8 Ways to Prevent Mastitis!
So, you have heard the horror stories and you want to know how to prevent mastitis?
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.
8 Natural Ways to prevent mastitis:
- Nurse regularly. Sometimes baby is sleeping well and it is tempting to skip a feeding because you don’t want to wake her. Or in my case, I got to caught up in getting stuff done, but lactating mom’s need to express their milk regularly in order to avoid getting a blocked duct, which can lead to mastitis.
- Avoid tight fitting sports bras or underwire bras. Putting regular pressure on certain parts of the breast can cause the milk to get backed up there. Yes, your bra should be supportive, no it should not be tight.
- Take lecithin capsules if you have had reoccurring mastitis or plugged ducts.
- Avoid stress and overextending yourself. A lot of moms get mastitis when baby is about 6 weeks old due to suddenly trying to do too much too soon. Listen to your body when it says to slow down.
- Make sure baby has a good latch. If your baby is not latched properly, the breast will not drain completely, causing milk to get backed up.
- Don’t cut feedings short. Sometimes you may be able to pacify baby by just offering a few minutes at the breast, but again, if the breast does not fully drain you place yourself at risk of getting a plugged duct.
- Treat thrush immediately, to prevent a secondary infection that leads to mastitis. While your baby is being treated for thrush, you can use apple cider vinegar on your nipple to treat yourself so the thrush doesn’t get passed back and forth. (I just pour it on in the shower).
- Green cabbage can be used to treat engorgement. If you are constantly engorged or have an oversupply of milk, you can put a green cabbage leaf on your breast for a few minutes each day to reduce supply (ten minutes during the time of day you tend to be the most engorged). Do not do it too long though, because you don’t want to dry up your supply completely.
Do you have tips or tricks for preventing mastitis? I would love to hear them. Please feel free to share this with new moms! I wish I had known these tips and tricks BEFORE I got mastitis the first time instead of learning the hard way.
Other posts you might enjoy:
The Best Essential Oils for Breastfeeding mamas
16 Essential Oils you need for Labor and Birth
What you need to know about Essential Oils for Pregnancy
If you want to read more about how to treat mastitis naturally, check out my post on how to beat mastitis without antibiotics, or go check out these:
6 Holistic Remedies for Mastitis
How to Prevent and Treat Mastitis Naturally
How I kicked Mastitis Overnight without Antibiotics
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!
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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!
September 8, 2014 @ 7:38 pm
To prevent mastitis the beat thing is Silverette Silver cups! After 3 mastitis with my first Son I tried everything with my second and Silverette worked like magic!
mastitis without antibiotics
October 25, 2014 @ 3:18 am
[…] 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 […]
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April 17, 2015 @ 2:18 am
[…] Many nursing mamas worry about mastitis – here’s exactly what it is and how you can prevent it! Via Cheerfully Imperfect […]
October 11, 2015 @ 4:30 pm
I love your tips on treating mastitis, especially about those short feeds they really can clog ducts.
January 4, 2016 @ 7:25 pm
im glad to see a post about how to treat and prevent Mastitis, unfortunately, my Mastitis happened 2 years AFTER breast feeding…..so none of the preventative measures were able to help me
January 7, 2016 @ 10:33 am
I am a new mom. I went through mastitis the very first week I brought my daughter home. It was dreadful. I tried almost everything. Until one day I decided to take a steaming hot shower for over an hour while I expressed my breasts. My mastitis was so bad that barely any milk came out and I had to bottle feed anyways. I pumped and pumped. My daughter screamed in hunger because she couldn’t get any milk from my breasts because it was so bad. I cried for days. But that hour or so long shower while expressing my breasts helped relieve my breasts enough that I could breast feed my daughter. Which lasted 2 days. Then all my milk was gone. And since then I haven’t been able to produce any more milk. I had so much milk in my breasts I went from a A cup to almost a D cup. I was in so much pain I could lay down on my sides or stomach. I could barely tough my breasts without it hurting so bad.
January 7, 2016 @ 11:43 am
I’m so sorry to hear this! Mastitis is literally one of the most painful things I have ever experienced. I would literally rather give birth again than have mastitis. I hope you and your baby are doing better now.
January 15, 2016 @ 6:35 pm
Hi kirsten,
This blog is very informative. Thank you. I would like to share my experience and ask you some question. My baby is 6 months old now and i had mastitis for 7 times already. Went to 4 different doctors already and they cannot help me. They just said to keep on nursing. Im already 24/7 nursing and my baby has a correct latch according to my lactation consultant. My question is everytime i had my breast infected by mastitis, it is just always on the left side (my baby feeds on both sides). Also in normal days i can feel a small ball like feeling on my left breast. Is it considered a block? Should i take lecithin to resolve it? Many thanks in advance.
January 19, 2016 @ 12:01 pm
I’m not a doctor, so I can’t diagnose or give specific advice. I simply wanted to share what worked so well for me. I recommend all the things in the post.
January 19, 2016 @ 9:25 pm
What a great post. The tips are fantastic, and all things that worked well for me.
January 20, 2016 @ 9:01 pm
Thanks so much!
February 22, 2017 @ 7:05 pm
It seemed I was very disappointed after reading your article, 5 months ago I suffered from mastitis doctor give me antibioti with high doses, but after two weeks of no avail, and finally I had an operation, during mastitis lasts I never stopped breastfeeding because my breast milk is very much , Hopefully not happen again tomorrow on my second child ?
March 23, 2017 @ 6:20 pm
I’m so sorry that happened!
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July 10, 2017 @ 11:29 pm
[…] What is Mastitis and How to Prevent it […]