Breastfeeding is by far the best thing for your child's emotional and physical health. Many mothers find that breastfeeding can be rewarding for both the parent and the child. However, there are also some challenges with breastfeeding, one being mastitis. Here are some things you need to know about mastitis and how you can treat it.
What is Mastitis?
Mastitis is an infection of the breast. It begins with a plugged duct. This is when the duct inside the breast that carries the milk becomes obstructed. Plugged ducts are quite normal for breastfeeding women. Generally the blockage will go away, but if it doesn't it will become infected. The signs of Mastitis are a red inflamed breast, pain in the breast, fever, and a lump in the breast.
How Do You Treat Mastitis?
There are many different ways to treat mastitis. If the infection becomes severe enough you will need to take an antibiotic to fight the infection. However in some cases you can treat the problem naturally. The goal is to detect a plugged duct early on so that you can help to relieve the blockage before it becomes infected. Here are a couple things you can do to treat it.
Drink Pineapple Juice. The citrus in fresh pineapple juice has been known to help break up the blockage.
Take Grapefruit Seed Extract. Grapefruit seed extract is a natural way to help fight yeast infections and infections of the breast. If you take the supplement daily you can fight or prevent infection.
Put Cabbage Leaves In Your Bra. Cabbage leaves are a great way to help get the milk flowing correctly. Once you start noticing hard lumps, put cabbage leaves in your bra.
Massage The Breast In Hot Water. Heat will help to break up the blockage as well. Try getting in the shower, or using a heating pad and once the breast gets hot rub the area.
If even after you have done all of these things you still have problems with mastitis, call a doctor or lactation consultant. You might need medication.
How Do You Prevent Mastitis?
Some people get mastitis even when they are using proper techniques to breastfeed. However, you should take some precautions. First, try to change the child's position each time they feed. There are a couple different breastfeeding holds: cradle hold, football hold, and side sleeping. Each one will pull the milk from the breast at a different angle. The more you can give variety to your feedings, the better the milk will be able to flow.
Second, as soon as you notice a plugged duct, do any of the above-mentioned treatments. This will help to keep the milk flowing correctly.
Share26 February 2015
