Yesterday I felt really tired. I put it down to recovering from the weekend, baking this citrus pound-cake, cleaning the bathrooms, hanging two loads of laundry, shopping, translating a text into German for Tall Mountain (as well as the normal getting up at 7am, feeding, poop cleaning, entertaining Ayo, doing dishes etc.). At lunch I was unbearably crabby and then it went downhill rapidly from there. Along with the chills, the shakes, achey joints and itchy skin, it felt like there was intense tenderness, like bruising in my right breast. Of course, Ayo didn’t want to eat when righty was up, so the problem intensified. I am not sure if it was “just a blocked duct” or a missed mastitis but I treated it like a mastitis.
Tall Mountain prepared dinner: spätzle and flank steak (London broil) in a mushroom and beef broth sauce with carrots (Hallo Deutschland!), whilst I tried to troubleshoot my mama issues on Kellymom. I ingested my raw garlic, took a bath, pumped and went to bed early. I didn’t even have enough energy to make the recommended rosemary infusion. I probably would have popped into the doc’s office for antibiotics if we were still living in Saint Julien, but it wasn’t like I was in the mood for a small forensic examination of my grandparents‘ medical background last night, so Dr. Google it was! This morning I still felt weak, so Tall Mountain gave Ayo some 7am lesson in the garden as I rested and then continued my self-prescribed treatment: raw garlic with my morning coffee..um, gross!
I am finally starting to feel better. It’s so crazy how the whole body can go into shock with a little infection. I am so thankful I haven’t had this sort of issue since the first week of breastfeeding. I vividly remember crying, looking with sis for the stupid pump membranes that had gone missing and feeling like I might die from breast poisoning. Wouldn’t that be a funny headline: New Mother Dies from Breast Poisoning. For the record, we just (four and a half months later) found the tiny membranes at the bottom of an Amazon box: random! Anyway, thankfully it does get easier emotionally to handle these little potholes in the breastfeeding road several months into it.
Mamas who breastfeed/fed, do you remember getting blocked ducts or mastitis? What are your best remedies to treat the symptoms?
sounds like your remedy was just enough! but you might have missed just one thing… irish cream before bed- just to make the dreams a bit sweeter.
Oh I forgot the Irish cream!
Feel better soon! I had blocked ducts with my second. My midwife counseled me to: use warm compresses, nurse often on the affected side (and pump the other), try to align the babies’ nose with the blocked duct to specifically promote action in that duct, to nurse sitting down in the shower under warm, running water, eat raw garlic and take bee propolis, cut down on sugar temporarily, take naps and get a lot of rest…
Thanks Michelle! SUCH helpful tips .. except for the cutting down on sugar part 😉
And guacamole (in your other comment) is a great idea. THANK YOU!
p.s. My favorite way to get the raw garlic down is to make a fresh guacamole…