pain for much longer.

Poppy Gehl Surrey

Hi Poppy,

Your baby is still very young, which means that you are still very new to mothering. It is such a pity that you have discovered your first steps to mothering through a cloud of pain, but I am pretty sure that we can guide you all the way to the ‘silver lining’.

I just want to clarify that you are on your third course of antibiotics for one bout of mastitis which has not cleared?

There are a few of things I would need to know, for instance, does the lump in your breast get bigger and smaller during the day – say before feeds and after feeds? Is the mastitis/lump still in the same area in the breast or does it stay in one breast but move to different areas? Does your GP know that the antibiotics aren’t helping to clear the infection – or have you seen 3 different GPs?

If the lump or inflammation is variable during the day and is moving to different parts of the breast, it sounds like you are not draining the breast properly – so check your positioning and attachment. Make sure that you are drinking enough water to ensure your milk is not getting too sticky and leading to blockages and blocked pores.

If the lump/mastitis is still in the same area that it was when you originally went to the doctor, I would suggest that you ask to go for an ultra sound. Sometimes the inflamed area can close off and become a capsule – either containing milk or puss – due to the infection. If you have developed a capsule of fluid/abscess, you will need to have this drained before it is resolved and you can continue feeding.

I would also recommend that you have this checked out by a Breastfeeding Specialist for a second opinion, as I can only advice you on what you have told me.

Either way, it is possible to enjoy breastfeeding – pain free breastfeeding. To summarize, you either have recurring mastitis – due to poor drainage or possibly even over supply, or you have developed a fluid containing capsule which is preventing you from healing completely.

I hope this has given you some fresh insight. Please drop me a line and let me know how you get on.


Geraldine

Let’s Breastfeed is dedicated to making your breastfeeding dreams become a reality. If I can’t see you in person, you can still have me in your living room with my Let’s Breastfeed Program!

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