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Mastitis is inflammation of the breast usually associated with breastfeeding. Mastitis can be extremely painful and may cause fever and other flu-like symptoms. Many doctors will immediately prescribe antibiotics to treat mastitis, especially when fever is present. I personally breastfed all five of our babies, each for an extended period of time, and experienced mastitis several times. Once, when our fourth baby was just under a year old, I developed a quick case of mastitis that progressed into a breast abscess that had to be surgically drained. At the time I was under a great deal of stress with a major move and three active older children to care for. I’ll spare the details, but it is something that all moms will want to avoid if possible! Breast soreness without fever or flu-like symptoms may be caused by a plugged duct and can be easier to conquer without antibiotics if you act quickly. Throughout my 16 years of breastfeeding, I ended up taking antibiotics several times because I didn’t know of other effective ways to heal.
My last baby weaned in the early 2000s and there has been a huge amount of learning and sharing of information through social media platforms and the internet since then. I recently asked for natural approaches to healing mastitis and received a treasure chest of insight which I wanted to collect and store to benefit moms who may be in need.
There are good reasons to try and avoid antibiotics unless there is absolutely no other effective ways of treating. Antibiotics are known to wipe out all the healthy gut flora. Many of us seek to eat healthy food and keep our guts healthy and whole. Wiping out our good intestinal flora with powerful antibiotics can destroy what has taken a lifetime to develop. Intestinal flora is very beneficial to overall health. Many chronic illnesses (think allergies, eczema, other skin issues, etc.) are caused or adversely impacted by ‘leaky gut.’ If you do decide you need an antibiotic, make sure to prioritize boosting your gut flora with pro-biotics, and especially with natural fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and kombucha.
The first response below provides a comprehensive framework for treating mastitis from a midwife that I know personally. Her first point – 24 hours in bed – with your baby (most of the time) is what your body needs most. The only reason to get out of bed is to use the bathroom! Mastitis with a fever is a strong signal to mom to slow down and take it easy. My midwife friend has a lot of experience and has seen the following protocol work.
An addition from the midwife:
Another commenter shares how using ice instead of heat was helpful to her:
The commenter below recommends sunflower lecithin – which many women find helpful to prevent plugged ducts. My daughter did find it helpful when breastfeeding her first, but later realized her baby developed a rash after she started taking lecithin. When she stopped, the rash stopped. So, every person is unique. We all have to pay attention and maybe keep a journal so we can get better at listening to what our body is telling us!
Poke root, allicin (from garlic), and ingesting colloidal silver were all shared as helpful natural antibiotics for mastitis. You can get allicin capsules, but “the very best way to obtain allicin is from eating fresh garlic that has been crushed or sliced. Fresh, uncooked garlic should be crushed, sliced, or chewed to maximize allicin production.” See more on allicin here.
Even once you start feeling better, be sure to give yourself time to fully heal and regain strength. Reduce stress as much as possible. As a mom with a young baby, I enjoyed this reminder:
Cleaning and scrubbing can wait til tomorrow For babies grow up we learn to our sorrow so quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep
By far the best assistance for curing mastitis is a hungry cooperative baby. When babies are small they can sometimes be encouraged to suck more by standing and rocking or swaying while the breast is in their mouth. This is more taxing in terms of energy – and not possible when following the 24 hours in bed rule – but something to keep in mind if you are facing what you think might be the start of mastitis and you are eager to encourage more sucking on the breast.
Are you interested in learning more on the role and effectiveness of antibiotics? Dr Sam Bailey from New Zealand shares a. unique perspective here.
What am I missing? What has worked to help you conquer mastitis? Leave your tips in the comments below.
Becky Hastings collects information on health and tries her best to discover and share truth. By God’s grace, through Jesus Christ, I was saved, blessed with a husband of over 40 years, and five precious babies all grown up. I now get to delight as eleven grandchildren grow! Together we can help each other discover a healthy path in this crazy upside down world.
