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Home › Articles › Overcoming Difficulties › Is It the Flu?

Is It the Flu?

Recognizing Mastitis

By Terreece MyKole Clarke

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

While mastitis can affect anyone, experts agree that it more often appears in women during the first couple of postpartum weeks. During that time, women are still learning how to breastfeed or are reacquainting themselves with the process, which can result in poor latch-on, nipple damage and not completely emptying the breast. These issues can lead to mastitis.

"If the mother has a condition associated with poor resistance to bacterial infections: diabetes post-delivery, is a smoker, has anemia, etc., she is at a greater risk for developing mastitis," says Karen Kerkhoff Gromada, MSN, RN, IBCLC, of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Fortunately neither form of mastitis poses any harm to the nursing infant. Nursing through mastitis can be anything from uncomfortable to painful; however, frequent nursing is the first step in relieving mastitis. Be sure to use different positions while nursing to ensure you are draining the breast. Some research suggests that you position the baby so that his chin is facing the mass to help open and drain the duct(s). Your breast milk may taste saltier, but there is no risk in passing the infection on to your baby. Many babies don't even notice the change in taste.

Relief Is Near

Nursing or pumping frequently helps relieve both forms of mastitis. Other treatments of noninfectious mastitis include: