Mastitis is an infection of the milk ducts of the breast and it is particularly likely early in a mother's first experience with breast-feeding.
Until:
-
A baby learns to suckle strongly;
- An inexperienced mother learns to let her milk down;
- And until the baby's demand and the mother's milk production match one another.
There is always a risk of a Mastitis infection developing in a duct which is temporarily blocked or left un-emptied during successive feeds.
In traditional cultures, midwives and experienced mothers would attend to a new mother and teach proper expression techniques. If they saw early signs of mastitis or other breast feeding problems they would provide an experienced baby to suckle on the new mother to assist in nipple development and clearing potential blockages in newly functioning ducts.
A very effective aid in clearing blocked milk ducts and early infection is to apply Castor Oil to the nipple after each feed and wash it away before the next feed. Castor oil is an amazing drawing agent and will assist blocked ducts to clear within two or three feeds.
If assistance is required due to a more advanced case of mastitis, or if a mother's immunity is depleted for any reason, it is useful to provide an anti infective mix which is safe for baby in support of her attempts to clear a mastitis infection.
The specific mix I make up includes the following herbs: Chamomile, Garlic, Rosehips, Echinacea and Fenugreek with the Bach Flower Remedies Walnut and Larch.
Drinking 3 cups of Rosehips daily (hot or cold) makes an immediate difference to your immunity and will assist the mix and the Castor Oil application to clear the Mastitis quickly. Chamomile Tea will provide extra fluid and will help relax the parasympathetic nervous systems responses involved in the letdown process.
If you are advised to go onto antibiotics and wean your baby, because of a case of cystitis in the first weeks of your babies life, seek a further opinion from a midwife or breast feeding consultant.
There is nothing more important for a new born baby (and its mother) than breast feeding, and your baby should not be denied this nourishment at all costs.