Most breast feeding mothers have chances of developing breast infection or mastitis within the 3 months of delivery. Though it can happen to a nursing mother any time after child birth, particularly when she has not fed her child for more than 12 hours.
Mastitis is an infection of the breast tissues caused by blockage of the milk ducts. Typical symptoms of mastitis are, swelling, tenderness, redness, pain and fever. Early warning signs include unexplained tiredness and fatigue.
Luckily, mastitis doesn't affect the child. so continue breastfeeding. In fact the frequent breastfeeding may cure your breast infection as the blocked ducts open up. Normally most cases of mastitis can be treated with home remedies. If these remedies do not show measurable results then you must consult your doctor.
Prolonged mastitis can lead to an abscess, which can both be harmful to you and your child, therefore early remedies are best options.
8 Lifestyle Changes and Effective Home Remedies for Mastitis
You will have to make a couple of adjustments in your lifestyle to both cure and avoid future cases of breast infection. These changes will benefit both your child and you.
1. Start Breastfeeding Immediately and Frequently
Since you now know that your mastitis is caused by absence of breastfeeding for more than 12 hours, it makes common sense to start breastfeeding immediately and increase the frequency so that the closed milk ducts are opened up due to suction by the child.
Small bursts of more frequent breastfeeding is much better than a long breast feed at this time.
2. Take Rest and Eat Well
Since you feel tired due to mastitis, you must take a rest as well as eat well to improve your nutrition to energize you. taking a rest on a bed with your child and giving frequent breastfeeding will go a long way in smooth recovery from mastitis fast.
3. Drink Lots of Water
4. Hot and Cold Compress
Hot and cold compress will reduce swelling and pain.
5. Massage
A gentle massage will help opening the blocked milk ducts.
6. Use a breast Pump
A breast pump will help in clearing the blocked ducts
7. Cabbage
Cabbage leaves are very powerful remedy to cure breast infection. Sulfur compounds in cabbage helps to deal with infection and swelling.
8. Garlic
Garlic with its natural antibiotic properties will help you to fight the infection in the breast. Be it mastitis or any other infection garlic will help you all the time. You need to consume a couple of cloves of garlic every day for a few days.
- finely mince two cloves of garlic
- put it in a teaspoon and consume it.
- drink a glass of water to let the garlic quickly move through the food pipe to the intestine
All the above practices will help in getting rid of your mastitis quickly. However, if it doesn't produce the desired result then it means that the infection is more severe. Take medical help immediately.