Mastitis Management for Home

Mastitis is a painful inflammation of the breast tissue that can occur at anytime and escalate quickly.

What is Mastitis?

Mastitis is inflammation of the tissue surrounding the glandular tissue of the breast.

The inflammation causes constriction and a narrowing of the milk ducts. This creates a traffic jam situation. Kinda like going from 3 lanes down to half a bike lane!

Milk builds up as it sits behind the narrowing.
While it waits, the milk thickens as molecules are reabsorbed back into the blood stream.

As the inflammation around the duct reduces and resolves, the milk will start to flow again. If there is thickened milk, the ducts will open to allow it to pass.

Mastitis can trigger a whole body inflammatory response with chills, fevers, aches and pains.

It’s important to know antibiotics are not the first line management of mastitis and may not be needed.

glands of the breast with mastitis

Signs You May Have Mastitis:

Pain

  • Painful when feeding

  • Aching, throbbing or stabbing pain near a lump/red area.

Redness

  • Feed or Pump as you usually would.

  • Overestimation will contribute to the traffic jam.

Lumps

  • A hard area or lump in your breast tissue.

  • Wedge -shaped swelling.

Flu Symptoms

  • Chills

  • Fever/ temperature

  • General body aches and pains

  • Lethargy/ weakness

Avoid the following:

  • Firm massage

  • Trying to express out the blockage

  • Only feeding on the side of the inflammation

What Can Cause Mastitis?

  • Oral Dysfunction

  • Poor Milk Removal

  • Prolonged Breast Compression e.g seat belt, bag or baby carrier.

  • Incorrect Flange Size

  • Extended Feeding Intervals e.g baby sleeping longer.

  • Firm Fitting Clothing, Underwire Bras

  • Sudden Ceasing of Feeding/Pumping

  • Oversupply of Milk

navy watercolour drawing of breast

What can you do if there are no services available when changes start to happen?

Essentially it’s best to treat it like a sprained ankle.

The easiest way to remember is to…

BAIL out of mastitis:

B

A

I

L

Breast Rest- Breastfeed or Pump as you usually would. No more, no less.

Anti- inflammatory medication e.g. Ibuprofen
(if not take Paracetamol)

Ice/ cool packs to the affected area.

Lymphatic drainage massage.

What to do at home?

Breast Rest

  • Feed or Pump as you usually would.

  • Overestimation will contribute to the traffic jam, so only do what you need too!

Anti-Inflammatory

  • Take Ibuprofen every 6-8 hours.

  • You can take Paracetamol every 4 hours if needed.

This is to help reduce the inflammation, not just symptom management e.g a fever.

Ice

  • Apply Ice/ cool packs for 20min every 2 hours until symptoms reduce.

Do not apply ice directly to your skin. Ensure there is a cloth or covering.

Lymphatic Massage

  • Gentle sweeping movements towards your chest and armpit.

    Keep scrolling for more information!

Book an appointment with an IBCLC!

Antibiotic aren’t the first line treatment for Mastitis.
They have their place, but most of the time they are not needed.

Ask your GP to do a milk culture if they are prescribing antibiotics!
Best practice is to get a milk culture to make sure the antibiotic prescribed is the right one.

Some GP’s are amazing, but many don’t know what to do, so they prescribe antibiotics.

Lymphatic Massage at Home

The overall aim of lymphatic massage is to bring movement and influence drainage from the intercellular space.

This helps the body “redirect the river” between cellular and tissue structures.

educational illustration of breast demonstrating mastitis treatment techniques

Illustrations by Kelly J Rosso MD MS FACS

  • Start with sweeping motions behind the blockage/inflammation moving towards the rib cage/ collarbone/ armpit.

  • Slowly work your way down the breast tissue towards the nipple.

  • The pressure should be no firmer that you would use on your baby or fur baby for pats.

educational illustration of breast demonstrating mastitis treatment techniques

Illustrations by Kelly J Rosso MD MS FACS

  • In the same lines as above, change from a sweeping motion to gentle circles.

  • Ensure you are moving towards your chest/armpit.

educational illustration of breast demonstrating mastitis treatment techniques

Illustrations by Kelly J Rosso MD MS FACS

  • Finish by stimulating the lymph nodes in you neck.

  • This can be done my sweeping over your collarbone up into your neck/jaw, finishing with small circles.

Further techniques are available online via:

Appointments

Midwife Alex offers at home mastitis treatments with Therapeutic Ultrasound.


Reach out directly if you are requiring support.
Click here to reach out!