Every time I thought of what to title this post, Britney Spear's song, Me Against the Music, started playing in my head. The reason wasn't clear at first. Then I re-watched the video and when I read the lyrics to the song, I think I understand why. She talks about the music taking over her body, making her sweat and dance and running through her veins, and that's kind of how I feel when fighting a clogged duct and mastitis. I have crazy weird dreams, feel beside myself, wake up in a sweat, go crazy... pretty much everything that happens to Britney in the song. Just for different reasons.
Okay, serious talk. My baby is 5 months old and I have fought a clogged duct/early mastitis 4 times. FOUR. TIMES. (whhhhyyyyyyy meeee? Well, I have it narrowed down to: stress, too tight of bra, getting hit by baby, baby unexpectedly sleeping through the night, sleeping on my stomach, tongue/lip tie-if it happens early on it could be a sign of this, or gremlins. Probably the latter.)
Kelly Mom compares the difference between the two, and quite honestly I'm not sure which I had each time, because my temperature stayed low most of the time, but I have gotten the flu like symptoms a few times. Either way, I am the clogged duct protocol queen. I have the regime I follow saved in my phone, I keep of stash of Phytolacca Decandra in the diaper bag, my nightstand and the vitamin cabinet.
So, for the sake of all the new nursing moms out there who might face what I have (Lord help us) or in case my phone ever dies and I need to locate the regime, I have the protocol from my midwife below (bookmark this page, y'all). Of course, I will say I'm not a doctor, and you should probably contact yours depending how you feel. But if you want to try this at home natural route, it's worked for me 4 times. FOUR. TIMES. (ugh). If it doesn't go away within a day, seriously, go get help, because I have followed this guideline all of my times (starting as SOON as you feel a symptom-which for me was pain in the duct like it wasn't draining, sometimes it'll get red on the surface) and it is gone within a day. Mastitis isn't something you want to play around with.
[My notes are italicized.]
Both Rescue Remedy & Phytolacca can be bought at Sprouts.
The Origins protocol:
For 12 hours:
-Nurse the side that’s hurting every hour for 10 minutes. You have to get the infected clog(s) drained. You may need to pump the other breast if baby isn't wanting to nurse on both sides. (Wait until morning to start if it's late at night, or discontinue through the night, then pick back up in morning. Nurse the infected breast when baby wakes throughout the night. Take Phytolacca whenever you wake to nurse.)
-Rub the rescue cream on the area of your breast that is hurting/red right before nurse.(can use liquid RR sublingual 5/10 minutes before nursing session) - [I have the Rescue Remedy liquid drops and put it in my water.]
-While you're nursing put warm compresses on the area that hurts/red and massage that spot towards your nipple. It hurts but you have to release it. [Rice/corn packs are great for this. Also, when desperate, using a golf ball to roll/massage worked for me once. Desperate times.]
-Take a hot bath every 6 hrs for 15 minutes. Lay facing down so your breasts are completely submersed. [keep massaging]
-Put ice on it in-between nursing.
-Take 3 phytolacca decandra tabs under your tongue every 15 minutes. This is a VERY important step! [Seriously most important. You'll go through a tube in like a day, so I keep like 3 tubes on hand.]
- REST! #1 cause of mastitis is stress and fatigue.
-Stay in bed till your fever goes away!! [if possible, have a family/friend/husband/significant other tend to the baby-this is a serious matter and YOU need to tend to yourself.]
-Nurse the side that’s hurting every hour for 10 minutes. You have to get the infected clog(s) drained. You may need to pump the other breast if baby isn't wanting to nurse on both sides. (Wait until morning to start if it's late at night, or discontinue through the night, then pick back up in morning. Nurse the infected breast when baby wakes throughout the night. Take Phytolacca whenever you wake to nurse.)
-Rub the rescue cream on the area of your breast that is hurting/red right before nurse.(can use liquid RR sublingual 5/10 minutes before nursing session) - [I have the Rescue Remedy liquid drops and put it in my water.]
-While you're nursing put warm compresses on the area that hurts/red and massage that spot towards your nipple. It hurts but you have to release it. [Rice/corn packs are great for this. Also, when desperate, using a golf ball to roll/massage worked for me once. Desperate times.]
-Take a hot bath every 6 hrs for 15 minutes. Lay facing down so your breasts are completely submersed. [keep massaging]
-Put ice on it in-between nursing.
-Take 3 phytolacca decandra tabs under your tongue every 15 minutes. This is a VERY important step! [Seriously most important. You'll go through a tube in like a day, so I keep like 3 tubes on hand.]
- REST! #1 cause of mastitis is stress and fatigue.
-Stay in bed till your fever goes away!! [if possible, have a family/friend/husband/significant other tend to the baby-this is a serious matter and YOU need to tend to yourself.]
Additionally, I up my vitamins & water, and for the first time in years I had to succumb to ibprofen to get the throbbing headache away. Ouch.
Best wishes to all you other mamas out there plagued with this when you are just trying to feed your baby! You can get through it!
