Mastitis??

AHHHHH ok this is my 3rd bub and i dont remember this happening with my others..

my boobs are heavy sore lumpy they leak bad so i sit on the lounge with a towel under them lol. im breast feeding and expressing milk just to get rid of it and to feel a bit of relief....

ive heard cabbage leaves help but is there anything else...it really hurts sad

my baby is only 5 days old so its early days i know but i just want to cry.

Don't express. It will only increase your supply and make things worse. Cabbage leaves are good for engorgement (I used to freeze them for extra relief). Massage the lumps out in the shower. And get some good breast pads smile
If you start getting red areas on your boobs see a GP asap and get some antibiotics.

I had that with both my kids but had to have antibiotics with my first as I started to get the red spots. I know it can be really painful, hang in there it should settle down. I agree try not to express to much as the supply will just increase. Have a nice warm shower when you can and gently massage and let it just come out naturally and that should give you some relief. If it's starting to get worse go and see your GP. Are you and bub having your checkup soon? Just mention it to them while your there.

My doc said to only express enough to be comfortable or to take the edge of the pain, the more you express the more they will make. I had hot showers massage them even though it was really painful, then straight away after the shower i used ice packs to shrink the milk ducts so it would take longer to produce the milk, for about a week i pretty much never left the house and just had ice packs on them all the time. I had to have antibiotics for mine as it got worse

Hope your feeling better soon

Oh the doc also said that feeding in the shower is a great way to do it, sit in the shower or stand if you can manage and while bub starts to drink push/massage the lumps towards the nipple as if to push it out, the heat of the showers will get things going faster and may help a bit worked for me = )

Ok I will stop expressing, just had a warm shower and massaged them and just waiting for the cabbage to be a bit colder, thanks for all your input ladies

I had this with both it's your body getting used to the milk. Do not express alot it will make it worse your supply will settle it's painful pain relief may help. If you notice red patches it may be mastitis. Ive had it and ended up in hospital due to it so may be worth getting checked out. Hope your better soon.

Hi, I had mastitis 6 times with my little boy and AHHH it hurts. I agree while expressing offers short term relief it does increase supply, so I guess you have to find a balance. I swear by cabbage leaves. For the first 3 months of breastfeeding I always had a cabagge in my fridge. It is definately worth getting it checked out by a doctor or midwife if it is very painful as you may need antibiotics. Also hot showers helped a bit too with being able to massage out the lumps. Hope you feel better soon

I (luckily) so far haven't had mastitis however I did read somewhere (I honestly can't remember where, possibly in another forum) that a good technique is to lean over your baby and get gravity to help draw the blocked milk out.

If your only 5 days, it might be engorgement rather than mastitis.

@ Scsmiddy what age is ok to feed baby in the shower?

I suffered mastitis alot with both my kids and blocked ducts. I get over supply in the beginning til my body sorts itself out. Best tip to relieve the pressure without expressing is...when bub is feeding off one side, expose the none feeding boob to the air (ie unclip bra) place a hand towel underneath and when you let down cause bub is feeding, the non feeding breast will leak more because it's free to. Worked like magic for me, was told this at a clinic I went to for my feeding and mastitis problems. When milk leaks out your body doesn't replace it like it would if you expressed.

Hope this made sense and helps.

The best thing I ever came across while breastfeeding were these:

http://www.pregnancy.com.au/shop/products/Rite-Aid,-Hydrogel-Breast-Discs-12-Pack.html

They're little gel discs that you can put in the fridge and use. I had a terrible time for the first 3 months and got those from a friend at my baby shower and they were a Godsend! Because while cabbage leaves and the like helped, I could use the discs all the time, when I was out etc. They helped with my mastitis and they also helped with bleeding nipples.

They are a little pricey, but I didn't need them for long and for me, they were worth it! You can buy them from some supermarkets and pharmacies.

Hope it gets better soon- it is so tough!