Condition Basics
What is mastitis?
Mastitis is an inflammation of the breast. It occurs most often in people who are breastfeeding or pumping breastmilk. The inflammation occurs when the milk sacs in the breast are too full and cause swelling in the breast tissue.
Mastitis can leave you feeling very tired and run-down. If you have mastitis, it is important to keep breastfeeding, as stopping suddenly can make it worse. Treating mastitis right away helps prevent an infection from happening. Depending on your symptoms, your healthcare provider might prescribe antibiotics.
What causes it?
One of the main causes of mastitis is when your breasts become too full and make more milk than your baby needs. If this is happening, talk to your healthcare provider about ways to manage your breastmilk production.
What are the symptoms?
If you have mastitis, you may first notice:
- Pain, swelling, or warmth on an area of your breast. And the skin may be reddish, purplish, or brownish, depending on your usual skin colour.
- Chills, aches, and flu-like symptoms.
- A fever.
Get help from your doctor or call Health Link at 811 if you have any of these symptoms. If your symptoms are getting worse, the mastitis could be turning into an infection. This infection could lead to a breast abscess, which feels like a hard, painful lump.
How is it diagnosed?
Your doctor or midwife can usually diagnose mastitis based on your symptoms and by checking your affected breast. Tests usually aren't needed.
How is mastitis treated?
- If you are exclusively breastfeeding, it is important to continue to breastfeed your baby regularly, following their cues to feed. Feed less often on the affected breast to avoid producing too much milk. If your baby does not feed from the affected breast, or it is too painful to feed, hand express to remove your milk. Avoid pumping if possible, as this could damage your breast and nipples. Try not to remove more milk than your baby needs.
- If you are bottle feeding your breastmilk, continue to pump and feed your baby, following their cues to feed. Avoid pumping too much on the affected breast. Pump your breasts to comfort, they will feel softer.
- Use a cold compress before feeding (like an ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a cloth) on your breasts to help decrease your breast fullness and ease your pain. Don’t use the cold compress for longer than 20 minutes at a time to help prevent frostbite to your skin.
- Talk with your healthcare provider about medicines you can use for pain and fever, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen (Tylenol). Read and follow all instructions on the label.
- Rest frequently and take care of yourself.
- Avoid massaging your breasts. This could damage your breast tissue and increase the inflammation.
When should I call for help?
Call your doctor or 811 now, or seek immediate medical care, if:
- Your symptoms do not get better within 24 hours.
- Any part of your breast becomes increasingly red, painful, swollen, or hot.
- Your fever continues or gets higher.
- You have new chills or body aches.
Taking these steps can help prevent mastitis.
- Breastfeed regularly. This helps keep milk moving. If you know you'll go more than 4 hours without feeding your baby, arrange to pump. But limit pumping if you can. Try to only pump when you need to. Pumping more than your baby needs may make mastitis worse.
- Position yourself well. When you and your baby are aligned, the baby can latch on to the areola, not just the nipple.
- Use different positions. This can help drain all areas of your breast. Try breastfeeding positions such as the Australian hold, the cradle hold, the cross-cradle hold, the football hold, and the side-lying position.
- Alternate which breast you offer first.
- Wear a supportive bra that fits.
- Take care of your nipples.
- Air-dry your nipples after you breastfeed. This can prevent irritation and cracking.
- Try letting some breast milk dry on your nipples if they are sore or cracked.
- Get help from your doctor or midwife or a lactation consultant for sore or cracked nipples.
- Avoid massaging your breasts. This can cause tissue injury and increase inflammation.
- When you are ready to wean your baby, do it gradually. Gradual weaning helps prevent your breasts from getting too full.
If you have mastitis, you may first notice:
- Pain or hardened area, swelling, or warmth on an area of your breast. And the skin may be reddish, purplish, or brownish, depending on your usual skin colour.
- Chills, aches, and flu-like symptoms.
- A fever.
Signs that mastitis is getting worse include a fast heart rate, and flu-like symptoms that get worse.
The symptoms of mastitis most often appear within 4 to 6 weeks after childbirth.
In some cases, symptoms of mastitis may get worse and the breast forms a pocket of pus (abscess) in the infected area.
Symptoms of a breast abscess
Symptoms of a breast abscess include a breast lump that is hard and painful. The area may be reddish, purplish, or brownish, depending on your usual skin colour. You may also have flu-like symptoms that are getting worse.
Information about Mastitis While Breastfeeding
Your doctor or midwife can usually diagnose mastitis based on your symptoms and by checking your affected breast. Tests usually aren't needed. But tests may be done to confirm a diagnosis. They may also be done to help guide treatment for other problems that can develop.
If you have an infection that isn't improving with treatment, your doctor or midwife may do a breast milk culture. To provide a sample for a culture, you will squeeze a small sample of milk from the affected breast onto a sterile swab. The culture results help your doctor or midwife confirm a diagnosis and find out the specific bacteria causing the infection.
Culture results may also be used to find out which antibiotic will work best for you.
Diagnosing a breast abscess
Your doctor or midwife can diagnose a breast abscess by checking your breast. If an abscess is deep, your doctor or midwife may use a breast ultrasound to check it. Ultrasound can also guide a needle to drain the abscess. A culture can then be done to identify the bacteria causing the abscess.
Mastitis may go away with early self-care and management of symptoms. Sometimes you will need antibiotics. Treating it right away helps keep it from quickly getting worse and usually eases symptoms after about 2 days. Delaying treatment can lead to an abscess, which can be harder to treat.
Treatment may include:
- Continuing to regularly breastfeed or pump breast milk. If you are pumping, only remove the amount of milk your baby needs. When you remove too much milk, your body will start making more than you need. This can make the mastitis worse.
- Self-care. This can include taking ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or using a cold compress to reduce pain and swelling, changing your breastfeeding positions, and resting as needed.
- If the mastitis turns into an infection, your doctor will prescribe you antibiotics. Antibiotics destroy the bacteria that are causing the infection.
You can safely keep breastfeeding your baby during illness and treatment. Your breast milk is safe for your baby to drink. Any bacteria in your milk will be destroyed by the baby's digestive juices.
Treating a breast abscess
Treatment for a breast abscess includes:
- Draining the abscess. Healing can take 5 to 7 days.
- Antibiotics that you take by mouth. They destroy the bacteria that are causing the infection. Antibiotics are given through a vein (intravenously) only in rare cases of severe infection.
- Breastfeeding regularly or pumping, removing only the amount of milk your baby needs. This is also very important for keeping a good milk supply.
Most people can keep breastfeeding with the affected breast while an abscess heals. With your doctor's or midwife's approval, you can cover the abscess area with a light gauze dressing while you breastfeed.
If you are told to stop breastfeeding your baby from the affected breast while an abscess heals, you can keep breastfeeding from the healthy breast. Be sure to pump or express milk from the infected breast regularly.
- Continue to regularly breastfeed when your baby is hungry.
- Limit pumping if you can. Try to only pump when you need to. Frequent pumping may make mastitis worse.
- Hand express or pump a little before breastfeeding if your breasts are very full (engorged). This may make it easier for your baby to latch.
- Try taking ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) for pain and swelling.
- Rest as much as you can.
- Use a cold compress for pain and swelling.
- Put ice or a cold pack on the area for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Put a thin cloth between the ice and your skin.
- Use a warm compress for short amounts of time only. Heat can make the inflammation worse.
- Take care of your nipples.
- Let your nipples air dry after feeding. Try letting some breast milk dry on your nipples if they are sore.
- Avoid using saline soaks or castor oil on your affected breast or on sore nipples. Ask your doctor or midwife before you use any other products on your breast.
- Try applying a non-stick first-aid pad to your breasts after each feeding.
- Avoid massaging the breast. This can cause tissue injury and worsen swelling.
- Wear a supportive bra that fits.
If you have trouble breastfeeding, talk to your doctor or midwife or a lactation consultant.
Breastfeeding when you have mastitis
Regular breastfeeding is an important part of caring for yourself when you have mastitis. If you have any problems with breastfeeding, talk to your doctor or midwife or a lactation consultant.
- Regularly breastfeed when your baby is hungry. Your milk is safe for your baby to drink. Your baby's digestive juices will destroy any bacteria in your milk.
- Try to start on the sore side.
- If you need to start on the other side, be sure to switch and breastfeed from the affected side as well.
- Vary your breastfeeding positions to help the milk flow.
- If it's too painful to breastfeed at all, you can pump or hand express your milk.
- Take care of your nipples.
- Let your nipples air dry after feeding.
- Try letting some breast milk dry on your nipples if they are sore or cracked.
- If your nipples are cracked and bleeding, try applying a non-stick first-aid pad to your breast after each feeding.
- Replace nursing pads often. Dry and clean pads are best.
Adaptation Date: 11/22/2024
Adapted By: Alberta Health Services
Adaptation Reviewed By: Alberta Health Services
