Mastits

Mastitis

Where to fast forward to different topics:
2m53s causes
5m19s symptoms
6m05s what is going on in your life?
9m05s a note about medication vs natural treatments
10m 25s rest, nurse, pump, repeat
12m30s water treatments and massage
18m 25s probiotics
21m09s garlic and vit c
23m45s latch and nursing positions
26m14s lecithin
27m pineapple juice
27m50s pressure from bras
 
 
I am recently recovering from mastitis. Last week I was on bed rest and I am still currently on antibiotics. I worked on this video while I was fighting a fever and supposed to be on bedrest, but go figure, I couldn’t just lie there, so I decided to tell myself if I worked on something from bed that it was still bedrest. I am not always the best at following my own advice, but I promise I did take lots of time to rest and nourish myself for a good week. I was pretty worn out to be honest. Mastitis is a pain in the boob! Really, I couldn’t tell you what is more painful, thrush or mastitis. I almost think that thrush is, but that could be because I have had that a few times. Either way, mastitis is an infection that some breastfeeding mothers may face. 

What It Is
Mastitis is an infection of the breast typically caused by bacterial strains of staph or strep. Most often women with newborns are susceptible to getting it, but mastitis can bring down even the most experienced nursing mother.

The Mind-Body Connection
Thinking holistically about mastitis, mothers who get mastitis need to look at what is taking place in their life currently. What were you doing leading up to getting the infection? How are you feeling emotionally? If you find yourself feeling that you are over mothering, perhaps even being overprotective of your children or a loved one, and putting others before yourself, then you may find a correlation between your current stress and having mastitis.

When looking at the mind-body connection when you are faced with mastitis is to affirm to yourself that you are enough. Too often mothers do not feel like they are doing a good job, they have “mom guilt,” and they are putting others first, and not nourishing their mind, body, and soul. You are doing a good job. If no one has told you that lately, you are. Mothering is tough, and mothering through breastfeeding is as much work as it is rewarding, so please tell yourself today that you are enough. You deserve love, joy, and nourishment too.

My story, the Short Version
In a nutshell I have been very protective of my oldest recently. The last couple of months have been filled with many hours contemplating a big decision to change his education path. I have been homeschooling him, and since he began seventh grade he has been bucking, procrastinating, and not following through on schoolwork and projects I give him. He has been pleading to go to school with other teachers and kids, so that he can have that experience. It has been incredibly difficult for me. We changed homeschool curriculums twice to see if that would help, we tried a private school, but that was a nightmare, and now he is public school. Sending him to public school goes against my values, it’s a decision I swore for years I would not make, and I worry about him attending public school. Of course the nitty gritty of this is a whole other story, but I felt very stressed, and looking back have been pushing so hard for my son to do what I want for him, rather than compromising with him, and just letting him spread his wings a bit more. For some, homeschool is a great option, for some it is temporary. Life changes, kids change, parents change, and in the end you have to do what is best for all involved at the time.
 
Advice
The biggest piece of advice you will find for treating mastitis is rest, nurse, pump, and repeat. You have to get the clog out, but ultimately, if you are not feeling well, in lots of pain, then you need to call your go to person, whether it’s your OB, midwife, or lactation consultant. You cannot leave mastitis untreated because it can cause you to become very ill, an abscess can form, and it can even lead to surgery. So take the time you need to give yourself some TLC and have a good support person that you can count on if you need to be treated with medication. Do not wait more than 24-48 hours to seek treatment.


Thanks for reading. If you found the blog/video to be helpful please feel free to share. 
Have you had mastitis? How did you take care of yourself, what remedies helped you? Comment below. 

Are you a breastfeeding mom that would like photos, please inquire at idahochildrensphotography@gmail.com


 
Join my breastfeeding group! 
​
*Please note I am not a lactation consultant or doctor. I am a breastfeeding mother. I am sharing my experiences and knowledge as a mom and holistic health coach.
 
 #mastitis #breastfeeding #motherhood #holistichealth