EP: Weaning and Mastitis

asram17

I have been EP for 5 weeks now and have had mastitis 3 times and other problems so I am ready to quit.  I currently have mastitis and it hurts so bad to pump right now, what is the best way to go about weaning while having the infection?

 

mairanellis

I'm sorry about the mastitis.  I don't know what you should do about the mastitis, but when I was weaning I kept getting clogged ducts and engorged.  I drank this tea and my milk dried up within 3-4 days of drinking the tea (3 cups per day).  https://www.amazon.com/Earth-Mama-Angel-Baby-More/dp/B001MK2P0U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1319948736&sr=8-2

It was a life-saver for me because I was in pain for 2 weeks trying to wean (even used cold cabbage leaves in my bra), and this tea really helped me.

vab1216

I am wondering the same thing. I was trying to wean and ended up with mastitis. Now, I am on antibiotics and pumping every 2-3 hours. But, when I pump I am barely getting anything but if I don't pump I start to get engorged. I am thinking I am going to try cabbage leaves because I have heard it works.

dmperoz

I was in your shoes at 5 weeks too and was ready to quit pumping. It was so frustrating. It turns out that I didn't have the infection 3 separate times. My first two antibiotics were penicillin based and didn't clear up the infection. After finishing the first two rounds of prescriptions, the infection was back within 3 days. The 3rd time, I got a different medicine that actually cleared it up. My supply increased drastically when the mastitis finally cleared up. 

 When I told my Dr. that I was going to quit, she said it would get way worse before it got better and that I should wean slowly. I did this by dropping one pump a day. When I pumped 6 times a day, life was good! I pumped every 3 hours while awake and slept through the night because my son did. I planned to do this for 1 week and drop another pump, do 5 pumps for 1 week and drop another, you the idea. Anyway, I felt so much better after the 3rd round of antibiotics that I kept going for the next month.

Then it came back AGAIN, so I got another round of medicine, took an US of my breast, and had a culture done on my milk. The bacteria causing the mastitis was clearing up with the antibiotic and we found no good reason why I kept getting the infection. It is assumed that I am getting it because I exclusively pump and that the pump does not empty me as completely as my child would. I have had a good few weeks now and am hoping it won't come back. I am to a place now where I feel that I will get it again if I wean completely, or I'll get it again if keep going, so I'm going to just keep going and see how far I can get. It is less frustrating when the infection clears up for longer periods of time.

BeetleLinz1125

I'm so sorry that you've had to deal with 3 rounds of Mastitis...that's really rough!  EP'ing unfortunately makes you more prone to clogged ducts & mastitis.  When I had it, it was relieved the most by sitting in a warm bath and then hand expressing the milk under water (I know, sounds wasteful to just express it into bathwater - but I feel like more came out that way and really helped relieve the pain).  The warm water should help loosen your ducts up so that it makes it easier to come out, and if you do it in water then it will have a "zero gravity" effect.

I know it sounds odd, but you might give it a try.  Good luck!