Mastitis?

Aden4364

any moms familiar with mastitis? I just returned to work this past week- I'm a nurse working 13 hour shifts. Busy days means only pumping every 4-5 hours when I was breastfeeding at home every 3ish. Yesterday I spiked a fever, in hindsight have had tender (and often) engorged breasts (due to new pumping schedule). I have also experienced a decrease in supply.

I'm thinking I'm in beginning stages of mastitis...or hopefully just missed it. What do I need to do to either treat it or maintain it at bay? Ouch.

supersarah77

Yikes! When I had mastitis I had flu-like symptoms and was down for the count for a couple days. It was bad. Antibiotics picked me back up. So, I would recommend calling the triage line or get seen before it gets bad.

Clogged ducts are usually the culprit so unclogging is key and that's keeping the milk moving a little. Even if you hand express. You don't have to empty the breast like you do when you pump just a little movement through so it doesn't clog. If it's a stubborn clog there are lots of methods to unclog, like massaging it in a warm shower or nursing on all fours.

Good luck, mama, I hope it's not mastitis!

blitzy23

You need to see a doctor. Not to be super rude, but as a nurse, don't you have some resources to help guide you?

rschroe8

Ibuprofen helped me with the pain. I had a very similar situation. I work at a hospital 12 hour shifts and the week I went back I couldn't pump as often as babe was eating. As soon as I could feed my baby off of me a few times I started feeling better and it quickly resolved from there. Good luck mama! I know how terrible the pain can be....it's straight up aweful! Now If I start feeling lumps forming, I pump with the fast "let down" pumping for longer than normal and it has prevented it from getting any worse

Aden4364

Well.. Yes. But as an adult ICU nurse, all things baby are not my forte. I coukd just go as a L&D nurse/gyn but thought to take advantage of suggestions here... And I did go see a dr but wanted input on other remedies I could start in the mean time. Thanks tho!