GV. The chest hurts, there is a red stripe, there are no lumps. Lactostasis? Mastitis?
The question is actually in the title of the topic. The left chest hurts, below and on the right, pain as from a blow. There is a red thin stripe. There are no seals. Yesterday I fed her a little later because of a trip to the clinic, I got sick in the evening, took a very warm shower, after which there was a chill, there was no fever. After the baby I express with a breast pump. Cabbage leaf at night. It still hurts today.
Where to go, to which hospital if by self-referral?
Since yesterday I’ve been feeding this way, putting it on this particular breast first. I express a healthy one if he hasn’t finished eating.
I haven’t warmed up the halo, I’ll try. Made only gentle movements towards the nipple during feeding
If it hurts like that (when I missed feeding), then for several more days the pain is like a bruise. It goes away gradually.
Your condition seems to be stable. In theory, it shouldn’t get worse if you often feed the affected breast.
If you don’t touch it, then I don’t feel pain at all. As soon as you move or touch it, it hurts. When the child eats, there is practically no pain.
Use breast pads
If your nipples hurt when feeding, the reason may be their irregular shape. At the same time, women's breasts are most often small. Flat or inverted nipples can develop over time. However, in this case you will need to be patient.
The way out of this situation is quite simple. Buy silicone breast pads. With their help, the baby will be fed, and the mother’s discomfort during the process will disappear.
Causes of red spots during breastfeeding
If we don’t talk about banal allergic reactions that manifest themselves as skin rashes, redness on the chest during breastfeeding signals inflammation in the mammary gland. This process is called lactostasis and involves stagnation of milk in the ducts.
The degree of redness can be either minor or significant. And if in the first case it is really lactostasis, then in the second, perhaps, we can already talk about mastitis. These two terms are closely related in that lactostasis is an early stage of mastitis (infected inflammation of the mammary gland).
What provokes the development of lactostasis:
- narrow milk ducts;
- stressful state;
- sleeping on your stomach;
- overly active pumping, which activates excessive milk production;
- improper attachment to the breast;
- systematic feeding in the same position;
- insufficient volume of fluid consumed.
When breastfeeding, the breasts become red, swollen, very painful, milk with a specific yellow tint is released from the nipple, and the body temperature rises. These signs indicate an intermediate stage between lactostasis and mastitis. It is extremely important to stop this inflammation within a maximum of 48 hours.
What needs to be done during this period?
- During feeding, make sure that the baby grasps the nipple along with the areola.
- In between feedings, massage the breast from the nipple to the armpit using stroking or vibrating circular movements.
- If there is a lump, apply a cold compress for 3-4 minutes after each feeding.
This video explains what lactostasis is and how to deal with it:
The situation changes to critical, and urgent medical care becomes urgent if a day has passed, but:
- the condition in the stage of lactostasis only gets worse;
- body temperature rises rapidly;
- the degree of redness increases;
- a feverish state begins with signs of general intoxication.
In addition to lactostasis, mastitis is caused by failure to comply with basic hygiene and nipple cracks, which allow pathogenic staphylococci and streptococci to pass through.
Popular recommendations to use cabbage leaves for lactostasis and mastitis can lead to serious consequences. Cabbage leaf does relieve breast swelling, but only after the clogged milk ducts are completely opened.
For lactostasis and mastitis, it is strictly prohibited:
- Suppress breast pain with painkillers.
- Apply any warm compresses to your chest. This only provokes further active growth of pathogenic bacteria.
- Attend physical therapy.
- Express milk using strong, painful squeezing of the breast.
- Use drugs that suppress lactation. This is a direct risk of completely stopping breastfeeding.
This video talks about what mastitis is and what to do with this disease:
Use healing ointments
Women often experience sore nipples when breastfeeding in the first weeks after childbirth. In this case, we are not talking about any pathology. The child simply learns to suck and somewhat injures the delicate skin of the mammary glands.
Correction in this case consists of using healing ointments. Most of them require subsequent rinsing from the nipples before the next feeding. The Bepanten product is the best option. It does not need to be washed off, it is absolutely safe for the baby. The drug quickly heals cracks and abrasions. Within a few days after regular use, mommy feels much better.
Diagnosis and treatment
Lactostasis and mastitis are diagnosed without difficulty based on anamnesis, general urine and blood tests, ultrasound and cytological examination of milk. There are two proven treatment methods: medication and surgery .
Drug treatment is appropriate if the problem is not yet aggravated by acute purulent foci. There is a need to take antibiotics (penicillin group and cephalosporins), which are selected extremely adequately for a nursing mother. The use of drugs can take place in any form:
- intramuscular;
- intravenous injections;
- orally.
In some cases, breastfeeding still has to be temporarily abandoned.
Surgery becomes necessary if no positive effect is observed within 48 hours of active drug treatment. The operation is performed in a hospital under general intravenous anesthesia. After thorough cleaning of the opened abscess, drainage is installed. Antibiotics are required:
Prevention
Avoiding mastitis is quite easy if you approach the feeding process wisely and follow very simple preventive measures:
- Express milk regularly after each feeding . This prevents it from thickening and blocking the ducts.
- Avoid cracked nipples . To do this, never use alcohol-containing solutions for wiping, and at the first cracks, lubricate the nipples with sea buckthorn oil or rosehip oil.
Methods for preventing mastitis are described in detail in the following video:
Purulent abscesses with mastitis pose a serious threat to life. Try by any means to prevent the disease from progressing to this stage. And eliminating the problem using dubious folk methods is a completely unjustified risk. Visit a mammologist immediately at the first alarming symptoms.
Use medications as needed
Nipples often hurt when feeding due to infection. In most cases, we are talking about a fungal infection. Thrush can be not only on the mother’s nipples, but also in the baby’s mouth. In this case, you cannot self-medicate. It is worth contacting a specialist for help and a qualified appointment.
The only thing you can do in this situation yourself is to treat your breasts with a soda solution. However, before the next feeding, you need to thoroughly rinse off the applied composition. Otherwise, the baby will feel a bitter taste and will completely refuse natural nutrition.
White dot on the papilla during breastfeeding
Normal lactation does not cause anxiety, discomfort, or pain in women. However, the presence of certain postpartum pathologies contributes to the breasts producing such an amount of milk that the baby is not able to consume. Due to incomplete suction, a white dot appears on the papilla during breastfeeding, indicating a blockage of the duct.
The main cause of the pathology is a clot that impedes the flow of milk through the ducts to the nipple area.
Stagnation of fluid in the mammary glands is fraught with inflammation and the appearance of chest pain.
If during lactation a woman does not seek treatment in a timely manner, she may develop a disease such as mastitis.
The blockage should be removed immediately.
At the first manifestations of the disease, you can remove the white seal on the papilla yourself using standard hygiene procedures.
In case of severe inflammation, swelling, pain, therapeutic inpatient treatment is required.
Why does a white spot appear on the nipples?
The chest has a segmental glandular structure. A milk duct departs from each lobule.
It has several branches, one of which is slightly expanded and goes to the nipple.
One gland has 15-20 exit ducts through which milk moves to the exit. The other side of the duct ends in a special bubble.
A blockage occurs when fluid does not flow properly.
The white dot on the nipple is a plug of stagnant droplets of milk. If the problem is not corrected, lumps of fluid form, causing the breasts to swell, become inflamed and painful.
Prolonged neglect of treatment can cause suppuration of the mammary glands. This pathological condition precludes further feeding.
Reasons for the appearance of a white bubble
Milk stagnation can occur due to:
• incorrect attachment of the baby to the mammary gland;
• large volume of formula in the chest due to long breaks between meals (more than 4 hours);
• improper grip of the nipple by the child's mouth;
• spontaneous cessation of breastfeeding;
• squeezing the breast with your hands when feeding;
• increased milk production when the baby does not eat enough;
• incorrect or incomplete expression of milk;
• pathologies of narrow milk ducts;
• large breasts, which are strongly compressed during each feeding;
• feeding in an awkward position;
• squeezing nipples while sleeping on the stomach, wearing tight underwear;
• traumatization of the areola area;
• thick milk due to insufficient intake of liquid food.
Often a white dot on the nipples appears when a young mother excessively consumes dairy products and foods rich in animal fats.
In this case, the blockage of the ducts is an accumulation of fat deposits or a calcification plug.
How to understand what a white dot is on the nipple
A white dot on the nipple can be recognized by the following signs: the presence of one or more lumps in the mammary gland, increased body temperature, pain when trying to subdue the baby, a periodic feeling of chest fullness, inflammation.
It forms at the end of the duct, so it blocks the release of milk out.
With the start of breastfeeding, the mother’s body is not able to produce the amount of nutrition the baby needs. For some women, the volume of the mixture may be large.
Improper lactation and irregular feeding can cause clots to begin to accumulate in the ducts.
The blockage does not appear immediately.
A woman notices a problem when the baby cannot suck out the newly formed milk.
Milk production only returns to normal over time. Lactation occurs in certain volumes, taking into account the needs of the child.
It would seem that feeding has been established.
However, spontaneously the woman feels “fullness” in her breasts, pain, and upon palpation she feels a small lump.
Subsequent latching of the baby to the breast causes discomfort and pain.
Nutrition failure can be determined by:
- itching;
- pronounced redness of the area around the areolas;
- high body temperature;
- severe swelling;
- increasing pain;
- the appearance of a white spot on the nipple;
- detection of small lumps in the mammary gland.
In order to promptly stop the development of the disease and eliminate the symptoms, a woman should consult a doctor as early as possible and undergo the prescribed course of therapeutic and restorative therapy.
Preventive measures
• Watch your health. Try to avoid stress, insomnia, and overexertion.
• Choose your bra carefully. It should not squeeze or squeeze the chest.
• Watch your body position while sleeping. Poses “on the stomach”, “on the side” can contribute to compression of the mammary glands.
• Avoid long breaks between feedings.
• Drink at least 2 liters of fluid per day.
• Periodically massage your breasts with light movements. This way you will stimulate the blood circulation process and enhance the passage of milk mixture through the ducts.
• To avoid increased lactation, when expressing, do not completely empty your breasts.
• If there is too much nutrition and the baby cannot suck it all out, express it by hand under a warm shower or using a breast pump.
Be carefull. Do not use compresses made from camphor and alcohol infusions to eliminate the white bubble on the nipple.
Otherwise, the risk of decreased receptor sensitivity responsible for milk production increases. Lactation may stop.
Pay attention to the amount of milk
If your nipples hurt when feeding, this may be an indirect sign that the baby is not getting enough nutrition. Observe the baby during the sucking process. Listen to his swallowing movements. Perhaps there is no milk in your breasts at all? Because of this, the baby gets irritated, begins to suck more intensely, but the effect does not occur.
In this case, the only solution will be temporary complementary feeding. Put your baby to your breast as often as possible. Stimulation of the nipples will lead to increased lactation. You can also try drinking special teas to increase your milk supply. To prevent your baby from remaining hungry at this time, give him a small amount of the adapted formula.
