Mastitis puerperalis is the technical term for a genuine inflammation of the mammary glands. The milk stasis has become a real disease. However, the inflammation can also be caused by germs or fungi that have entered the breast through open wounds on the nipple or through the dilated milk ducts. Even if you do not feel well with mastitis, you can and should continue to breastfeed your baby. Mastitis is not dangerous for your child.
This is how you recognise breast inflammation:
Most women have noticed painful lumps in their breasts before, others have painful cracks in the nipple. You will notice the inflammation by your fever. Your temperature quickly rises above 38.4 degrees Celsius. The rise in temperature is usually preceded by chills.
If it weren't for the clear symptoms in your chest, you could mistake the discomfort for a flu-like infection. The breast is clearly changed. It has reddened, swollen areas that feel much warmer and are usually quite painful.
What causes breast inflammation?
The causes of breast inflammation vary. But the symptoms are the same. Milk stasis may have developed into mastitis. However, germs may also have migrated into the breast, triggering this reaction.
This is what you can do to treat a breast infection:
If you have a chest infection and a fever, you should definitely lie down in bed. It is important that you get help. If there is no partner or relative who can take over your care, you are entitled to home help. The statutory health insurance funds will cover the costs. However, you will need a prescription from a doctor.
Take a look at what triggered it. Then you can eliminate the cause. You will soon feel better again.
Breast inflammation is usually caused by milk stasis. The causes are therefore the same. So check your clothes for possible causes of pressure, make sure you are in a comfortable breastfeeding position and ensure that the breast is emptied after six hours at the latest. If your baby is not feeding well, a breast pump can also help. You can feed the milk obtained with it. It will not harm your baby. Heat before breastfeeding or pumping stimulates the flow of milk. Cool compresses afterwards inhibit the inflammation and reduce the pain. The fever should then drop quickly.
You can support the cooling and healing effect with quark compresses or cool cabbage leaves. Apply these compresses to the sore breast after breastfeeding.
You can support the flow of milk by massaging gently. But please be careful with yourself. The massage should not cause you any additional pain.
If you have sore nipples, you should also treat them. This is because the damaged areas of skin lack the necessary defence mechanism for pathogenic bacteria. These find an entry point into your breast.
You can support yourself with ibuprofen. This medication is permitted during breastfeeding. It reduces fever, soothes limbs and headaches and helps you to calm down a little.
If the fever continues to rise despite your treatment, or if the fever persists for more than a day, you should definitely see a doctor. Because then you need an antibiotic to treat the germs. There are antibiotics that you can take while breastfeeding. Breast inflammation is therefore no reason to stop breastfeeding.
You can support the healing process by taking probiotics. Their effect has been well researched. They stabilise the intestinal flora and strengthen your immune system. These two probiotics have been researched: "Lactobacillus fermentum" and "Lactobacillus salviarius". You can take one capsule per day for 3 weeks (200 mg).
