Breast infection, advice please :D

[bethimagic]

I am 24 weeks and started leaking colostrum which was fine BUT then it stopped and within 2 days I had a lump , between a golf and tennis ball and the worst pain I have ever had in my breast, I went to the dr and got anti biotics as he thought it was an infection in the milk ducts, but they run out in a day and it is barely better and my midwife had no advice she just said 'goodness, I have never had a lady get this so early' so any advice on what it could be otherwise or advice on getting rid of the burnong and pain would be greatly appreciated

[Skyblueboston]

Use a warm compress and gently massage the breast from the furthest point to you nipple, the heat will start to loosen the ducts and what Should happen with massage is the old milk will be pressed out, basically.you are milking your breast.

Take painkillers as its painful.

You may need to regularly massage both breast to avoid any milk getting stuck, even using a manual breast pump once the infection has passed to keep things flowing.

Then you need to buy a very good nipple only cream, go to the medicine counter and ask as I think some normal moisturisers are to thick and block pores.

If after a week it has gotten worse or still the same then the doctor need to help you more

Take care xxx

[lyracat]

I had mastitis which became a breast abscess when my baby was 6 weeks old. My midwives and GP were similarly laid back in their attitude to it, which led to me having to have emergency surgery when the abscess ruptured after I'd spent two weeks trying different antibiotics and being told to use hot flannels and massage. I begged for some action and was sent for a surgical assessment where a surgeon put a needle in and aspirated out some pus. Unfortunately, because he couldn't get hold of a radiologist to check he'd got it all out, and I was desperate to get home to my tiny baby, we left it at that and I ended up back a week later with pus oozing out of it onto my clothes. I had the emergency surgery, then spent the next six weeks having the hole in my breast unpacked and repacked daily by a community nurse - this was the most excruciatingly painful experience, of my life, including childbirth. My advice to you is to demand a surgical assessment, my local hospital had a surgical assessment unit which sees patient the same day on a walk in basis as long as you have a GP referral letter. If your local women's hospital has a breast unit, even better because you want to see a breast surgeon. If you can have the pus aspirated out by needle, that will save you the surgery, but get an ultrasound to make sure they've got it all, and if you think it hasn't worked and you've still got a lump, go straight back, don't wait for it to rupture. Being pregnant puts some kind of invisibility cloak around you as far as doctors are concerned, if you had these symptoms outside pregnancy they'd be doing something about it. Don't let their complacency fool you into thinking that either it isnt serious or there's nothing to be done, I wish I'd been more proactive before I ended up in an operating theatre.

[bethimagic]

Thank you for your help, I have been told nothing about using hot flannels etc to get out any nastiness, because they don't want me to risk making more milk etc as I am not supposed to breast feed, i have now been given different antobiotics and if its not better in a week I have to go back to the dr and go from there

[bethimagic]

I have new antibiotics but I dont think the old ones worked at all! Now I am burning up and the pain has spread round to my armpit, even on codeine and with an icepack on my boob i am still in pain, any suggestions please ,

[Skyblueboston in reply to bethimagic]

Go to hospital they can't leave u like this!

[bethimagic]

This is after seeing my dr :/

[bethimagic]

Great. Went back to the dr and he said clearly this is getting worse, so now on antibiotics lot number 3! Oh and if that doesn't start working in 48hrs I have to go to a surgeon

[pebster]

how are you feeling now bethimagic? Have the antibiotics worked?