What are some of the causes of Mastitis? (there are more than you realise!)

There isn’t always one obvious cause of mastitis. Some of the detective work we have to do is asking lots of questions about your history. There can be some strange things that make someone unfortunately more susceptible to mastitis. There are the obvious ones, not fully draining the breast, skipping feeds or a poor latch. But sometimes a perfect storm of stress, trauma coming to surface, lack of sleep, poor snacking habits and a body prone to inflammation can trigger it. As always, seek help and try to be aware of what might be triggering for you so that you can take steps to manage your situation.

Changes in feeding patterns.

Maybe the baby does a few days of cluster feeding or you have a day in bed with lots of extra feeds at home (nothing wrong with that) but then you have a few days of running around or more routine to your day and do less feeds and less milk is removed. Sometimes that sudden shift up and down can be confusing to the body and create inflammation.
Did you know that holidays are the most common time for mastitis. That is because instead of your usual feeding routines, you are out of your normal patterns or maybe someone else is possibly holding onto your baby for hours / passing the baby around. Pay attention to how your breasts feel and if they are starting to feel uncomfortable (or you just want your baby back!) grab that baby and settle in for a good feed. If they are distracted from feeding well, you may need to find a quiet space to feed as well.

Stress

Inflammatory conditions can be triggered in large part due to stress. Is there a family crisis or drama, work deadline, other child illness or even houseguests staying? Is something feeling extra hard for you right now? Can you take steps to mitigate your exposure to this stress or ask your partner to step in and mitigate whatever this might be.

Past history of trauma.

Mastitis is more common with women who become triggered by their traumas after the birth of their child. You may need to talk to someone and get help to manage this trauma with you. Check my resources page for mental health services.

History of inflammation in your body?

Are you prone to gut issues, eczema, acne, thyroid conditions? Sometimes a persons body is more susceptible to inflammation than others. You may need a trip to the GP or your dietician / naturopath to look at how your body has settled after pregnancy, birth and feeding. It goes through so many changes and we always put ourselves last. Also, did you have a previous bout of Mastitis that didn't fully clear up and keeps being re-triggered?.

Maternal Nutrition

Are you eating well? Are your snacks healthy or do you feel like you could improve your snacking and get more healthy calories to energise you? Have you had enough water to drink today? Can you get your partner / friend or family member come and stack your fridge or freezer with some healthy snacks? People genuinely want to help so when they ask what they can do, ask for food! Also, seriously - no judgement, I never drink enough water and my snacks are very filled with sugar so pot / kettle on my end here.

Maternal Fatigue

Are you getting adequate rest? I know, crazy to suggest that to new parents! But even if it is broken sleep, are you piecing enough together in various naps throughout the the day? Is your time and energy being overextended? What can you let go of?

Bra’s

Is it snug without cutting into you? It should be able to stop the girls rolling around but not be too tight it restricts you and is uncomfortable. Definitely no underwires! Fit your size to your bigger boob too!

Anemia

Low iron levels can predispose some women to mastitis so getting your bloods checked by your GP to make sure we aren’t missing anything is always a good idea.

And of course, the usual suspects.

Sub-optimal feeding, not draining the breast, positioning, latch, tongue tie, open wounds / nipple damage leading to infection, overactive supply and plugged ducts are all common causes that add to a Mastitis infection.

As always, seek help!

TREATMENT

Have you found Google’ing Mastitis confusing? That is because the recommended protocol for treating mastitis has recently changed. There is quite a lot of conflict over it online because what has been done for decades is quite different to the new recommendations.

Think about a sprained ankle. You would rest, ice, take some pain relief and treat it kindly. The old protocol involved draining / pumping a lot to remove blockages / feeding more and aggressive massage.

The new protocol is feed as normal, regular ice, lymphatic drainage (very light, cat like stroking away from the nipple and towards the collarbone and armpit, alternate Ibuprofen and Paracetamol can be used for inflammation and analgesia.
Avoid the use of breast pumps, nipple shields, avoid deep massage, avoid soaks and lotions.
If you gave had fever and symptoms not improving for over 24hrs you will likely need to see your GP for a dose of antibiotics (breastfeeding friendly) to clear it up if the avocet measures don’t work. If you take an antibiotic, it is recommended to take a probiotic such as Qiara alongside it, as antibiotics kill off bad and good bacteria in the body so you want to replace the good ones.

Hope you recover quickly!

Much love

Peta x