Close Call

I woke up to redness on the plugged duct area. Not. Good. I took another bath and soaked it for a while, massaging the area with a wide tooth comb. After Ayden ate, it definitely felt emptier, which made me think that I had at least partially cleared the duct; but I was still really concerned about the redness and the fact that it still felt so lumpy. I called my backup midwife's office (she was the one who ended up delivering Ayden and I now see her for well woman care) and got an appointment. When we got there we had to wait a while. Luckily the car ride and wait fell perfectly during Ayden's nap time.

All I can see are chins and eyelashes :)

Once we finally got in, she took one look and confirmed my suspicions. The start of mastitis... I let her know that I'd rather avoid taking antibiotics if possible and she said since we caught it early and I haven't gotten a temperature yet, there are a couple of supplements that should do the trick. She recommended lecithin, alfalfa, vitamin C, massage, water and rest. She also sent me home with a prescription for an antibiotic, just in case. I am to take the antibiotics, along with probiotics, if I run a temperature for over 24 hours.

My appointment made me late for teaching dance but luckily my mom was able to cover for me. I was bummed to miss my first two classes so close to recital (it's on June 16th) but I know I'd probably miss even more if I didn't get it taken care of today, especially since it was Friday and offices would be closed over the weekend.

Sleep training is on hold for now until I can get this cleared up. Ayden nursing often will help keep things moving and I am making a point to take at least one nap a day with him. My home birth midwife wants me to spend time in bed, treating it like I have the flu. I probably won't go that far but I will try to take it easy this weekend.

All of this just goes to show that it is so important to pay attention and listen to your body. If something is out of the ordinary, seek professional advice early on to rule out or confirm any problems. Mastitis can really get serious so I'm very glad I listened to my gut and got some help for it before it got too bad. We're not out of the woods yet but now I at least have my antibiotic prescription to fall back on of things take a turn for the worse.

Such a big boy!

I'm such a sucker for sock shoes...

Have you battled mastitis? Care to share your experience?

~Sarah