mastitus or blocked duct?!?!

[Tillymint]

Hi girlies!

Just this wednesday morning i woke up with a pain in my right breast. It feels like a blocked duct although there is no lump there. I'm not sure if it is a blocked duct as i had one when my lo was 4 weeks and there was a definate lump there (in same breast too) and it was agony every time she fed. Now, it's not complete agony when i feed but there is a little pain that i'm hoping won't get any worse. The pain is like i've bruised the inside of my boob really badly and it kills to touch so i don't like to press too hard. That's why i'm not sure if there may be a lump more inside as it's too painful to push any further than a light touch. I don't even have to touch it tho for it to hurt, i just have to be walkiing or going up the stairrs.

I've tried calling my health visitor today but no one is answering so i've come to you girls for advice. I will keep trying my health visitor tho. Oh and i'm also a little worried because this morning (Thursday) i woke up and my left boob was leaking because it was so full but my right boob wasn't full at all - the last feed from that was 4pm on Wednesday (i bottle feed of an evening).....

Help!

[Deb_in_oz]

when i had mastitis i believe the key points for the doctor were that i had a fever and the area on my breast was red - they said as soon as you see red you know you have mastitis. if it is a blocked duct you need to clear it in order to avoid it developing into mastitis - it has been a while so i am sure you will get better advice from someone else but i do remember expressing from the blocked breast and feeding  from that side at every feed until it clears. hot compresses on the breast are also supposed to help.

good luck

[janelle]

Well, I am currently on antibiotics for mastitis.  These were my symptoms.  Pain, like you described, a bruised feeling.  No lump that I could feel but again it hurt too much to really push on, fever and high temps, developing redness in the affected area, general body aches and pains - headache, backache.  Generally it pretty much felt like I had been hit by a truck!!!
HTH

[Samuel's mum]

Ouch. Are you in the UK? You could phone 'NHS direct' and get their advice.
http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/index.asp

I don't think your health visitor will do much other than tell you to see your doctor. Is there a reason you don't want to go to your doctor?

This link has some tips:
http://www.kellymom.com/newman/22blocked_ducts_mastitis.html