This post is part of our complete guide on treating engorgement and clogged ducts. Refer back to the guide if you want a complete list of topics covered, from prevention to diagnosis and treatment. If you're specifically interested in what you can do to get rid of mastitis fast, please read on!
How can I get rid of mastitis fast?
To cure mastitis, your first step is to keep breastfeeding or pumping on a steady schedule. It might seem counter-intuitive to do so because it’s likely very painful but this the most effective way to solve the issue. This is because mastitis is most often due to bacteria that develop in milk that remains stagnant in your breasts. When you empty your breasts, there is no stagnant milk anymore and this will go a long way to help clear the issue.
You should also pay attention to not breastfeed or pump more or less than usual. Stick to a consistent schedule that you’re ready to continue observing going forward.
If you express less milk than usual your body will take many days to understand that it needs to produce less milk. This means that for many days (7 to 10 days on average) it’ll send more milk to your breasts than what you express with your pumping or breastfeeding. This will make your mastitis worse since stagnant milk will keep accumulating in your breasts.
Conversely if you express more milk than usual you’re giving a signal to your body that it needs to produce more milk going forward. If afterwards you reduce your pumping or breastfeeding your mastitis may come back since there’ll be milk in your breasts that you don’t express and therefore remains stagnant. The key is to avoid facing a situation where your breasts get filled with milk that won't be emptied.
A second good step to take to cure mastitis is to go see physician so they can prescribe appropriate medication. Most likely they’ll be prescribing antibiotics that are compatible with breastfeeding and can rid you of the bacteria in your breasts. They might also give you appropriate pain medication and might prescribe anti-inflammatory medicine that deal with some of your symptoms.
You can also consider drinking a herbal tea specialized for the purpose, like our very own Unblock Nursing Tea. Based on a 12-plant recipe used for centuries by Chinese woman to deal with blockages of the breasts, it will help your milk flow unrestricted. Since mastitis is mainly due to milk stasis, meaning milk getting stuck in your breasts’ ducts, it’ll likely help*.
Lastly, even though it might hurt, consider massaging your breasts regularly or getting a breast massage from a professional therapist. Mastitis is largely due to milk stasis and massages done the right way help unblock your ducts.
So to summarize, how can you get rid of mastitis fast?
- Keep breastfeeding or pumping on a steady schedule that you can keep in the long run. Do not express more or less milk than usual.
- Go see a physician so you can prescribe appropriate medication like antibiotics, analgesics for the pain and anti-inflammatory medicine.
- Consider drinking a herbal tea designed for the purpose like our very own Unblock Nursing Tea.
- Consider massaging your breasts regularly or getting a breast massage from a professional therapist.
> Back to our complete guide on engorgement and clogged ducts
Article tags: Breastfeeding and maternity
