Mastitis is an inflammation of breast tissue that sometimes involves an infection.
Signs/symptoms: breast pain, swelling, warmth, redness, generally feeling ill, breast lump, pain or a burning sensation continuously or while breast-feeding, fever and chills.
Mastitis most commonly affects women who are breast-feeding (lactation mastitis), but can occur in women who aren't breast-feeding and in men.
I’ve had mastitis at least 5 times. It comes on fast and you feel like death. Luckily I’ve got two incredible midwives in my back pocket who’ve guided me on what to do to treat mastitis at home naturally. The following protocol has worked for me every single time, however, please do not take this as medical advice and always consult with a trusted HCP. There is no one size fits all.
I always keep these products on hand in case I get a case of mastitis, and they are great for helping with a myriad of other health issues as well.
Mastitis protocol:
- Clear your schedule for the next 3 days to rest and nurse your baby.
- echinacea + goldenseal + probiotic, every 1 hour on day 1, every 2 hours on day 2, every 3 - hours on day 3, then 4 x’s a day for the rest of the week.
- Ibuprofen q 6 hours for 24 hrs (optional)
- Ice in between breast and warmth on outside of breast. Massage and keep milk moving.
The following I’ve added and done for myself:
- Legendairy milk sunflower lecithin per instructions on bottle. You can take this daily to help prevent plugged ducts which can lead to mastitis.
- Massage breasts in hot shower with garlic oil, lavender and/or tea tree EO.
- Garlic supplement internally.
Ask for help. Rest. Seriously. It's ok to slow down. The dishes and laundry will always be there. You have to take care of yourself and your baby 💛