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Infant feeding

Recurring issues with breast - bit of a mystery

8 replies

vickyb80 · 03/02/2013 21:41

Hi everybody

Before I ask my question, here's a bit of my boob history Smile

I have had recurring mastitis (maybe) since my baby turned 5 weeks (he is 14 wks tomorrow). I've had it seven times and four or five of those times had very high fevers. It usually passes after a day or so but during this time it is very engorged and he cannot feed off it.

As well as this, I have had a burning sensation running down the outer side of my right boob after feeds and a sore nipple. My HV finally diagnosed this as thrush last Monday and told me what medication to get. However, when I spoke to my doctor she believed it was mastalgia which she defined as an inflammation of the ducts rather than blocked ones.

For a week after that I was taking antibiotics for the mastitis, fluconazole for the thrush and daktarin for my nipple. It went back down again and I thought I had it all figured out but then all of a sudden about four days ago LO wouldn't feed off boob again...even though I had no nipple pain. He screamed when I brought him anywhere near it. Tried to express but it was blocked....then, of course, breast went red, tea stained and engorged again.

I've got some more fluconazole from the docs but am now questioning whether it is thrush because I have read some literature (from the doc) that says it is only thrush if you get the pain in both breasts. Also, LO has no white in mouth.

I really don't know how to sort this out and wonder if anyone has been through anything similar? I really don't want to give up breastfeeding but I am starting to think it is my only option.

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shouldIbecrossaboutthis · 03/02/2013 22:41

I know nothing about this at all so don't think I would be much help. Only thing I can think is if it is Thrush you and the baby both need to be treated - did you both get treated?

There are lots of helpful posters on these boards and without their help I would have stopped BFing ages ago. Fingers crossed this bumps your post up and someone with more knowledge than me helps!

Hope you feel better soon. :)

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fridayfreedom · 03/02/2013 22:51

Long time since I bf but I had thrush, not certain if it was just one breast but baby had no white patches in her mouth.
Had it after antibiotics for mastitis. GP said you cpuldn't get it in your breast . Said I wasn't 't going until he gave me the drugs !!
Felt like burning needles along the duct back into the breast about 5-10 mins into the feed. Need to really treat it, keep treating past the symptoms. Can try cutting down on sugary food as this ? Feeds the thrush.
May help to try different positions and rotate round the breast toile sure all areas drain, try gravity feeding on the bed to help clear blocked ducts.

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fridayfreedom · 03/02/2013 22:54

Can also try warm flannel and gently massage the affected area whilst leaning over the sink if it gets blocked, be gentle as breast tissue bruises easily.
The breast feeding network has good info on the treatment of thrush if I remember rightly from my bf counsellor days!!

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VenusRising · 03/02/2013 23:03

You are probably making milk that is too thick.

I did certainly, and had blocked ducts practically every odd day I breastfed for about 9 months, until I discovered how to stop them.

The things that helped me were to
a) cut down on dairy
And
b) to take soya lecithin, granules sprinkled on my breakfast to emulsify the milk I was producing.

Soya lecithin is available as granules in a tin in Boots, or any other chemist - get some tomorrow, take a few spoons of it every day, and in a few days you won't know yourself, and b/f will actually be enjoyable!


Lavender oil is fabulous for thrush. Rub some on neat, to affected parts.
Good luck!

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absandme · 03/02/2013 23:10

oooo, poor you but well done for keeping at it :-)

if you google the breastfeedingnetwork they have a section on thrush.
I would advise you to get a swab taken by your GP to confirm if this is thrush or not, friendly bacteria may well help too. Friendly bacteria like eating some activia yoghurts or actimel & also going to a health food shop for accidophillus tablets may help ease the pain.
It may be thrush but it may also be duct issues especially as you have sufferred with a lot of mastitis.
Would you consider going to a local breastfeeding group to get your latch checked & also perhaps some advice?
I used daktarin cream on my nipple after a feed & just before a feed I put the oral gel on my nipple for baby to get in her mouth, at the same time as really increasing my good bacteria intake & this helped me.
I also had a blocked duct so I was never sure if it was thrush as no swab was taken.
Definately look at breastfeeding network leaflet & info on thrush though.
Good luck.

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McBaby · 04/02/2013 08:20

7 times in 9 weeks is awful I really feel for you I have just had two cases back too back which was tiring enough. Your amazing to still be feeding but it does help in getting rid of the infections along side expressing every 3 hours till your breast feels normal then slowly increasing the gaps.

If there that close I would question if the antibiotics ate actually killing the infection. I had a 3 week antibiotic treatment and have now been clear for four weeks.. Also have you had a ultrasound to check for an abscess? This could be another reason for it returning again and again. You breast can feel achy a d different for a long time as the tissue heals from being so infected and swollen.

I also get lots thrush probably due to to ,antibiotics it defiantly occurs in both breasts.


I would also suffer getting latch checked at a breast feeding group, there may be some minor damage being caused which is irritating the nipple and could keep letting the infection in. In my case it is due to tongue tie which has been cut but her latch is still not 100%

I hope some of this helps and it amazing you have persevered so long.

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tiktok · 04/02/2013 09:05

(Please don't rub neat lavender oil on your nipples. Sorry, Venus, not happy about your info there! )

It doesn't sound like thrush.

Have a look at the Breastfeeding Network info on mastitis, and the need for different treatment if the mastitis keeps coming back.

Some babies do seem to reject the breast during mastitis. It's temporary.

You do need to shift the blockaga - BfN site helpful here, too.

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vickyb80 · 10/02/2013 20:58

Thanks guys. I am just looking on the BfN now. What a great site!!

I went to my local breastfeeding clinic on Wednesday. It was SO helpful. Am hardly feeding off the right one now....I didn't know you could do that.

Not sure if this is the answer to my problems or not but since making this decision I've had no pain or mastitis. The HV at the clinic reckons the pain might be from my let down and the swollen nipple might be from a bad latch and that my LO might be refusing to feed off it because he knows there is a reduced supply.

Clever, these babies, aren't they!?

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