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| Not a care in the world that day |
But then I started feeling like I had literally been hit by a bus. I went in my bedroom to go to the bathroom and just had to lay down. My mom eventually came looking for me and asked if I was okay. She wanted to know if I had a fever (which I said no to since I had checked it earlier in the day and I didn't.) I finally decided to take my temp around 4 PM and it was 101. Crap, crap, crap. I knew right then I had mastitis. By 6 PM my temp was up to 103.5. I felt so bad. My head was pounding. I was cold and hot all at once. I had red streaks going to the plugged duct area and red streaks forming on the other side and the entire red area was very hot. I felt achy like I had the flu and so very weak.
The worst part in all this was when Kai needed to eat. The pain in both breasts was so bad, I couldn't even nurse him and had to resort to pumping. (Heck who am I kidding, I couldn't even so much as pick him up because even my shirt touching me was enough to make me want to cry.) My supply had tanked though and I was barely getting anything. I sobbed knowing that my meager fridge supply wasn't going to be enough. Since I had been struggling with getting him to latch all along, I had a bit of pumped milk. But it wasn't enough and I knew that unless something dramatic changed I would have to give him formula. This broke my heart since I so wanted breastfeeding to work and I knew this was the beginning of the end. (Luckily it wasn't. Fenugreek and blessed thistle and tons of pumping/nursing got my supply back up and we are still breastfeeding today at nearly 16 months.) I cried bitterly as I watched my hubby feed him his first breast milk/ formula bottle in the middle of the night.
Around 7, we put in a call to my OB who confirmed mastitis and called in a prescription to the all night pharmacy in the city next to ours. This was the worst part of the whole experience. I had to keep Kai alone since my family had already left while I had a 103 fever and was dizzy and felt about as bad as I have ever felt so that Mr. Destructo could go get my antibiotics.
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| This bottle was the worst for me since it was all formula |
The next day my mom drove back up to get me and Destructo and bring us to her house so that she could care for Kai since Sam had to work the next day. I was still running a 103-104 fever (at one point it was 104.5 and I was slightly delirious.) Getting out of bed when you are running a fever that high to pump is hell let me tell you. Long story short, this went on for two full days and then by day three I started feeling better. It took me about a week to fully recover though. Words of wisdom to my readers: If you think you have mastitis, call your doctor right away. The sooner you start on antibiotics, the sooner you will be feeling better.
Here is a awesome link that talks about mastitis and plugged ducts: http://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/mastitis/
WOW, that post brought back memories. I am sorry that you got that sick, I truly feel your pain babe. I had ongoing breast infections for two months straight, I had to give up pumping and go on formula, I was guilty for about a month but then saw that Dino was fine and was a happier mom.
ReplyDeleteI switched to WordPress, my URL is now http://dinoheromommy.wordpress.com/
Yeah after the mastitis antibitotic, I ended up getting systemic yeast infections in my ducts. It literally felt like Destructo had little shards of glass for teeth each and every time he nursed. Thank God for a good lactation consultant that helped me through this. Oh and thank goodness for Diflucan. Glad you were a happier mom when you went to formula. Isn't that what it is truly all about? Making the decisions that make us happiest and make us the best mom?
DeleteOMGosh... With my son, I had the worst case of mastitis about 5 days after he was born. I just woke up one morning drenched in sweat, clammy, pounding migraine, & so out of it that my husband (at the time) called my mother to come watch our son and he rushed me to the ER. I was actually admitted, given IV antibiotics, and kept overnight for observation! I don't even remember huge blocks of time of that day. I didn't get to breastfeed my son for 12 hours, & by the time the nursing staff brought me a pump I was too engorged to get it to work. Luckily, my mom brought my son to me and he was somehow able to latch on after I squeezed out some breast milk. He too had a bottle (and formula! :( ) for the first time that day, and thank goodness he did fine with it. So far baby girl has never had a bottle or formula at 6 1/2 months. I am hoping to keep it that way, God willing. :)
ReplyDeleteMan thank goodness it wasn't that bad in my case. I was enough of a mess without being back in the hospital with that. Good job on getting to 6 1/2 months without formula. Hopefully you get to your ultimate goal!
DeleteUgh, mastitis is the worst. I don't think I've met anyone who has bf without getting it. I know they exist somewhere, but I haven't found any! I have struggled with low supply for all of my children. Currently, I continue to proudly pump once a day and nurse through the night...this is a feat for me at 5 months, as the milk left with the others around two months.
ReplyDeleteI haven't met anyone either. Good job making it to five months. It is so disappointing when breastfeeding isn't as easy as it should be since it is what nature intended. I hope you make it many more months.
DeleteGood moral and will be a help to some new moms. Strange, but I also don't think I've known any nursing mom who hasn't had mastitis at least once. At least, I didn't have it with all 4 kids. Seems like it was 2 out of the 4. But,of course, I had it twice with Samuel and he was a champion nurser. Hope he doesn't see this! Mums the word,Missy!
ReplyDeleteHe reads this blog pretty regularly. I don't know that he necessarily reads the comments though, but occasionally he even leaves me random comments.
DeleteWow, your experience sounds even worse than mine. I remember being completely miserable, but I don't think it was quite as bad as you described. I think it's important for us to talk about how quickly mastitis can start though, so moms know what to look for. Like you said, getting treatment as soon as possible is so important! ~Melissa
ReplyDeleteYep I hope all moms learn through my post that it can come on just like that. It was awful literally the second sickest I have ever felt. MRSA was worse. LOL
DeleteOh man! I feel for you, Momma! That sudden onset of symptoms is just something else, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteSo glad that you persevered and were able to work through the mastitis. I had almost forgot the horrors of pumping with mastitis. *shivers*
Shivers is the best way to describe it. I was freezing and dragging myself out from under the blankets was torture. I am glad I made it through. I think every momma that has had mastitis deserves like a girl scout type mommy badge.
DeleteThat sounds terrible!! My sister had it too, and she didn't look very good. She was hating life. Is mastitis common? Do you think it would be wise to have some milk stocked up in case this happens? Thank you for the link!
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