A little bit of a story time and my experience with Mastitis, a little bit of helpful and up to date information. Let’s talk about mastitis & “clogged” milk ducts.
After a chaotic breastfeeding journey (several bouts of mastitis), my toddler stopped nursing a few months ago with no issues (thanks month 5 of pregnancy & the change in milk supply!).
Then the third trimester of pregnancy hit & BAM, I have a course of antibiotics for mastitis. Apparently, you can get it in pregnancy – who knew?! We suspect that my body has started prepping & it has irritated things.
What is mastitis?
Mastitis means ‘inflammation of the breast’, but the term has not been applied to all lactation-related breast inflammations. There’s evidence now that “clogged” milk ducts aren’t caused by thickened milk, but by inflammation/ductal narrowing in the breast/chest.
The protocol for managing mastitis has changed – whilst my current case is a bit different as I’m not nursing, & can’t take anti-inflammatories, many of the recommendations apply. Key takeaway?
DON’T VIGOROUSLY MASSAGE YOUR BREAST.
Or pump for hours on end. Or pump after nursing to attempt to ‘empty’ the breast (your breast is never empty).
Instead, work to treat the inflammation which results in the thickened or static milk.
I like to start with the positives – what can you do to help?!
DO:
- Use anti-inflammatories
- Nurse as flexibly & frequently as baby needs
- If pumping, don’t pump more than baby will drink
- Wear a supportive, but not too tight bra
- Sleep in a position that won’t put pressure on your breasts
- Seek help from a medical professional if symptoms don’t improve
The below are shown to make the underlying problem worse because they increase inflammation & irritation, that can cause tissue damage (ever felt MORE bruised & sore after massaging? Yeah, me too).
AVOID:
- Pumping (asymmetric pressure & breast tissue drag)
- Hot/cold compresses
- Massaging
- Suctioning
- Vibrating
- Positioning baby with chin/nose pointing towards the inflammation (there’s evidence that positioning baby in this way doesn’t help – it is misconstrued info that doesn’t align with the biomechanics of milk transfer and risks worsened breast tissue drag)
Does any of the above surprise you? Let me know in the comments below!
Source: Sage Journals
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