Can I breastfeed if I have mastitis?

For new mothers, if they have mastitis, they will often experience symptoms such as unbearable pain when breastfeeding. At this time, new mothers will be confused. Can they still breastfeed if they have mastitis? Experts told us that breastfeeding is generally allowed. If breastfeeding is stopped, milk stasis will aggravate the condition, which is not conducive to the baby's feeding and the healthy growth of the baby.

Most new mothers will choose to stop breastfeeding without any prior agreement. This is not the right approach. This misunderstanding is due to the fact that new mothers lack sufficient knowledge about postpartum mastitis, making it difficult for them to breastfeed their babies properly during the illness. Postpartum mastitis is a common disease in the postpartum period, and is common in new mothers who breastfeed three or four weeks after delivery.

Generally speaking, postpartum mastitis is mainly acute mastitis caused by bacterial invasion, which is manifested by local redness and swelling of the breast, obvious distension and pain, and in severe cases, it may be accompanied by high fever throughout the body and the formation of local breast abscesses. Antibiotics can effectively control the progression of the disease and improve symptoms in the early and middle stages of the disease, and can be used in conjunction with surgical treatment when necessary. However, related symptoms often cause anxiety, which makes mothers afraid of breastfeeding, which is not conducive to the physical and mental health of new mothers.

Breast milk is an ideal place for bacterial growth, and bacterial infection caused by milk stasis is the root cause of postpartum mastitis. There are many reasons for poor milk discharge, such as congenital nipple hypoplasia that causes short or inverted nipples, which can make it difficult for the baby to suck, leading to milk accumulation. The solution is mainly to pull and rub the nipples frequently before pregnancy to improve their condition, but in the early and late stages of pregnancy, frequent nipple stimulation should be avoided to avoid miscarriage.

Secondly, the skin of a new mother's nipple is relatively delicate. If the baby does not hold the nipple or most of the areola in the mouth during breastfeeding, it can easily lead to nipple erosion, cracking and ulceration. At this time, bacteria in the baby's mouth or from outside the body have the opportunity to invade the breast through the ulcer.