Berkeley Parents Network: Mastitis

Berkeley Parents Network

Mastitis

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Weaning after recurring mastitis Related pages:

Breast Infections

Lump on Nipple

Plugged Ducts

More Advice about Breast Health

Weaning after recurring mastitis

July 2003

Since my 8 1/2 month old was born, I have had severe mastitis six times (requiring antibiotics) and mild mastitis three times (cured with home remedies). I am now researching how to wean and am curious if any one else has had this experience. What has the weaning process been like and has the mastitis come back once you have weaned (As Dr. Jack Newman suggests can happen)? I've been told the weaning process should take two weeks or more, is this normal? Thanks.
weaning mother

I too had recurring mastitis -- I've had it about 6 times, 3 with antibiotics. I don't know about weaning, but I have not had mastitis in about a month. I think I kept getting it b/c I had cracked nipples, and bacteria kept getting in. There are many things that can help prevent mastitis if you are interested in still breastfeeding. I got some very helplful info from La Leche League. Stay very hydrated, nurse on both sides often, don't wear anything that presses against the breast, ie some slings, try taking lecithin, an herbal supplement and use lanolin with every feeding to heal nipples.
Rinat

Do you really want to wean? Have you talked with a lactation consultant? Can you find another way to help with the mastitis? I had many bouts of mastitis, like you, five or six that required antibiotics and several more that I warded off by drinking extra water and seeing an acupuncturist. I really did not want to wean early (nor did my son), and so I kept at it using a combination of prevention techniques (hot showers, massage, acupuncture, lots and lots of water, having my son drain my breasts when he nursed). I also stopped pumping and feeding breast milk with a bottle. That cut down on my production, so that I was really only producing as much as my son drank. As my son got older, he gradually weaned himself, which was the easiest for me. I just produced less and less each day, so that when he stopped, I did not feel discomfort at all. If you really do want to wean, I suggest you get The Nursing Mother's Guide to Weaning, ignore all suggestions that you continue (even mine), set up a plan for yourself, and just do it. You and your baby will both be okay.
Been there.

This regards your mastitis problem. It is much more severe than I experienced, however, I had mastitis when beginning the nursing of my son. My doctor gave me several different antibiotics to try and stop the increasing infection and high fevers. Nothing was working and I was in tears nursing. I finally went to an accupunturist/homeopathist here in Berkeley. She gave me both a one time homeopathy remedy and an intensified accupunture treatment. I stayed there an hour with the needles and then went home. By the time I was home my fever had gone down significantly and by night time the inflammation was decreasing significantly. Two days and I was over it completely. I was never more impressed with an alternative treatment and immediately told my gynecologist and doctor about it. They also were very impressed and relieved to know they needn't worry any more. I hope this is helpful.

First of all, I'm sorry for your troubles. I too had repeated mastitis requiring antibiotics, and more plugged ducts that I can remember. Here is a perspective on continuing to breastfeed instead of weaning, to avoid problems, strange as that may sound. I found that when my daughter was between 8 and 10 months old, eating more and more solids and nursing less, the plugged ducts pretty much stopped, or I was able to avoid them by not wearing bras too tight, or sleeping on my stomach, a dose of motrin etc. Here's the good part - I finally started to enjoy breastfeeding! Since I nursed my daughter until 2, when she was down to once/day, it didn't cause any problems once I quit. Also, if it helps - I had no plugged ducts with my second child - a combination of experience and a avid nurser!

I also had recurring mastitis with my first child. I found stress, lack of sleep, and infrequent nursing contributed to the formation of plugged ducts, which if I couldn't clear within a day or so, led to mastitis requiring antibiotics. I developed a number of techniques to clear the plugged ducts, the best one involving allowing the baby to nurse (or putting on the breast pump) while I or my husband did VERY deep massage on the plug. It was rather painful but better than the mastitis! I would check my breasts for plugs every day, and I learned to tell when my body was feeling a little funny, almost like the way you feel when you need to urinate, and check for a plug. Then I would work on it as long as necessary to clear it.

I think sudden weaning would have made things much worse. I let her wean naturally, and my milk supply gradually lessened on its own. As that happened, I developed fewer plugged ducts. In the meantime, I had a second child (while the older one was still nursing once every day or two). When my milk came back in, the plugged ducts started to develop again. However, this time, I found that tandem nursing could reliably be counted on to clear the plugs, and I never got mastitis with the second child!
Good luck!
suffered from mastitis

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