Disclaimer: I’m clearly not a doctor or in any position to give medical advice. What I’m sharing is just what works for me.
As i mentioned in my last post, i am dealing with a mean case of mastitis. It’s my 2nd time getting it but I’m thinking that my first time was a misdiagnoses because it doesn’t compare to this pain. I think that i had a clogged milk duct before and my natural remedies stopped it from turning into mastitis. This time i didn’t realize that it was getting bad so i didn’t start treating it soon enough. I thought that it was a combination of engorgement and sensitive boobs from hormones. Girlllllll was I wrong!
Without ranting too much over the pain and being a big titty baby about it (pun intended), I’m going to share my natural treatments for clogged milk ducts and/or mastitis:
- Nurse/pump constantly! I know this goes against your instinct when you’re dealing with these issues because it hurts so much worse when you’re expressing milk but this is seriously a huge deal. In order to pull that clog out you HAVE TO nurse it out. The more, the better.
- Massage! Massaging the blockage/knot is also a huge part in getting the clog out. Again, it goes against your instincts because it increases the pain times a million but it really does help work that clot out. Massaging it while you’re nursing is ideal — even if it feels like committing boob suicide.
- Temperature therapy! Hot and cold compressions not only help relieve the pain instantly but the heat loosens the milk up to flow better so do it before you nurse and the cold helps with the inflammation so do it after wards/between nursing sessions. Hot showers have been my go to when the pain is intense. Let the water hit your infected breast and massage it while you’re in there.
- Cabbage leaves! I use freezing cold cabbage leaves and it’s my other go to for pain relief. You can leave them in your bra or just hold them on.
- Raw garlic cloves! This is probably my most used treatment for any kind of infection. I’ve avoided giving my kids antibiotics as well as taking them myself SO MANY TIMES by doing a few raw cloves a day until the symptoms have subsided for a few days. I’m praying that it works this time too. I’m only on day 1 so i can’t tell you yet if it treated my mastitis but i do know that it’s consistently treated multiple infections in my family. Garlic can upset some baby’s bellies though so it’s kind of a lesser of 2 evils thing. I never notice issues with Eilee reacting to it but she rarely gets gassy or upset. She tolerates everything well. If you notice that your baby is fussier than normal I’d stop taking the garlic cloves and see the doctor if natural methods aren’t treating it.
- Probiotics and vitamin C! I’ve mentioned this before but year round my family takes elderberry syrup, probiotics, and vitamin C. I really think that it plays a big part in why we aren’t sick a lot. I also think that it helps us heal when we do get sick. I do increase my vitamin c even more when fighting an illness or infection though.
I hope that these tips help a fellow breastfeeding mama and if you’re dealing with mastitis, i so feel for you. I’m pretty sure that I’m a real women now that I’ve felt this kind of discomfort ha. It’s awful and I truly have a huge pain tolerance. May the odds be ever in my husband’s favor that i survive this without too much bitching and moaning. God bless him. He made dinner tonight and has been so helpful. But just when I was about to get all mushy on him and say that I’m super thankful for how kind he is he pops off about getting me some high powered cow drugs to ‘treat my mad cow disease’. Marriage 🙄😅
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