Introduction
There are many worries that characterise the daily lives of expectant and new mothers intending to breastfeeding.
Among these worries is the fear that the mastitis in lactation.
In the next few lines, we will see what it is, what causes it, how to prevent it and how to treat it.
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What is mastitis
As explained in this video content Dr. Maria Chiara Alvisi, midwife, the mastitis is an infection that occurs in lactation.
This is quite a serious condition but fortunately not so common.
I would also point out that there is often a tendency to call mastitis what mastitis is not.
Causes
There can be many causes of mastitis in lactation.
I would like to specify that mastitis never comes suddenly.
In fact, there are conditions that facilitate its occurrence.
One of these predisposing factors is the presence of breast fissures untreated (Those who would like to explore this topic in more detail can also refer to the vertical video course on breastfeeding edited by Dr Alvisi).
When there are rhagades, you have to put yourself in the perspective that the less you stress the breast, the better.
It is often the baby himself who, through sucking, causes the proliferation of bacteria that can be harmful.
Mammary engorgement also increases the risk of mastitis.
What are they? Situations in which an area of the breast is not drained and remains so for a few days (here you can find a specific video on the subject).
Milk that remains in a stagnant condition and at a temperature of 37/38°C for some time is a fertile breeding ground for pathogenic germs.
Prevention
The best way to preventing mastitis provides for timely treatment of the factors we have just discussed.
In the case of fissures, for example, it is known that the less you touch them the better and that it is advisable, when possible, to leave the breast in the air.
At this juncture, it is also crucial to take care of hygiene (let us not forget that we are talking about wounds anyway).
If there is a blockage, it is important to try to drain it and resolve it as quickly as possible.
At the same time, it is necessary to control the temperature, so as to detecting the onset of mastitis at an early stage and to be able to turn to the professionals who have the expertise to deal with it.
Symptoms and diagnosis
At this point, it is natural to wonder what the symptoms of mastitis are and the way to diagnose it.
The problem to which this article is dedicated presents itself with very strong signals.
These include the engorged breasti.e. characterised by an area where the ducts have not emptied and which is particularly reddened.
It is very sore to the touch.
I would also point out that, since there is a infectious picturebody temperature rises and can reach up to 40°C.
It is essential to remember that these temperatures in lactation are anything but pleasant, which is all the more reason to take preventive action with the approaches recommended in the previous lines.
Also not to be overlooked is the onset of a general malaisewith sensations akin to those one feels when one has the flu.
Also included in the list of symptoms of mastitis during breastfeeding is the feeling of burning when the baby latches on to the breast and suckles.
How to cure
Let us now look at a crucial aspect of the subject, namely what needs to be done to treating mastitis in lactation.
As Dr Alvisi reminds us in the video linked in the previous lines, it has been known for years that when breast mastitis is in progress, it is not necessary to stop breastfeeding.
If one hears a recommendation to stop thebreastfeedingyou have to run for your life to another professional.
Part of the treatment of mastitis, in fact, consists precisely in continue with breast drainage.
It is crucial that the above-mentioned process is implemented regularly.
Otherwise, mastitis cannot be cured.
Also worth mentioning in all this is thetaking antibiotics to eradicate the bacterial load the origin of mastitis and, in some circumstances, also of anti-inflammatories.
Checking the baby is crucial. It is essential to make sure that it is not the puppy that passes the infection on to the mother.
The only case in which, in the presence of a clinical picture of mastitis, the baby cannot be breastfed is when purulent milk is seen coming out.
At these junctures, the breast is emptied manually or with the use of a breast pump, but the baby is not attached.
Milk extracted by the above methods must be thrown away because it is infected.
In different situations, i.e. when one has mastitis with white milk, one can continue to feed one's baby by attaching it to the breast correctly or by draining the breast and giving it a bottle afterwards.
In the presence of non-infected milk it is not only recommended to continue breastfeeding, but it is good to increase feedings if possible and start attaching the baby from the breast that is involved in the problem.
I would like to conclude by mentioning that, as soon as breastfeeding difficulties arise, it is essential to contact one's trusted midwife (a breastfeeding counsellor is also fine).
Not surprisingly, the motto I like to repeat in the videos I post on my YouTube channel is "Pick up the phone, your midwife is waiting for you!".
The professional in question may also recommend, as part of the treatment of the problem, the use of hot/cold compresses before and after breastfeeding your baby.
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