Mastitis symptoms are mainly a combination of the following:
- Flu like symptoms
- Sore breasts, swollen breasts and/or redness
- Fever, Chills and/or Sweats
Mastitis often progresses rapidly over hours, and it is common for breastfeeding mothers to try to fight of the fever. But the fever can rapidly progress to more severe symptoms such a high fever, chills, nausea. Early treatment of mastitis is desirable.
If you feel a lump or some soreness, try to deal with it immediately by expressing or draining the breast fully at the next feed.
Short Term Treatments when you first notice the symptoms:
- Hot showers
- Heat Packs
- Breast Packs
- Lactagogue Massage Oil
- Vitamin C
What to Do:
- Continue to feed your baby through the pain
- Don’t stop feeding
- If you need to skip or delay a feed, then express.
- If it continues seek medical advice
- If the pain continues you must seek help from your doctor. They may prescribe a course of antibiotics.