Breastfeeding your newborn child is a very wonderful and satisfying feeling for a new mother. Unfortunately, within the first few months, one of your breasts may feel hard, lumpy, painful and warm. Your baby may find it difficult to latch on and suckle. You may also feel tired and feverish. At times, your nipples maybe sore and cracked, and you find it very painful to feed your baby. Chances are that a lactation nurse or a doctor might diagnose it as mastitis, a very common but treatable condition.
Understanding Mastitis
Mastitis is an inflammatory condition of the breast characterized by pain, swelling, redness, and warmth in the affected area. This condition normally occurs in women who are breast feeding, but can also occur outside the lactation period. Inflammatory mastitis, when left untreated or ignored can lead to infectious mastitis, where microscopic organisms, mostly bacteria, enter the breast tissue from the baby’s mouth through a crack in the nipple.
Most lactating mothers experience mastitis as a result of milk stasis, which happens when your milk is not getting emptied out from the breasts efficiently or your baby’s feeding demands are not met. This condition results in breast engorgement, and a hard lump can be felt on the breast, due to clogged milk ducts. As a result, milk gets accumulated in the breast tissue.
It is best to continue feeding your baby from the affected breast though it might be painful, as this will ease the flow of milk and prevent further stasis and possible infection. An abscess (collection of pus) can develop as a complication, which will be harder to treat.
Mothers most often experience mastitis within the first three months after delivery of a baby. Sometimes, it is also observed in women who have not delivered recently or those who have reached menopause. Older women who have reached menopause undergo many hormonal changes. This can lead to clogged milk ducts resulting in bacterial infection. Women with diabetes, a chronic illness, or an impaired immune system may be more susceptible to develop mastitis.
Symptoms
The symptoms tend to appear suddenly and only one breast gets affected at a time in breast feeding mothers. These include:
- Swelling
- Tenderness
- Warmth
- Pain
- Tingling or burning sensation
- Fever
At times, the symptoms can get more severe, causing increasing pain in the affected area. You might observe redness or red streaks extending away from the breast. There can be pus coming out from the nipple along with high and persistent fever.
Diagnosis
In most breast feeding women, the condition resolves on it’s own, if the mother continues feeding from the affected side. If the symptoms persist or worsen, then a doctor must be consulted to rule out severe infection like an abscess.
A physical examination of the breast will be carried out to look for the signs and symptoms mentioned above. By doing this, it can be ascertained whether the breast is only inflamed or an infection has set in. In the case of a persistent infection, breast milk will be tested to identify the specific bacteria for appropriate treatment. If an abscess is present, an ultrasound might be done for deeper examination and to check for fluid accumulation.
A breast scan or biopsy may be carried out in women who are not breast-feeding and have persistent symptoms.
Treatment
Mastitis should get resolved on it’s own in a couple of days and a good approach to overcome the discomfort is to breast feed frequently or use a breast pump to express milk. This helps in preventing blocked ducts, and keeps the milk moving freely. A warm compress or a source of heat can be applied to the affected area. Wearing loose, comfortable clothes and drinking plenty of fluids will also help.
Mild painkillers can be taken and rest is necessary. In infectious and persistent cases, treatment options are antibiotics prescribed by a doctor and draining of an abscess, if present. You can continue to breast feed from the healthy breast while the abscess heals.
Prevention
There are several measures that can be taken to prevent mastitis from occurring and furthermore, a breast infection. Adopting the correct breast feeding technique when you are a new mother is important for both you and your baby. This increases your bonding with the baby and ensures that there is proper “latching on” by your baby. There are lactation-nurses/consultants who are qualified to teach how to nurse your baby, so that you will not feel discouraged or stop nursing as a result of pain or sore nipples. It is always better to feed your baby “on-demand”, or whenever she is hungry. Your baby is your best friend and guide as her frequent demand for milk will establish a good flow and prevent engorgement of your breasts. So, feed your baby often, and allow your baby to nurse and empty one breast fully before switching over to the other. Sometimes it helps to express some of your milk with the help of a hand pump or a battery operated pump so that your breasts soften, making it easier for your baby to nurse.
Summary
When you are diagnosed with mastitis, please remember that you are not alone. Around one in ten breastfeeding mothers get affected and it is a very curable condition, provided you continue to breast feed your baby without getting discouraged. Breast feeding for a new mother can be challenging, especially in the beginning. Some mothers and their babies may face no issues while others will take time to learn the art of feeding. Breast-feeding is beneficial to both, the mother and her baby, and lowers the rates of acquiring breast and ovarian cancers.
Do not hesitate to ask for professional help from a lactation nurse or consultant. Getting plenty of rest, along with a healthy and balanced diet while nursing will make you stronger and less susceptible to infection. Remember that feeding your baby will actually help clear mastitis without harming her.
