Are you wondering if you have mastitis symptoms?
Firstly, poor you but let’s look into it together.
Being extremely common to develop in the breastfeeding population (direct feeders & pumpers), mastitis symptoms occur in up to 30% of breastfeeding women. Realising mastitis development early can make a lot of difference because you can start working on getting yourself better AND there’s plenty you can do to reduce your mastitis symptoms.
Firstly, what are mastitis symptoms?
- Fever – usually quite hot,over 38 degrees even up to 40 degrees
- Flu-like aches & pain – whole body stuff
- Pain in the breast
- Thickening of the breast tissue or a lump
- Red patch or larger on the skin – this may develop after the above 3!
- Felling really unwell in yourself like you’ve been hit by a bus
- Pain when feeding, lifting the arm, lying on that side
These symptoms can come in so quickly that it can be a confusing time trying to work out what’s going on. If you have any of the above though, you should consider mastitis until proven otherwise.
What actually is mastitis?
Many people will tell you it’s an infection, and although it can be, many cases of mastitis are an inflammatory reaction in the breast lobe itself (where the milk is made). Antibiotics are often prescribed due to the chance it could be infectious but they will not help you if your case is solely inflammatory. Unfortunately there is no easy was to tell the difference from the mastitis symptoms, both inflammatory and infectious mastitis present the same symptoms.
SO what can you do about your mastitis symptoms?
Fortunately you can help yourself at home…RIGHT NOW!
You need to work out how you can relieve your pain and that can be in the form of:
- Heat or cold - whichever feels lovely for you!
- Analgesics such as paracetamol or ibuprofen
- Probiotics – ie. Qiara
- Massage - to move fluids (5-10% pressure)
Your Two Jugs & Mastitis
Being Osteopaths, our skill-set lies in teaching women about their breast structure itself. We have been teaching women how to massage the mastitis away for years in clinic at Boroondara Osteopathy.
Our techniques are focused on the physiology – the behind the scenes stuff – that occurs in the mastitis process to reduce the mastitis symptoms. We have more info on mastitis HERE.
If you want to learn how, jump over to our shop where you will see our:
Relieve Your Mastitis in Just 30 mins course
Mastitis Masterclass (includes our preventative strategies too)
Author: Dr Katie Willy
Osteopath & Your Two Jugs Co-Founder
Elise Fuller & Katie Willy
Osteopaths & Your Two Jugs Co-Founders
Elise & Katie are Melbourne based osteopaths who have been actively treating breastfeeding women in clinic since 2015. During 2020 lockdown they launched Your Two Jugs to educate more mamas about how to treat their own mastitis, blocked ducts and engorgement. Their online video based courses Boobology and Mastitis Rescue is available now with all the techniques we show our mamas in clinic.
Your Two Jugs is passionate about support for mamas from the top. Boob Hero is a comprehensive health care practitioner course to educate manual therapists on their contribution to supporting breastfeeding women with hands on care. Empowerment all starts with education, and the more support available for women, the better.