Mastitis

Mastitis can become a severe trouble during breastfeeding. It can harm your capacity to nurse your child or baby in a successful manner.

What Is Mastitis?

Mastitis is a type of infection that several women catch while breastfeeding. It is caused due to inflammation of breast. Inflammation occurs while the milk is left in your breasts either by missing the feeds or by not emptying the breast completely. You will observe that the area of your breast has got reddened or tender or that your complete breast is red and tender. The infection is normally very painful.

Other symptoms of this situation involve:

• Fever and chills above 101 degrees
• Symptoms of Flu
• Headaches
• Extreme fatigue
• Vomiting and Possible nausea

Prevention

Sometimes you can not control infection in breasts. However, here are certain tips that may assist you in reducing the risk of having mastitis

• Make your breasts empty to stop inflammation. Just pump and breastfeed your baby in case you can not nurse. Milk that is left in the breasts gets thicker and it blocks the ducts, offering a place for bacteria to grow. In case you decide to breast feed your child and after that pump to assure that your breast are milk less. The body of the woman makes milk on basis of demand and in case you pump after feeding your baby then it means you are enhancing the demand. If you are not mindful, you will stop on a cycle for production of milk in great quantity. This can increase the chances of engorgement.
• Just make it sure that your baby has been latched properly. The process of breastfeeding may be uncomfortable at the initial stage, but it must not be painful. You can ask for the assistance of a lactation advisor or pediatrician, in case you are facing the problem of bleeding or cracked nipples.
• Just provide a breastfeed to your baby on frequent basis. Just nurse your baby after every two to three hours.
• Don’t fix the time for breastfeeding your baby. Your baby will inform you when he or she has consumed sufficient milk.
• If your breasts are full, just give feed to baby.
• Just try to avoid sleeping on the side of stomach to stop your breasts from being pressed against hard surface.
• Just take a good care of your health. Just make it sure that you take atleast 8 glasses of liquid on daily basis. The breastfeeding mothers must consume 2700 calories on daily basis. The breastfeeding mothers should also take proper rest.

Treatment

You should give a call to your consultant incase you observe any above mentioned symptoms. The advisor will recommend some antibiotics to get rid of infection.

Useful homely tips:

• Just use a wet and warm compress on your breast. Some specialists’ advice using cold and warm compresses on alternate basis.
• You should consume acetaminophen or ibuprofen as pain killers as these medicines won’t affect on the milk of your breast and will assist you in managing inflammation and pain.
• Avoid the use of constricting clothing and bras.