How I Beat Mastitis Without Antibiotics
How I Beat Mastitis Without Antibiotics
I consider myself very lucky that I never got mastitis with my first 3 babies. I heard the horror stories, but never had to deal with it myself and never learned how to prevent mastitis. Until #4. My baby was 6 weeks old when it happened the first time. I started with a slight tenderness on the side of my right breast when we were out for a whole afternoon and he slept through one of his normal feeding times. Now, I am a crunchy momma and rarely get sick, but mastitis made me feel like I had been hit by a truck.
I wish I had known what it was right away, because I ignored the soreness and carried on with my business. BIG MISTAKE. When mastitis knocks, you drop everything and respond right away or risk it being much worse than it would be otherwise. Over the next few hours the pain intensified and I developed terrible chills and a very high fever. I called my care provider first thing the next morning (which I recommend you do too) and she told me to keep nursing (which I had been) and gave me some suggestions, but said if my fever didn’t drop by that night I should get some antibiotics, because if it went unchecked too long it could become dangerous. But I was very eager to beat this mastitis without antibiotics, because I have a tendency towards yeast infections, which can be brought on by antibiotics. Plus, any antibiotics I take get passed on to my baby, making them more likely to get thrush.
I had several reoccurring bouts of mastitis (my lactation consultant thought it was due to my baby having a poor latch, since he had a very sensitive gag reflex. He got plenty of milk, because of my abundant supply, but he did not compress my breast properly to empty each duct of milk), and I learned not only how to recognize it coming on, but what to RIGHT AWAY to fight mastitis without antibiotics.
What to do. HOW to treat mastitis without antibiotics.
- First and foremost, keep nursing. Mastitis usually starts with a plugged duct and it needs to be emptied. If possible, nurse with your baby’s chin pointed towards the tender area. His lower jaw applies the most pressure while nursing, so this is the best angle at which to empty the clogged duct. If the sore area is on top of the breast, some mamas have success leaning over their baby from above and having the baby nurse with the chin pointed towards the tender area. My baby thought I was nuts and refused to participate in this bizarre behavior. But it is worth a try! If baby can’t nurse at the right angle, maybe daddy will help? Hey, if you have ever had this, you will try ANYTHING.
- Take turns between applying hot and cold compresses and massage the sore area as firmly as you possible can. Yes, it will hurt like the devil. Yes, you need to do it anyway. Hot showers with the stream of water hitting the tender spot are helpful too. With a firm massage in the hot shower, some mamas may feel the plugged duct become suddenly unplugged, almost like a “pop” and then there is a thick, stringy discharge. But even if this doesn’t happen, the heat and massage are still very helpful.
- Put a cold green cabbage leaf on the affected breast as a cool compress. Leave on for 15 minutes every two hours. I found this EXTREMELY helpful and soothing, but be careful if you have supply issues as this suppresses supply. This was not an issue for me, since I always had an over-abundance of milk.
- Take lecithin capsules by mouth. This can also help thin out the milk and get things unclogged. This is also a very effective PREVENTION, if you have re-occurring bouts of mastitis.
- Go to bed IMMEDIATELY and use wet sock treatment (hydro-therapy) to fight the fever and infection. When done immediately this boost to your immune system is a powerful tool.
- Take pro-biotics and eat as much fresh garlic as you can stand. This will also boost your body’s natural immune response.
- Rest, rest, rest. Nurse, nurse, nurse. Repeat. Listen to your body and slow down. Don’t wait until it beats you first!
To find more natural remedies and hear how other mommas have dealt with mastitis without antibiotics, check out these posts:
6 Holistic Remedies for Mastitis
How to Prevent and Treat Mastitis Naturally
How I kicked Mastitis Overnight without Antibiotics
I hope this post has been helpful! Do you have any natural mastitis remedies? Please share them in the comments!
DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor and the statements on this blog have not been evaluated by the FDA. Any products or techniques mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. I am just a mom who shares what works for me!
Images courtesy of Jomphong, papaija2008 and cool design via freedigitalphotos.net
PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.
AMAZON DISCLOSURE: The owner of this website is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon properties including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor and the statements on this blog have not been evaluated by the FDA. Any products or techniques mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. I am just a mom who shares what works for me!
February 12, 2014 @ 10:27 pm
So true! I remember getting mastitis with both my kids. WIth #1, I went to the doctor and took meds and felt like I had to pump and dump. With #2, I thankfully used acupuncture and was able to beat it within 24 hours.
February 18, 2014 @ 7:41 pm
A compress of grated or thinly sliced Potato is also VERY helpful for mastitis
February 18, 2014 @ 7:43 pm
Good to know!!!
March 2, 2014 @ 1:11 am
peppermint oil is a great treatment for mastitis, dairy farmers have been using it for centuries as a treatment and preventative
I know a lot of Farm gals who breast feed who have used and swear by it, it is an anti inflammatory , relieves pain and also encourages milk let down meaning it makes the milk flow easier and is natural way to kill bacteria.
March 2, 2014 @ 3:51 am
Wow, thanks for sharing that! I use peppermint oil for other things, so I will definitely keep that in mind!
June 25, 2014 @ 9:40 pm
Just be careful with peppermint essential oil, too, as it can also dry up your milk supply.
June 25, 2014 @ 11:14 pm
Jaimin, thanks for pointing that out. I always had a good milk supply so that wasn’t an issue for me. I think when dealing with mastitis there is a tricky balance in needing to release some of the milk, but not end our supply!!!
Wet Sock Treatment
November 7, 2014 @ 3:25 pm
[…] How I beat Mastitis without Antibiotics […]
Tips To Beat Mastitis Without Antibiotics | Life Lovers
January 4, 2015 @ 2:43 am
[…] Tips To Beat Mastitis Without Antibiotics […]
January 27, 2015 @ 2:29 pm
It’s always happened to me, I just keep nursing and it’s gets better, I never get fever I didn’t know what it’s was until now, I have 4 children I breastfeed 3 of them for a year, i am breastfeeding my 4th baby 3 months right now and I get hardness usually at night time but as soon she is hungry she empty my milk 🙂
January 14, 2016 @ 3:44 pm
Great article! This can help so many moms! I experienced clogged ducts five times and mastitis once within just a couple of months. Once I began taking the sunflower lecithin it stopped. Sharing is key to helping other moms!
Prevent Mastitis | Family Nesting
January 18, 2016 @ 3:18 pm
[…] It’s just as bad, if not worse than they say. It starts as a slight tenderness in your breast and within a matter of hours can turn into what feels like the flu/getting hit by a truck/kill me now. Yeah. It’s bad. Technically, mastitis is an inflammation in the breast tissue, usually caused by a blocked duct. You may feel a hard, sore spot that slowly starts turning red (in the shape of a triangle). Blocked ducts (also called plugged or clogged ducts) are uncomfortable in and of themselves, but if you treat them promptly sometimes, full-fledged mastitis can be avoided. If you think you already have mastitis, go read my post on how I beat mastitis without antibiotics. […]
September 16, 2016 @ 4:18 am
I had oversupply with my son and didn’t know I needed to empty out my breasts and so yea… Mastitis. I was two hours away from my midwife and was 45 minutes from the grocery store they planned to call the Rx in to the next day so I decided to just treat it on my own the night before. I ate LOTS of veggies (kale especially), drank tons of water, finally rested (lol – I wasn’t doing that at all), did hot compresses, massaging it while pumping and nursing, (his latch was so terrible and so painful due to an undiagnosed lip tie), and I used nipple cream. His latch never improved so I tried to give my cracked and bleeding nipples a chance to heal by using a nipple shield but it was so frustrating and he hated it. One day at 4 months old, a bf counselor suggested him sitting upright facing me to nurse, and his latch was instantly better, not painful, no “clicking”, reflux was gone, and he burped on his own and was totally content! It changed my life.
December 21, 2016 @ 3:12 pm
Thymex by standard process will also keep you from going into a fever so that you can avoid antibiotics.