Skip to main content

Creating a Regimen to Combat PCOS Low Milk Supply including Non-IR PCOS PMOS

How to Treat Mastitis

When a plugged duct turns into mastitis, it is not something that is not to be taken lightly.  How do you know if you have mastitis?  Usual symptoms are an area of your breast that is red and painful along with flu like symptoms such as chills or fever.  



If you experience these symptoms, use this tactic:  Heat, Rest, Empty the Breast

Heat:  Apply hot compresses.  If you don't have a hot compress on hand, use a disposable baby diaper with hot water in it.  This can be re-warmed in the microwave, but test on wrist before applying to breast.

Rest:  Sleep when the baby sleeps and get off your feet as much as possible.

Empty the Breast:  Point the baby's chin towards the affected area.  For example if the clog is more towards your arm, use the football hold.  Pump after every feeding for 5-10 minutes to finish emptying anything the baby leaves behind. You may see some information that says to avoid breast pumps, but this is only if you are using them before softening the breast with the hot compresses.  Use your pump on a fast speed and only the highest suction level that is comfortable.  Do not turn up the suction to an uncomfortable level.

Take ibuprofen such as Advil to relieve pain and reduce swelling.  In addition, Sunflower Lecithin capsules are very helpful.  This supplement help the fat slide off the sinuses of the breast which can help relieve mastitis sooner.  The dosage indicated on thee bottle is one capsule daily.  This dosage is only appropriate for maintenance in moms who have a tendency to get clogged milk ducts.   During a clogged duct or as a mastitis supplement, it is recommended to take 3-4 of these 1200mg capsules daily such as at breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime.

Do not wear an underwire or tight bra.  This can complicate your symptoms. 

If symptoms continue for more than 24 hours, see a physician as mastitis can turn to abscess.

If you are reading this and have a tendency for clogged ducts, you may want to keep Sunflower Lecithin and a good hot compress on hand. If you are still pregnant, you may want a hot compress that does both hot and cold applications for postnatal engorgement as well.  In this case, we recommend the Legendairy Milk Breast-Ease Gel Packs. You can also use these compresses to relive pain but only after feeding or pumping.  Cold can restrict the let-down if you use them before feeding or pumping.

Best wishes for health breasts,

Tanya

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Spectra Breast Pump Motor Life - How many Hours Pumped on S1 S2 or S3

Have you ever wondered how many hours you have actually pumped?   Or if the breast pump you used with the last baby still has life left in it?  Spectra S Series breast pumps allow you to check how many hours you have pumped or if your pump is nearing it's 1500 hour life span.  Please note that your pump may have exceeded it's time perior warrany before it reaches it's life span. To find the number of hours you have pumped, go to your control panel on the Spectra S1 Spectra S2 breast pump or S3 Pro Hospital Grade Breast Pump and follow these steps: 1.  Press the Power On button 2.  Press the Let Down button 3.  Press the Cycle+ button 4.  Press the Vacuum- button 5.  Press the Cycle- button 6.  Press the Vacuum+ button 7.  Press the Let Down button again 8.  Read the four digit smaller numbers between the Cycle and Vacuum numbers to see the hours.      This is normally where your ...

Troubleshooting your Spectra Breast Pump: Spectra Flange Size

How do you know when you need a different breast flange size? Spectra breast pumps include the most commonly fitted flange size, 24mm breastshields . Although this is the most common size, many women will fit better in other sizes. A properly sized breast shield aka breast flange is important to ensure the best performance of your pump and the most milk output. An improperly fitted breast shield can hinder milk supply and cause discomfort. To determine the shield size you need, pump for five minutes using the standard size provided with your breast pump. Your nipple will expand while milk is being expressed, therefore it is important to measure after five minutes of pumping so that the size you select will provide adequate room. After five minutes, measure the diameter of the nipples at the base with a tape measure that uses millimeters. Click the link to access a printable tape measure . Ideally, you should select a shield size that is 2-3mm larger than this measurement, but up to...

Breastfeeding: Benefits of Nipple Cream

There are many things sold out there that you do not need for breastfeeding.  One example are hot compresses.  They can be expensive upwards of $20 for an item you use temporarily.  My suggestion for this is a disposable baby diaper.  It is imperative to soften breasts that are engorged before feeding or pumping with warm compresses, but a baby diaper run under hot water can be very effective and costs about .50 cents each. And while some moms only need expressed breast milk to soothe their breast, having a good nipple cream around can be a lifesaver.  I recommend purchasing a quality nipple cream prior to delivery. That way, you aren't sending your hubby to the grocery store in the middle of the night and he comes home with something with pesticides or other substances that can be harmful to the baby and not helpful to you. While HPA Lanolin has been the go-to nipple cream in the past, many companies such as Ameda have discontinued carrying this product. ...