Hello ladies. So first off, I do not think it is mastitis because I don't have redness or what feels like hard spots or engorgement, but I could be wrong. Sometimes, I would say every couple weeks but sometimes a couple times a week then not for several weeks, I will get an area of the breast that is SUPER sore and tender. It typically is on the outer side of the breast and can go all the way from under the armpit area to the nipple and would be like 1/2 an inch or so "wide". (this is very hard to describe, lol). I usually increase breastfeeding if possible or pump extra to prevent engorgement but the area stays tender at least for that day. It varies on which side. This current time, I was sick before hand (had an AWFUL stomach flu) and I did nurse regularly or pump but I think I got dehydrated because my milk supply went WAY down. The next day though she nursed and didn't seem to be unsatisfied with the amount so I think I brought the supply back up. Again, no engorgement so the tenderness just seems weird and random. The only other thing I could mention is I do have a 3 year old. Sometimes he will bang into my breast while rough housing or will be laying on me and his head will seem to hit one of them (like if he tries to roll over, etc.) So do any of you have this issue? DO you think it is mastitis? What do you do to relieve the pain? I don't recall ever having this occur with my previous child but it is so painful! I can barely move my arm at times because it moves that breast and anything barely touching it kills! It feels almost like a really really tender bruise. Any advice on treatment or what you think it could be would be helpful. All my searches lead to mastitis or engorgement with new mothers. Thanks all!
It sounds like a plugged duct which is common and not as serious as mastitis. It can turn into mastitis though so treating it just like you have been is perfect. Do you wear an underwire bra? If so you need to make sure that there is no breast tissue being compressed by the underwire. Also, you can take a lecithin supplement to help prevent the fatty part of your milk from sticking in your milk ducts and causing the blockage.
You could be pre-mastitis so I would definitely encourage warm compresses and just do what you're doing. I was pre-mastitis at about 2 weeks postpartum, but I was a little further along (i.e. rigorous chills, fever, but no redness). Before it got to that point it was as you are talking about. I did what you are doing and pumped/nursed more. Then at about 7 weeks postpartum, I got full-blown mastitis and it was the most painful thing. You need to massage the area and it isn't a light massage. It will be painful - very painful. Massage it while you nurse and when you are taking a hot shower, pumping, etc.
Hi D.!
I know that feeling - I had that before when breastfeeding where the pain went up into my armpit and was really tender. It could be a clogged milk duct which you don't want to mess with because it can lead to mastitis. Put a warm wet compress on the area for about 10 to 15 minutes prior to nursing or pumping. (Get a diaper wet and warm it in the microwave - works great!) Then massage the area while you are nursing/pumping - it will hurt, but it needs to be done.
You may also want to go see your OB - you might have some kind of bacterial infection that an antibiotic would help to clear up (the way you say this is showing up and then going away and then coming back again makes me think this). Hope it gets better soon!
Cyndi
I think it might be a plugged milk duct. Do you wear bras with an underwire? Sometimes the underwire could stop the milk from coming out of some of the milk ducts near the wire and cause it to become painful. I used to get plugged milk ducts all the time, especially when I was working because of poor diet and not having time at work to pump all the milk out. I used warm compresses before nursing/pumping and drank more water. I noticed that when I ate a high fat diet, my milk would be thick and hard to pump. Mine was near my underarm too and made it so painful to type at work. So I suggest you drink more water, take tylenol if you doctor says it's ok, try different nursing positions so maybe the milk can come out easier and try a warm compress or a warm shower before nursing. I hope you find relief for it because I remember how painful it was. I also remember how sometimes after a hot shower, pressing the sore spot would cause milk to come shooting out (once it came shooting out unprovoked at my desk at work- how embarrassing!) I hope you feel better soon. And kudos for nursing!
I don't know! When I had mastitis though, it didn't hurt too much unless I was nursing, and then it kind of felt like there were little glass shards inside that she was putting pressure on. Painful, certainly, but it sounds different from what you describe. Also, I did have redness, but no obvious hard spot. Sounds bad though--can you get it checked out?
It could be thrush. Sometimes thrush isn't easily visible (usually you can see spots in the child's mouth, but not always; I don't think it's typically visible on the breast), but it can be painful! There are some "natural" OTC cures -- I think gentian violet is for thrush; and you can get a prescription for Nystatin that you give to the baby and put on your breast. If it is thrush, you need to treat both your breast and the baby at the same time, or else you'll just pass it back and forth between you and never cure it.
