Mastitis

Mastitis can be very uncomfortable and may cause a high fever and breast pain. The most effective way to ease the symptoms is to breastfeed frequently, and in some cases antibiotics may be needed.

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What can you do about mastitis?

Swipe to see how to manage mastitis. If your symptoms don’t improve within 12–24 hours, contact your health visitor or GP.

How can you tell if it’s mastitis?

Mastitis often develops quite suddenly. Common symptoms include:

  • Redness, warmth, or swelling of the breast.
  • The breast may feel firm or tender.
  • A temperature above 38.5°C and a general feeling of being unwell, such as flu-like symptoms, nausea, tiredness, body aches or chills.
  • Mastitis may occur with or without a bacterial infection, and the symptoms are very similar. Bacterial mastitis may take a little longer to clear.

The most important thing you can do is keep the milk flowing by breastfeeding frequently.

Put your baby to the breast frequently and let them feed for as long as they want

Offer the breast whenever your baby shows signs of wanting to feed, and let them feed for as long as they need. In many cases, fever and discomfort improve within a few hours once the milk begins to flow, if the mastitis is not bacterial.

Seek help after 12–24 hours if symptoms do not improve

If your symptoms haven’t improved within 12–24 hours despite frequent breastfeeding, it may be bacterial mastitis. Contact your health visitor or GP.
If it’s evening, night, or the weekend, contact the out-of-hours doctor, or your maternity ward if your baby is under one week old.

Read more about where to get help

Take a break from using a dummy

Your baby may fall asleep while using a dummy, even though they might have fed a little more at the breast. With mastitis, long gaps between feeds allow milk to build up and can make the mastitis worse. Try taking a break from the dummy and offer the breast instead.

Help your baby get a good latch

Your baby feeds most effectively when they have a deep latch and an effective sucking technique.
If your baby does not have a good latch, slide a clean finger into the corner of the mouth to release the suction and try again, perhaps in another feeding position. Different positions work better for different babies. Key points:

  • Your baby should face you directly, chest-to-chest, so they do not have to turn their head. If your baby turns away from the nipple, you can help by expressing a few drops of milk onto the nipple.
  • Your baby’s nose should be level with the nipple so they can tilt their head slightly back to latch.
  • Your baby should open their mouth wide before being brought close to the breast.

How to tell if your baby has a good latch

Your baby has a good latch when:

  • The chin rests against your breast and the nose is clear.
  • The mouth is wide open, with the lips—especially the lower lip—turned outward.
  • The lower lip takes in more of the areola than the upper lip.
  • Your baby makes steady sucking and swallowing movements.

See the video below to observe what a good latch looks like.

Hand express a small amount of milk if needed

If your baby finds it difficult to latch onto a very firm breast, hand-expressing a small amount can soften the breast and make latching easier.

Position your baby to drain specific areas of the breast

Feeding in different positions helps your baby remove milk from different areas. The area toward which your baby’s chin points is usually drained the most. It can therefore help to position your baby so their chin points towards any firm or red areas. Feeding in a variety of positions prevents milk from building up.

Breastfeeding positions

Several good tips to relieve your symptoms of mastitis

Swipe to see how you can relieve the symptoms of mastitis with, for example, cold compresses on the breast, gentle breast massage, movement of the breast, and pain relief

Apply cool compresses between feedings

Applying cool compresses to the breast for 10–20 minutes between feeds can help ease pain and reduce swelling, allowing milk to flow more comfortably. For example, use a damp cloth placed in a bag and kept in the fridge.

Gentle massage can relieve tension in the breast

With mastitis, the breast can become very tense. It can be painful, and the milk may have difficulty flowing.

Gentle massage can help. Massage the breast with light, calm strokes away from the nipple. This helps fluid that has built up in the breast move away.

When the tension decreases, the milk can flow more easily when you breastfeed.

See how to massage in this movie.

Gentle movement can reduce tension and pain in the breast

When you have breast engorgement, the breast may feel hard and sore. This can make it difficult for your newborn to latch on properly.

Gentle movement can help. Move the breast carefully in small circles. This can relieve soreness, reduce tension, and make the breast softer.

When the breast becomes softer, your baby can more easily latch onto the nipple. See the video to learn how to do it.

Apply warm compresses right before feeding

Some people find that milk flows more easily when the breast is warmed just before feeding. Apply a warm compress or let warm water run over the breast. Try and see what works best for you.

 

Get rest, warmth, and fluids

Take care of yourself too. You may need support to rest, nap or drink more fluids.

Pain relief may reduce pain and swelling

Pain relief such as paracetamol (Pamol, Panodil or Pinex) and ibuprofen can help reduce pain and swelling. Do not use pain relief for more than seven days without medical advice.

Continue feeding, also when your doctor has prescribed antibiotics

If your doctor prescribes antibiotics, it is still important to continue breastfeeding.
Your baby can safely continue to drink your milk, even if you have mastitis and are taking antibiotics. Some babies may have slightly looser or more frequent stools, but only a tiny amount of the medicine passes into the milk and it is safe for your baby.

Good to do:

  • Breastfeed often so the milk keeps flowing. Symptoms often improve within a few hours.
  • Cold and warm compresses, gentle breast massage, movement of the breast, and pain-relieving medication can help
  • Contact your health visitor or GP if symptoms have not improved within 12–24 hours.
  • Make sure you rest and get enough fluids.

Who can you contact?

If you experience challenges with breastfeeding – big or small – do not hesitate to seek professional advice. Swipe to see whom you can contact and when.

Who can you contact at the maternity ward?

You can contact the maternity-ward staff both during pregnancy and after birth.

Before birth, your midwife is the person to speak with about the early time with your baby and your thoughts about feeding – whether breastfeeding or bottle-feeding. If you have had previous breastfeeding problems, you can create a plan together.

Most maternity wards also offer antenatal classes, and your midwife can inform you about these.

After giving birth, you can receive help with breastfeeding from staff on the delivery or maternity ward while you are admitted.

All parents can also contact a breastfeeding hotline at their maternity ward within the first week after birth if they need help or guidance.

You can contact your municipal health-visitor service

The health-visitor service is available to all pregnant and new parents in Denmark. After birth, you will be offered free home visits with support and guidance to help you get a good start with your baby. Depending on your municipality and your stage in the process, different services and contact options may be available.

Some municipalities offer prenatal visits from a health visitor, where you can discuss breastfeeding, bottle-feeding, and preparing for life as a new family. Check your municipality’s website to see whether this is available where you live.

If you have special needs, you can contact the service to ask whether prenatal visits are offered to you.

Your health visitor will contact you and offer the first home visit. You can always call your municipal health visitor service for advice or guidance.

You can contact your GP if needed

Always speak with your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding and need medical treatment. In most cases, there is a medication that is safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Contact the on-call doctor or call 112 in an emergency

For sudden illness or worsening symptoms that cannot wait until your GP is available, or for minor injuries, you can contact the on-call doctor – or call 1813 if you live in the Capital Region.

In emergencies, if something is life-threatening or dangerous, call 112.

Contact volunteer breastfeeding counsellors

You can also contact volunteer breastfeeding counsellors if you need advice or guidance. Denmark has two support organisations: Forældre & Fødsel and Ammenet. The volunteers are mothers who have breastfed themselves, and both organisations provide guidance based on the recommendations of the Danish Health Authority.

Get help from Forældre og Fødsel

Get help from Ammenet

Watch videos on how to manage mastitis

engorged breast
Breasts and hands of a woman hand extracting breast milk

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