Oh, mastitis, how I don’t love thee.
If you don’t know what mastitis is, just image that you came down with a very sudden and really bad cold. And then a train hit you. Really.
You get achy all over, a splitting headache, a fever, plus you have a hot and sore plugged milk duct that is swollen and hard.
This is an unfortunate reality for many breastfeeding moms, especially during the newborn stage when your milk supply is still regulating itself. When you are busy being a mom, mastitis is one of the last things you want to deal with. This bacterial infection is not something you want to leave untreated. Moreover, I don’t know anyone who would even consider leaving it be because you seriously feel horrible.
The conventional treatment includes a round of antibiotics, which though they can be life-saving in some situations, decimate the microbiome, which can lead to other illnesses and chronic conditions down the road. Personally, I always opt to avoid antibiotics whenever possible to help preserve the microbiota that make up my immune system. When it comes to mastitis, I bring out my arsenal of remedies as soon as it hits. This way I can kick the infection as quickly as possible and get back to being mama.
During the first couple of weeks postpartum, I ended up with mastitis twice. Thankfully, using protocol below helped me recover in less than 24-hours without a trip to the doctor’s office. Remember that the key is to start a healing protocol as soon as you notice the first symptom.
In cases where it has been more than 24-hours and you are still miserable, you may want to consider consulting with your healthcare professional. If you do end up taking an antibiotic, be sure to incorporate more healthy bacteria into your life and take other steps to boost your immune system and rebuild your microbiome. Your baby needs you feeling your best today but tomorrow and the next day as well.
Mastitis can be a real (and literal) pain, but you are absolutely stronger than this bacterial infection!
Have you ever had mastitis? What steps did you take to heal?