Mastitis is the infection of one or both breasts produced by the obstruction of a duct or by the contamination of a crack in the nipple, causing congestion in the mammary glands. These can swell, harden and even redden.
The best prevention is to breastfeed frequently, or if you notice that the chest is very congested, relieve it with the breast pump. Do not let much time pass between each shot.
An old family trick that has worked very well to relieve congestion is to pass a comb with rounded tips and gentle movements towards the nipple.
Before the first symptoms of mastitis, you should put on warm cloths, take warm showers, rest and get gentle massages. It is not necessary to suspend breastfeeding, on the contrary, emptying the breast content contributes. If there are already more intense symptoms, with fever, chills and a lot of pain, you should consult the doctor, who will surely give you some medicine. Meanwhile you can feed the baby from the other breast and somehow get the milk from the affected breast.
Nipple hygiene is also very important, since bacteria could sneak in. You should clean them well before and after each shot.
Although mastits can occur at any time during breastfeeding, it is usually more common to appear within 30 days after delivery and can happen more than once.
