Mastitis may or may not involve bacterial infection. With mastitis, you may feel tender, hot, swollen, and have redness on your breast, fever (temperature of 38.5 °C or more), and flu-like aching.
To prevent mastitis
Avoid missing feeds.
Ensure your baby is positioned well at the breast.
Keep your hands clean when handling the breasts, especially if you have damaged nipples.
To manage the mastitis
Continue to breastfeed or express your sore breast until it feels more comfortable.
Gentle massage towards the nipple.
Place a heat pack on the sore area before feeding or expressing to help with your milk flow. If your milk is flowing easily, then warm packs are not needed.
Place a heat pack on the sore area before feeding or expressing to help with your milk flow. If your milk is flowing easily, then warm packs are not needed.
Apply a cold compress on the breast after feeding or expressing for a few minutes to reduce discomfort.
You can take tablets for the pain, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, as the doctor ordered.
Drink plenty of water throughout the day (up to 8 glasses).
Rest as much as possible.
If you have these feelings for more than 12-24 hours, please see your doctor for use of antibiotics. Please remember that you need to take the full course of antibiotics.
