Sore breasts (mastitis, breast inflammation)
How do you recognize mastitis?
- A painfull spot in one of your breasts
- Splitting headache
- Rapidly rising fever, up to 40 degrees C.
- Feeling cold and hot, your teeth chatter, it feels like a serious
flu.
The two most important things to do:
Immediately apply cooling elements (from the Gott) to the red spot,
keep that up for about 12 hours. When an element gets warm,
exchange it for a new cold one. Half an hour before nursing,
apply a warm towel to stimulate the blood and milk circulation
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Make sure the baby really empties your breasts.
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What else can you do?
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Start nursing with the healty breast, until the milk in the
inflamed breast starts to flow. When you feel the milk coming
immediately switch your baby to the inflamed breast. That way you
make sure the baby uses the best sucking power at the sore breast,
which has to be drank until it feels really empty. If necessary
pump the healthy breast once he has drank enough.
Mastitis is not dangerous for your baby.
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Go top bed, drink lots of water, tea or limonade. Ask grandma or a
friend to help you out for a day or two. Take everyting you need
(books, diapers, toys etc) with you in bed. That way you won't
need to get up too often.
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Get plenty of rest!
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If nursing doesn't go well with the inflamed breast, you need to
pump. Get that breast as empty as you can. Use a warm towel to
make it easier for the milk to flow before nursing. Apply the
cooling elements again after nursing.
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If all this doesn't help in a day or 2, contact your doctor to start
antibiotics. (You do not have to stop nursing while using
antibiotics)
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