Pumped milk with mastitis and antibiotics

[Jen]

I have just been prescribed antibiotics to clear up mastitis :(. The GP I
saw advised me not to feed on that side for while but pump. Can I keep the
pumped milk for later use? He said it's no problem bf'ing with the
antibiotics so I can't see a problem but thought I'd check.

Thankfully I caught the mastitis before I got a fever or any other nasty
effects. There are no lumps or blocked ducts. I assume I don't need to
feed on this side because there is nothing to clear - is that correct?
It's horribly painful so I don't want to feed on that side for a few days
if it's not necessary. I think pumping will be hard enough but at least I
only have to do enough to relieve engorgement. DS has a very tight grip
and has taken to pulling in the nipple, so it would be worse than pumping.
Last night was agony but I kept going for 20 mins before I couldn't bear
it any longer and had to switch sides!)

Thanks

Jeni

[Lara]

Jen > wrote:

> I have just been prescribed antibiotics to clear up mastitis :(. The GP I
> saw advised me not to feed on that side for while but pump. Can I keep the
> pumped milk for later use? He said it's no problem bf'ing with the
> antibiotics so I can't see a problem but thought I'd check.

There is absolutely no medical reason to stop feeding on a breast with
mastitis. On the contrary, frequent feeding with complete emptying will
speed its resolution and help prevent abscess formation. Sometimes extra
pumping after a feed can help this further (or possibly expressing one
or two sessions if feeding is just too painful - but only if you empty
really well while expressing. Just taking the top off engorgement raises
your risk of mastitis complications), but please don't feel like you
should stop feeding!

Lots more here
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/mastitis.html

Lara

[Jen]

On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 22:50:09 +0800, Lara wrote:

> Jen > wrote:
>
>> I have just been prescribed antibiotics to clear up mastitis :(. The GP I
>> saw advised me not to feed on that side for while but pump. Can I keep the
>> pumped milk for later use? He said it's no problem bf'ing with the
>> antibiotics so I can't see a problem but thought I'd check.
>
> There is absolutely no medical reason to stop feeding on a breast with
> mastitis. On the contrary, frequent feeding with complete emptying will
> speed its resolution and help prevent abscess formation. Sometimes extra
> pumping after a feed can help this further (or possibly expressing one
> or two sessions if feeding is just too painful - but only if you empty
> really well while expressing. Just taking the top off engorgement raises
> your risk of mastitis complications), but please don't feel like you
> should stop feeding!
>
> Lots more here
> http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/mastitis.html
>
> Lara

That's very helpful, thanks. It has been much less painful to express then
feed the bottle than have him feed. Also, he's still a bit of a lazy eater
and has never been good at draining the breast, so it actually works out
better if I express fully. I'll only do it until the pain subsides, except
his 4/5am feed when I'll just have to grimace and bear it. I'm not faffing
around with pumps at that time of the morning!. Mind you, he always sleeps
longer when he has bottles so he might actually go longer tonight as he's
already had two 60ml bottles since lunchtime (plus the other breast at
each feed):).

Jeni

[Anne Rogers]

I'm really confused as to why you or your doc think there is mastitis, you
can have mastitis without a fever, but only with obvious signs of infection
in the breast, which usually means lumps of some sort. Just pain would imply
thrush to me, not mastitis.

Dr Sears recommends delaying on the antibiotics and following the cure of
nurse nurse nurse, on the affected side, it clears everything out, including
the infected material. From what you have said you don't currently need
antibiotics, but you might in 24 hrs. see
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/T022200.asp

The next breastfeeding drop ins in town are both on Friday, I can send you
details if you want.

Anne

[Jen]

On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 18:32:56 +0000, Anne Rogers wrote:

> I'm really confused as to why you or your doc think there is mastitis, you
> can have mastitis without a fever, but only with obvious signs of infection
> in the breast, which usually means lumps of some sort. Just pain would imply
> thrush to me, not mastitis.
>
> Dr Sears recommends delaying on the antibiotics and following the cure of
> nurse nurse nurse, on the affected side, it clears everything out, including
> the infected material. From what you have said you don't currently need
> antibiotics, but you might in 24 hrs. see
> http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/T022200.asp
>
> The next breastfeeding drop ins in town are both on Friday, I can send you
> details if you want.
>
> Anne

Sorry, I probably wasn't being clear. There are no lumps such as a blocked
duct but what I have matches quite a few on that list. Specifically:

# Part or all of the breast is intensely painful, hot, tender, red,
and swollen. Some mothers can pinpoint a definite area of inflammation,
while at other times the entire breast is tender.

My whole areola and around it is as described above. It is also feeling
quite hard, which according to the GP is another symptom.

Also:

# You feel tired, run down, achy, have chills or think you have the flu.
A breastfeeding mother who thinks she has the flu probably has mastitis.
Mothers with mastitis will sometimes experience these flu-like symptoms,
even before they get a fever or notice breast tenderness.

I don't feel like I have flu but the first 3 apply and I was sure I was
coming down with a cold as DS and DH have one.

# You are feeling progressively worse, your breasts are growing more
tender, and your fever is becoming more pronounced. With simple
engorgement, a plugged duct, or mastitis without infection, you gradually
feel better instead of worse.

I certainly noticed between the two feeds the night before last it was
getting worse, where the second feed was very painful.

# Recent events have set you up for mastitis: cracked or bleeding nipples,
stress or getting run down, missed feedings or longer intervals between
feedings.

Definitely stressed and run down :(.

I have been pumping every two hours except at night where I pumped
after 4 and he fed after 5. Each time I made sure the breast was as empty
as it can be. Already I feel better and this mornings feed was far less
painful so I will go back to full on nursing. The problem is as I said
before, he pulls hard on the nipple and areola area (possinly a change in
the taste of the milk, as sugged in that article and on kellymom I think)
so it really hurt. Now the swelling has subsided a little it's bearable.

I don't it's thrush as there are none of the usual symptoms on me or him,
but thanks for the info.

Jeni

[Anne Rogers]

great stuff, sounds like mastitis really is what you have and that you
should be taking the antibiotics, hope things are beginning to feel better,
I would still encourage you to nurse nurse nurse on the affected side as
much as possible, particularly as you mention your nipple is tender, pumping
puts pressure on it in a different way, if I am feeling sore at all, bad
though feeding is, pumping is worse!

Hope you get better soon

Anne

PS I particularly feel for you just before Christmas I had mastitis just
before Christmas 2 years ago and was on a 10 day course of antibiotics with
a higher dose for the first 3 days, Christmas morning was day 5 and when I
woke up my breast was a mess, at about 2pm I gave in and called the doctor,
expecting stronger antibiotics, but he sent me straight to the hospital and
I ended up with IV antibiotics! The next 2 times I stopped antibiotics
exactly the same thing would happen, next morning, hugely inflammed, I guess
there must have been a really stubborn bug in there. I'm now having a big of
a panic as I have a plugged duct in the same location as the section that
was infected that time and I've just looked and my nipple looks red :-(

[Jen]

On Thu, 22 Dec 2005 14:02:28 +0000, Anne Rogers wrote:

> great stuff, sounds like mastitis really is what you have and that you
> should be taking the antibiotics, hope things are beginning to feel better,

Thanks. TBH I wasn't 100% as I didn't have the blocked ducts and high
fever, but that has clarified things for me.

I would still encourage you to nurse nurse nurse on the affected side as
> much as possible, particularly as you mention your nipple is tender,
> pumping puts pressure on it in a different way, if I am feeling sore at
> all, bad though feeding is, pumping is worse!

Normally this would apply to me too but because DS keeps pulling on it it
was worse. But back to nursing now - or I would be if he would wake u:).
Been out for our work Xmas lunch and he's been asleep in his car seat
since DH left to pick me up an hour and a half ago!:)

> Hope you get better
soon

Thanks. Feeling much better already.

> Anne
>
> PS I particularly feel for you just before Christmas I had mastitis just
> before Christmas 2 years ago and was on a 10 day course of antibiotics
> with a higher dose for the first 3 days, Christmas morning was day 5 and
> when I woke up my breast was a mess, at about 2pm I gave in and called
> the doctor, expecting stronger antibiotics, but he sent me straight to
> the hospital and I ended up with IV antibiotics!

Uggh, how horrible for you.

The next 2 times I
> stopped antibiotics exactly the same thing would happen, next morning,
> hugely inflammed, I guess there must have been a really stubborn bug in
> there. I'm now having a big of a panic as I have a plugged duct in the
> same location as the section that was infected that time and I've just
> looked and my nipple looks red :-(

:(. It's certainly not a thing to hang around and wait to see if it's get
better really is it. I'm not keen on the side effect of antibiotics
(although I seem ok with this lot so far) but it's better than the
horriblness of mastitis. It's typical because I was feeling that at least
the chance of me getting it were less as DH still feeds so often!. Clearly
not so.

I hope you are ok.

Jeni

[Chookie]

In article >,
Jen > wrote:

> Sorry, I probably wasn't being clear. There are no lumps such as a blocked
> duct but what I have matches quite a few on that list. Specifically:
>
> # Part or all of the breast is intensely painful, hot, tender, red,
> and swollen. Some mothers can pinpoint a definite area of inflammation,
> while at other times the entire breast is tender.
>
> My whole areola and around it is as described above. It is also feeling
> quite hard, which according to the GP is another symptom.

Another disease it could be is cellulitis (streptococcal infection of the
skin) -- again, it's treatable by antibiotics. A friend of mine had this.

The hardness would be due to the inflammation swelling the tissues.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"In Melbourne there is plenty of vigour and eagerness, but there is
nothing worth being eager or vigorous about."
Francis Adams, The Australians, 1893.