Medical (mis)mangement of mastitis

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(Free-Press-Release.com) August 5, 2009 -- This article deals with severe mastitis requiring medical treatment. In my work as a maternity expert and Naturopath I recently had an alarming consultation with a young mother.

The consultation with this Mamma went a little like this: “Can you tell me how to wean my 4 month old baby?” I kind of got the feeling that she didn’t really want to talk about it, just wanted the info. I got half way through the sentence “It depends on the reason you need to wean” and was cut off by her hurriedly asking “Should I go cold turkey or do it slowly”? I answer the question telling her that it needs to be done as slowly as possible since sudden weaning will cause blocked ducts and mastitis. She then tells me that is the very reason she needs to wean. She became teary and said that she keeps getting mastitis and has made the decision to wean so that she is doing her best for her baby. She feels she can’t look after him properly if she is sick.

I ask how many times she has had mastitis and she tells me twice in the last month. She then said it was her Doctor who told her that weaning is the best way to prevent her from getting mastitis again. Hmmm…… I get the feeling this Doctor does not know much about breastfeeding management.


I suggested as delicately as possible that she find a Doctor who has some training in breastfeeding management. She tells me she has been seeing this Doctor for a long time and trusts him.

Even as a naturopath I recognise that if the infection is so severe that Mum has fevers and is vomiting as this Mamma was, she will probably need antibiotic treatment. You’ve got to get rid of the infection as quickly as possible and deal with it thoroughly. There are certainly natural therapies that we can use to treat mastitis, but once I see a vomiting, feverish mother, I would never wait to see if the infection will respond to herbs, nutritional therapies or homeopathics.

However I have several major problems with the way this Mum was treated by this Doctor. In the full length version of this article at my blog http://www.naturaltransition.com/blog/ I go into more detail about what the issues are that I have. In the interests of expediency I have edited this article for easier reading.

1. Between feeds use a cold pack to relieve swelling and pain. You can fill a zip lock bag with rice or lentils and put it in the freezer for a quick homemade cold pack. Don’t use it directly against the skin. If engorgement is a problem you can use cold cabbage leaves, but don’t use them for too long as they are really effective at reducing supply.

2. Go and see your doctor – If you have a favourite and trust them; great but don’t be afraid to question the wisdom of their prescription. If possible, find a GP who keeps up to date with breastfeeding management. If you can’t access a Doctor who specialises in women’s health, I recommend asking for a women who has children of her own. They are more likely to know about breastfeeding than a 60 year old man.

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