It is not an easy job to breastfeed, and many new mothers have experienced it, not to mention the tangle of not enough milk, the hard work of night milk, and a big killer that makes mothers shy away from it – mastitis!
This is not only painful for the mother, but also affects the baby’s food, so mastitis can be considered the number one enemy during breastfeeding.
Why do you get mastitis?
It is very common to see mastitis during breastfeeding, so it is better to treat the symptoms than the root of the problem.
1. Blocked mammary glands and stagnant milk
Symptoms: Before each breastfeeding, the mother will feel her breasts swell, and after breastfeeding her baby, her breasts will return to softness, which is a normal process. However, if breast milk blockage occurs, the blocked area will not become soft after breastfeeding, and a hard knot with unclear borders can come out by hand, which will develop into mastitis if not treated.
Cause: Milk not emptied: Usually new mothers lack the experience of breastfeeding, if the baby cannot suck up all the milk and the mother does not know to express the extra milk, the milk will be stagnant in the lobules of the breast, leading to blockage of the milk ducts. The new mother’s milk contains more exfoliated epithelial cells, which can easily cause blockage of the milk ducts and aggravate milk stagnation.
Breastfeeding posture: Wrong breastfeeding posture or tight underwear that puts pressure on the breasts can also lead to blockage of the milk ducts. (For the correct breastfeeding posture, click on the blue title to view)
Nipple indentation: If the mother’s nipples are short, flat, too small, or indented, it will be difficult for the baby to suckle and affect breastfeeding, which will also make it more likely for milk to accumulate.
The actual fact is that you can find a lot of people who are not able to get a good deal on a lot of things. The baby will be in severe pain after the cracking occurs, affecting the full breastfeeding, and also easily induce milk stagnation.
2, bacterial infection
Symptoms: relatively light acute simple mastitis, will feel the breast swelling pain, inflammation site has hard nodes, high skin temperature, touch will be more pain. This stage of inflammation is easier to dissipate; if it is acute suppurative mastitis, in addition to hard nodes on the breast, red, swollen, hot and painful skin, increased tenderness, and the mother will have symptoms such as chills, high fever, headache, weakness, rapid heartbeat, etc. The lymph nodes under the ipsilateral armpit are also enlarged and painful.
Causes: When there is a stagnation of milk as a prerequisite, it is a very favorable environment for bacteria to grow and multiply. At this time, bacteria invade through the milk ducts and multiply and cause mastitis. If the mother has a broken or cracked nipple, bacteria can easily invade and spread along the lymphatic ducts to the lobules of the breast and the connective tissue between the lobules, causing septic mastitis.
If pre-treatment is not done properly, such as violently rubbing the breast, an acute breast abscess can form in the affected area. Severe abscesses may erode the skin and break outward or discharge pus from the nipple. At this stage, breastfeeding should be prohibited and immediate medical attention should be sought for medication and treatment by a doctor.
What should I do if I have mastitis? Can I continue breastfeeding?
Some mothers may wonder if they have to stop breastfeeding and give their babies formula when mastitis occurs.
Do not stop breastfeeding for either stagnant milk or early, mild mastitis. Put a hot, wet washcloth on the breast before breastfeeding and have your baby hold the areola with her mouth wide open, with her lower lip turned out against the areola so that her gums will stimulate the milk ducts and promote lactation. Gently massaging the lump while breastfeeding, using your fingers to massage from the lump towards the nipple, can help unblock the blocked milk ducts.
In most cases, mastitis occurs unilaterally. If you are concerned about the effect of milk on your baby, then suckle your baby on the healthy side of the breast only. Use a breast pump on the affected breast to suck up the milk and apply hot compresses and massage to drain the milk that has built up. Otherwise, the mammary glands will not pass and mastitis will recur.
The actual fact is that you will be able to get a lot more than just a couple of days to get a lot more than just a couple of days. In addition, the mother should pay attention to the medication that will not affect the baby.
If the mother’s condition is serious and the pus from the breast abscess is drained with the milk, for safety reasons, she should not feed her baby from the affected side, but must use a breast pump to empty the breast. In addition, if the mother has cracked nipples, you can gently wipe the nipples with milk after each nursing session and let them dry naturally. If the chapped area is infected, you can apply a topical ointment prescribed by your physician after each nursing session and wash your nipples with water before the next nursing session to prevent your baby from eating the ointment.