Engorged and Have a Fever

See a doctor ASAP! Sounds like mastitis... and I wouldn't feed the baby any of the milk you've pumped since developing the fever.
Hope you feel better soon!
Steph T
RN/BSN

That happened to me. I had to go on an antibiotic. Yes, my dr. and ped said it was fine to breastfeed. Feel better.

Engorgement can cause a fever all by itself without any infection being present. It's the body reacting to the swelling of the milk ducts.

I had the same problem with my 5th child. Not only was I engorged, with 102 fever, but I also had chills. The outdoor temperature was 101 degrees and I ended up laying down in our van because I couldn't get warm enough otherwise. I continued to nurse my son, and took tylenol for the discomfort.
I called La Leche League and spoke with a counselor. She asked me several questions about my situation: when did it start, had I ever experienced it before with the other babies, etc. She thought it sounded like a blocked duct. She said that there was a possibility that it might be mastitis. Her suggestions were: take a warm shower, and then apply heat (by heating pad or hot water bottle) and try to rest. She also asked me about my nursing bra, and whether it had underwires, (which it did) and suggested that I didn't wear it now. She said that hopefully I would see a difference in 24 hours. She said to continue breastfeeding because there was no danger to the baby, and to take something for my pain, if necessary; but, if I wasn't feeling better in a day, I should consult a doctor. She asked me if I used a breast pump, which I did, and suggested that I also pump so that my husband could feed the baby while I rested or slept. The pumping would help with the engorgement.
I had a warm shower, put on a different nursing bra, nursed the baby, pumped, and used a heating pad and took some tylenol. The baby woke up during the night, but my husband fed him. When I woke up in the morning, the engorgement had eased up, no fever or chills, and the discomfort was no more. I never went to the doctor. That baby is 15 yrs. old now- stand 6'1",weighs 240 lbs- and plays football. I was thankful for that counselor from La Leche League. There should be a L.L. group near you and they have meetings for moms to get together and talk about similar experiences. Karen Pryor wrote a great book (my friends and I call it "the breastfeeding bible") called "Nursing You Baby."
Good luck to you.

Hi E. :)
I'm sorry you're not feeling well. I had something that sounds similar to what you describe, but it was worse. I had Mastitis... not sure if you're familiar with that? It's an infection of the tissue of the breast that occurs most frequently during the time of breastfeeding. I had it twice and it literally just hit me out of the blue both times. It wasn't as if I felt like I was getting sick or anything. Some symptoms you'll notice IMMEDIATELY would be the chills (I felt like there was NOTHING I could do to get warm!), aches, flu-like symptoms, and a temperature of 100F or higher. Call your doctor immediately!!!- even on the weekends he/she should still be reachable through a live answering service who can page him/her, or the doctor on-call... or go to the ER... you need antibiotics. The symptoms, if you let things go after this with no treatment, get yucky and kinda scary. Right now, you may also notice your breast is hot, very tender, and/or reddened as was mine. I got Mastitis only on my left side both times.

It is perfectly alright, and recommended, to let your baby breastfeed during this time (it hurt me terribly), as your baby is your best way to empty your breast COMPLETELY. Your breast NEEDS to be emptied completely each feeding; if you don't think your baby has fully taken your milk, then pump just to be sure!!!

I copied what I have below from ***WebMD***. It is about how to prevent Mastitis :). I REALLY hope this is not what you have though!! Check it out. It will be helpful :)

***Mastitis usually happens when the breast is not completely emptied of milk. This most often occurs when feeding or pumping is delayed. When milk builds up in a breast, it leaks into surrounding breast tissue, which becomes inflamed and more likely to develop an infection.1 Infection can also develop when nipples become cracked or irritated (usually from improper breast-feeding technique), allowing bacteria to enter the breast.

Help prevent mastitis by using good breast-feeding techniques.

Breast-feed regularly. Do not delay or skip feedings. Breast-feed at least every 1 to 3 hours or whenever your baby is hungry (feeding on demand). This helps keep the milk ducts empty. In the first few days after birth, you may have to wake your baby every 2 to 3 hours to breast-feed.
Arrange a time and place to pump or express your breast milk if you have to wait more than 4 hours to breast-feed your baby. See an illustration of pumping or expressing breast milk.
Align your baby straight for breast-feeding. This means putting your baby's chest to your chest. The baby should latch on to the areola, past the nipple. Latching on incorrectly, such as only getting the nipple into the baby's mouth, may cause problems. Your nipples may become sore or crack. Also your baby may not empty the breast well. Massage the areola if your nipples are flat, and gently push the nipple outward with your thumb and forefinger. See an illustration of proper latch for breast-feeding.
Alternate which breast you offer first at each feeding.
Use different breast-feeding positions to drain all areas of your breast. See illustrations of different breast-feeding positions, including the Australian hold, cradle hold, cross-cradle hold, football hold, and side-lying position.
If you start to have sore or cracked nipples, get help from your doctor or a lactation consultant.
Other tips to help prevent mastitis include the following:

Air dry your nipples after each breast-feeding session to prevent irritation and cracking.
Keep an eye on whether using a nipple cream is easing pain from sore nipples and is not causing redness or infection. Nipple creams (such as lanolin cream) may help keep the nipples supple, thus decreasing the risk of infection from dry, cracked nipples. However, recent research suggests that some nipple creams, particularly papaya cream, may introduce bacteria to cracked nipples, increasing the risk of mastitis.2
Eat a healthy diet and drink plenty of fluids, whenever thirsty. Having something to drink while breast-feeding is a helpful way to get enough fluids.
Get plenty of rest. Ask for help with daily tasks from friends and family members whenever possible.
Make sure that your bra fits well and isn't tight and restrictive. This is especially important if you become engorged.
When you are ready to wean your baby, stop breast-feeding gradually. Gradual weaning is best for both of you. It helps prevent your breasts from becoming too full of milk and gives your baby time to adjust to new eating patterns. For more information, see the topic Weaning.
If possible, avoid using plastic shells for increasing air circulation to the nipple or for using a nipple shield. These breast-feeding aids can block milk flow and increase germs on the nipple surface, thus increasing the risk of mastitis. ***

Well, E. :) I truly hope you are feeling better! Don't ever be hesitant to call your doctor about anything either- no matter what time it is. You're a mommy and you NEED to make sure you're healthy and safe. I'm sure if your baby was sick you would have no second thoughts about contacting the pediatrician :)... let no hesitation ever exist for you either, as you are everything in the world to your Little One and you are so sweetly loved! :)

In Light,
Jennifer

Congrats on your baby! I'm so sorry that you're uncomfortable. One thing that really stands out is that you said your wonderful husband, and i'm sure he is, took all the feedings last night. were you up pumping at the same time? because that could be why you're so tender.

you must have been nursing you're baby for several feedings leaving you're body in a milk producing stage. some people get engorged with just ONE missed feeding.

your engorgement could be from a plugged duct or not enough emptying. I'm really concerned that you had a temp of 102. It's a bit reassuring that it came down. was that just with the tylenol? what happens if you stop taking it?

signs of mastitis include redness, tenderness, fever, flu like symptoms. since you're 12 days delivered, I wouldn't think that the fever is just from the milk production. I think it's from the milk flow not flowing or completely emptying leaving some of the milk in the breast.

even though it's the weekend and you can't call your doctor, there is a doctor on-call or the emergency department. you don't want it to get to mastitis. mastitis can lead to a need to be hospitalized. some hospitals let your baby stay with you and allow you to keep nursing--as that is one of the best things you can do to help it.

what to do in the mean time?

nurse frequently. at any sign of fullness--even if it means you might have to wake your baby up, your body will adjust to make how much your baby needs. if you notice any lumps, try massaging then moving from your chest wall towards the nipple--the direction of the flow of milk.

changing nursing positions sometimes helps too. it changes the amount of pressure the baby is putting on different ducts.

good luck, and do check with a health professional as soon as possible.

To better understand what engorgement is...

Your body has been circulating amniotic fluid for many, many months now. After your baby is born, all that fluid gets directed at your breasts. Your breasts work like the parachute behind a race car helping to slow it down. It is not a pleasant thing to go through, but know your body will transition.

If you ice your chest after nursing, it gives a signal to your body to slow the milk production down. Do this for about 20 minutes after each feeding/pumping until you reach the right amount of milk production. Ice works as a brake pedal. Heat works as a gas pedal, so to speak.

Even if you end up with mastitis, your milk is safe for your baby to drink. Of course, it is best to verify this or any other advice with a lactation specialist. You can contact La Leche League for free by email or phone. You can avoid mastitis IF you rest, for example, hire someone else to take care of tidying the house until you are transitioned.

Transition is complete once your baby starts sleeping through the night, by the way.

One area not enough parents are informed about is that by 6 weeks old their little baby's brain has develped to be capable of REM sleep. That means they are not only old enough to be trained to sleep through the night, but they will immediately reap the benefits of night-long undisturbed sleep, that being neurotransmitter repair and growth hormone. Too many babies are growing up without this until they are well into their 2nd and 3rd years of life. Yes, they need the nursing, and they also need their sleep. Ironically, also at 6 weeks old is when Post Partum Depression tends to set in and it is due to the mother not returning to the repairing sleep she also needs.

There are too many mothers who do not have respectful, limit setting skills who go around with a smile-mask on while their sleep deprivation is accumulating out of control. Please watch out for this unfortunate role that is prevalent in our culture now.

So, why nurse through the night during the first 6 weeks? The uterus needs the extra help in recovery during this time. Once the lochia stops flowing, this magic transition needs to be taking place for the mom and baby where the peace associated with undisturbed sleep sweeps across the family.

I hope you will have the patience to seek a COMPLETE transition. All these things work together to replenish us. Watch out for self-compromising solutions. Seek for win/win outcomes and you and your family will be blessed.

A super resource is Betty Kamen's Total Nutrition for Breast-feeding Mother's book. It is rocket fuel for a great mothering experience!

Both milks should be fine. Tylenol usually doesn't hurt babies, and the breastmilk you have when you're sick should be full of antibodies so will actually be GOOD for him.

Are there red spots or streaks on your breasts? Do they feel warm/hot? It sdounds like mastitis to me. I'd call your doctor asap. Mine prescribed antibiotics over the phone (yes, they're safe for nursing). Your breastmilk is safe for your baby. In fact, nursing and pumping is the best thing you can do to help unclog the ducts that are causing this. If you need it Tylenol is safe to take while nursing. My doc also has me nurse/pump every 2 hours and warm compresses every hour for 10 minutes, plus try to rest as much as possible and drink LOTS of water. When the ducts unclog you'll be able to feel the difference. The antibiotics will help you feel better quickly. You don't want tp let this infection go untreated as it can cause a lot of problems.

For future reference, you want to try and catch clogged ducts before they get to this stage. You can get clogged ducts by not fully emptying the breasts of milk or ill-fighting bra (that's how I got mine). When you start to feel engorged, tender, or see red spots/streaks, then step up the nursing/pumping and use compresses. I also use massage. Often you can stop this before the infection sets in (flu-like symptons are the tell-tale sign).

Call your doc or drop into a clinic. I hope you'll feel better soon.

I think you may have mastitis. I had this happen to me When my son was breasfeeding, somehow your milk ducks get cloged and it causes like an infection, i thought i had a cold, becasue of the fever and chills but i found out it wasn't, do you have a red spot on your breast? Like an irritated area? kinda feels warm to the touch? that was another sign, althought that came later for me, fever and chills was first.

you should try and breasfeed a little at a time to get the milk to flow and put a warm compress on for 10 minutes before feeding, and massage your breasts as you are feeding, its ok to feed if you have a fever and i think its pretty ok to feed your baby the milk from when you had a fever. But do call you doctor you'll probably will need antibiotics, i know its very painfull to feed probably but babies sucking is alot stronger then the pump so the best thing it to feed him straight from the breast but if you can't continue to pump. I hope this helps and you feel better soon :) Oh i think you can take tylenol too.

H.

I'm sure you probably have a mastitis or also known as a breast infection. Keep pumping and yes baby can have the milk you pump. I would recomend taking ibuorprofen rather than tylenol tho. And you WILL have to take antibiotics for it to clear up, yet and see if your doc can be paged to call in a prescription for you. He/she should understand. You can even have your ob doc call it in. Feel better!

You have mastitis. You do not need to pump and dump. Get into bed with your baby and nurse, nurse, nurse. Use warm compresses. The only way to get rid of mastitis is by breast feeding often and using heat. Hopefully it doesn't get worse, in which case you would need antibiotics. Treat it now and it will go away on its own. Your milk is totally safe for your baby. If you're not sure, go on kellymom.com and look up mastitis

Adela and Tera pretty much some it up. I didn't take the time to read all the responses, but I did want to add one more thing. Start each nursing session with the affected breast until it heals. That will help to empty it out faster, thus relieving your discomfort and decreasing the amount of time will take to heal.
Good luck and best wishes. Stick with it, it will get easier and much less painful. (For me, it took 8 weeks, but I was a slow learner and let my son use artificial nipples. Bad bad bad!)
Hang in there,
T.

I'm surprised so many have mentioned that antibiotics are nessasary to get over mastitis. I have had 3 bouts of it this time around (with my 3rd baby, now 8 mos.). Each time I followed the adivce about massaging in a warm shower, going to bed asap, nursing as much as possible, and taking tylonal. I usually feel much better within a day. Also, I have had great luck taking oscillocoxinum to help speed recovery. It is a homeopathic remedy (but available at my local Rite Aid) and is safe to use while breastfeeding.

Yes you can take Tylenol and give the baby the milk after you have taken it. Try putting a warm compress on your breasts or get in a nice hot shower and let the water run on your breast to help relieve the pressure. You should go see your doctor asap, but in the mean time look up clogged milk duct on the internet there is some helpful info..... good luck!

You have a breast infection is my guess...yes, absoultely still give your child the milk. Even if you're sick with something else, the baby will get your antibodies. And, if you don't nurse or pump, you're only going to make it worse for your breasts. You also need to see your doctor for antibiotics since your infection is that bad. It's not fun, but they normally don't last too long. Just take it easy, nurse like crazy and use compresses on your breasts to ease the pain. I'd vote for cold ones...

-M

Yes, feed your baby, nothing is wrong with your milk, you just have a clogged duct. Take something to decrease swelling like advil and use a heating pad on your breast. Sounds weird, but take a hot shower and hand express the breasts, this will loosen up whatever is causing the block. It will hurt as you do it, but you'll feel so much better afterwards. The best way to get over this is to nurse as often as possible and only pump if you can't get your boy to take the breast. I've had this several times, it should go away in a day or 2 at the most. If not, call your doc and see if you need an antibiotic. I've always been able to catch it before it gets to that point. Don't throw out your milk, you just have a lot of milk, that's the only problem, nothing wrong for your baby.

E.,
It sounds like you might have a breast infection. You should get that checked out as soon as possible. I have never had a breast infection, so I am not sure if it is okay to give the milk to your baby.
I hope you start feeling better.
T.

Hi E.,

I hope you are feeling better now. I read many of the response, but what I did not read on any of the ones I read was that when you start feeling lumps forming in your breast, you need to begin massaging your breasts right away. Many other people mentioned the warm bath, warm compresses and stuff. But, one of the most important things you can do is to have the baby nurse. While he is nursing, you need to massage your breast as he nurses. You want to move the milk down and out of all of the ducts. It can be uncomfortable and painful, but you want to make sure to do it, it will help things clear up faster. If your baby does not seem to be hungry and you feel like you need to empty your breast, you should go ahead and pump. The main goal at this point is to get yourself well so you can be a healthy mom again. Once you get well, be sure to pay careful attention to any lumps or ducts that seem to be clogged, then keep on massaging them so that they will stay open and free flowing. Best of luck with your new little one.
Hang in there with the breast feeding, it is a truly awesome experience for you and your baby. Hang in there.
T.

Hi E.,
Sounds like you have mastitis (sp?)...I just got over it and had the same fears as you. Yes you can and should continue to breastfeed from the breast that feels most engorged. Tylenol is safe to take and continue to breastfeed. I spoke to my OB as well as my baby's MD and they both said that fine to breastfeed/pump and give the milk. Also, because you had the fever, you will more than likely need to be on antibiotics to combat the bacterial infection(speak to your OB ASAP). This too is safe for the baby. For right now, you can take warm showers and massage/express your milk in the shower, use hot compresses on your breast(s) and express some of the milk. Although it is very painful, try not to avoid feeding your baby off the engorged breast. My son was 12 days old too when I got the infection, same symptoms as you 102 fever, painful engorged breast reddish/pink patches on the breast...he is now 30days old...tomorrow he will be one month. The only thing that is worse than the infection is having to take the antibiotics for 2 weeks 4x/day and you can't just stop taking them when you feel better, you need to complete the course or the infection is likely to return. I finally finished my course a couple of days ago. Anyway, I hope this advice helps good luck and hope you feel better soon.

P. S.

Hi there - i actually tried this and it really worked! my breast was so inflamed and red it was an obvious infection! here it goes: gel extracted from an aloe vera plant works best, but the plants may be difficult to find. Accordingly, you may want to buy an OTC aloe vera cream that contains the gel. But if you do, make sure that the cream contains a higher concentration of aloe vera than it does water or other solutions. If you can find the aloe vera plant it will work (this is what i used!)- roast it on the stove like you would a chile, cut it half and make sure it is as hot as you can stand it and put the gel part all around the infected breast/s, then put your bra back on. Change it every 2 hours for the next 24 hours, by the next day, it will have gone away. I continued to pump and breastfeed the baby. If its too painful, just pump every 2 hours. I did not beleive my mother and her remedy...but let me tell you it really worked! I didn't even go to the Dr's. I still can not believe that as red and painful as it was, i avoided anti-biotics and continued to nurse for the next 18 mos with no problems ;)

Remember the more you pump or nurse the more pressure you will relieve, so even if its painful keep on pumping! Adn it is up to you if you want to give the baby the milk. I did but not until the 3 pump.

And i recommended this to a friend who had gotten an infection with her implants and guess what it helped her within a few hours!! and she continued to use it around her stitiches and she can vouch that it helped her scarring and no more infections! (she is a breast cancer survivor)

Goodluck!

R.

Yes, you can still breast feed the baby . As the matter of fact, the more you breastfeed/ pump the better you will feel. Be sure to massage your breast (especially while pumping) as much as possible. Warm compresses feel good too. If the fever persists...contact your doctor. I had mastitis with each of my 3 children. It is not fun but antibiotics cleared it right up (and I was able to nurse even with the antibiotics)

HTH,
Rochelel

Hi E., Yes it's me....you should have just called me like your sister did when she had bf issues with shaun. Eitherway, Yes, you should continue to give him your milk, even if you have a fever. And yes you can take tylenol for the pain. I would also suggest that you wet a diaper and throw it in the microwave for about 25 sec. and use it as a compress for your boobs. It should help the milk come down out of the ducts. Massaging the breast down towards the nipple is helpful too. Oh and for the sore cracked nipples, try olive oil, it's natural and the baby might not even taste it. Call me if you have anymore questions. And good luck.

You can... and should... continue to breastfeed. Not only will it help with your engorgement, it will also give the baby antibodies from your body to keep him help healthy until you are better. Tylenol is okay for you to take while breastfeeding too. Two other thoughts... it might be a breast infection. Consider calling the La Leche League leader in your area. She will be able to give you lots of great information and assistance during this time. Second, why can't you call your doc on the weekend? He/she should have an answering service who will take your msg and have the doctor call you to speak to you by phone. Hope you're feeling better soon!

It sounds like you may have mastitis. It can be very painful and needs to be dealt with right away if that is what it is. You should go to the doctor tomorrow to see if there is an infection, or even to urgent care if the pain is terrible. Yes, the milk is fine even when you have a fever. No need to dump. Yes, you can take tylenol for the pain and it is fine to give baby the milk after you take a fever reducer.

Breast feed the baby! Your milk is just fine. And you can feed the baby the milk you pumped while you had the fever. Nursing empties breasts WAY better than pumping, so nurse, nurse, nurse! Use the football hold as well as other positions while nursing in order to hit all the milk ducts. Sounds like blocked ducts to me. Been there, done that! PAIN-FUL!!! Hang in there and nurse all you can.

Hi E.,

I had a similar experience with my first baby (2 weeks after giving birth). In my case, it was a breast infection due to nursing called mastitis. I would recommend taking the Tylenol (or Advil) right away to reduce the fever so you can function. It's okay to keep nursing throughout this time. Your milk is still the best thing for the baby. I would call your doctor to have your breast checked to make sure it's not mastitis. The fever could be just from the engorgement but the symptoms sure sounds like it's an infection. If it is, you'll be prescribed an antibiotic. I would keep nursing if it doesn't hurt so much. My left breast was infected so I just kept pumping it to relieve the engorgement. I would alternate cold and hot compresses on it and run a hot shower over it. I nursed on the good breast and just made sure I pumped so the milk kept coming. As soon as the infection was cleared, I stopped the antibiotic even before the recommended 7-10 days was over. Good luck!

No Tylenol while breastfeeding. Advil or Motrin is ok. I know this is opposite of when you were pregnant but it's better to take ibupufron (spelling?)
Not sure about the pumped milk. Call Hoag Hospital babyline (google those words and the number should come up). You can ask them questions - doesn't matter if you didn't deliver there.
Feel better!

You can still nurse. Having a fever will not affect your son. I nursed my twins for over 2 yrs and had colds, sinus infection, fevers etc and was told to continue nursing with no problems.
Tylenol is completely safe for nursing moms, but do not under any circumstance take aspirin or anything containing aspirin.
If you are engorged the best thing to do would be to nurse or pump very 2 hrs.
Good luck

E., you may have an infection or clogged duct in your breast. Because you have the fever I really think you will need to see the doctor for meds. I had this happen to me with my second child. I really can't remember about giving the baby the milk you pump, but I don't think you can give it to him. You can try warm compresses and a warm shower for the engorgment and try to express manually or with a hand pump to relieve the engorgment. Good luck.

Go to www.lelechelegue.com they are breast feeding experts. you will be able to find your answers there. you can also call the hospital and contact the lactation person there. my dostors office has a nurse on duty 24/7, you might want to check into yours. if you already haven't.
All doctors are different in what they tell you about what you can take while nursing. A lot of hot showers helped to relieve my engorgement.
I hope you feel better soon.
Take care
B.

When I was breastfeeding my second son, I experienced this problem. My fever soared to 103 and I was so engorged and in pain. I called the doctor and she called in an antibiotic for me, which I took as directed. After 3 days, when I should have been feeling better, I wasn't feeling the slightest bit better. So I called again to the doctor. She perscribed an even stronger antibiotic and fortunately, it worked. All in all I had the mastitis in both breasts for a good 2 weeks. My doctor feels that I somehow contracted the infection while in the hospital, since the infection came on within a few weeks of his birth. I couldn't hold my son, it hurt to have shirts on, the whole shebang. Showers were even painful. I had to take motrin to try and help with the pain. I will NEVER forget that pain. I can forget the pain of vaginal delivery, but I will never forget the pain of mastitis or that of my c-section.
The doctor told me that i needed to pump to relive the engorgement and eliminate the infected milk from the ducts. She said once the ducts were infected, the milk was too. So I had to pump excruciatingly many times a day to get through the infectin. I was told to NOT give the baby any of the milk, but to just dump it so he didn't get an infection as well.
Unfortunately for me, the prolonged length of the infection severely depleted my milk supply and I could no longer brestfeed after I was better. But I know that's not the case for all moms. I've known several to have mastitis and successfully nurse after the infection is gone.
My best advice to you is to call your doctor and prehaps get an antibiotic if he/she feels it is necessary. To relieve the engorgement, hot showers and manual expression help, as do hot packs over the breast while pumping. I also found that when it is mastitis, the tissue around the infected portion of the breast gets red and a bit swollen. Double check with your doctor, but my suggestion would be to dump the milk you extract until you are better. If you prefer not to do that, freeze it and mark it special so you kow which packets are from the time period you were ill. If doctor says to dump it, then get rid of those packets. If not, at least you have some frozen milk for a back up should you need it! Hope this helps a little good luck and hang in there!

Hello dear E.,

I'm afraid you have a case of mastitis. It's something I dealt with about six times during the first year of my son's life. Hopefully you can erradicate it on your own, but I always had to go on antibiotics when it got to the point of fever and body aches. It's so painful! Take your tylenol for now, keep nursing and/or pumping (you can definitely give your child that milk) and put hot compresses on whenever you can to alleviate the pain. Sitting in a hot bath or shower can help, too.

If you notice the symptoms early, you can sometimes cut it off at the pass. If you notice hard lumps or "veins" of milk in your breast, massage them, hot compresses, nurse to get rid of the clogged ducts. Also, clean your nipples before and after nursing with something like a gentle Lansinoh wipe. That can help prevent mastitis.

Good luck, call your doctor, and feel better!

Your milk is fine. Bless you for still pumping. Sounds like mastitis. Call your doc's office. Someone will be on call. Heating cabbage leaves in the microwave can often help. apply directly to the breasts. Call the pump station in SM or Hollywoood. I also applied hot compresses. I nursed for 4 yrs and pretty much had every bf related ailment. Tylemol is ok too for the fever. I know some take homeopathic drugs, but I went for the antibiotics. It's hard to mother when you feel so sick!Keep your ducts open and feel better!! Best H.

It sounds like mastitis to me - - it can be caused from a clogged milk duct and may cause an infection. I had it with my first baby and my doctor put me on antibiotics. He said the best thing to do was to continue nursing as it would help unclog the duct. Tylenol is one of the only medications I know is safe to take while pregnant and breastfeeding.

Try googling "mastitis" to find remedies to ease the pain i.e. hot pack, tylenol, warm bath, etc.

Hi, While I'm not sure about a fever and breastfeeding, I have taken tylenol and other OTC's while breastfeeding. I can recommend a nice warm shower, and massage your breasts while the water sprays on you. Make sure that if you have any hard spots and they are very warm, to massage them gently but throughly. I think the rule is just to get your milk out, or you won't feel better. I haven't had this that bad, but massaging in the shower always seemed to work the best. Good Luck

I'm and acupuncturist and herbologist. I also know from experience--I had mastitis 3 times while nursing. I suggest you go to urgent care or the hospital and get antibiotics (this is big coming from me b/c I never take med's)--but infection from mastitis came spread quickly and isn't something I would suggest "waiting out" until your Dr.'s office opens on Monday. Also, try to nurse and/or pump as much as possible (yes it is okay to nurse him, the milk will not hurt him and it is encouraged) and maggage the clogged ducts to try and clear out the infection. Hot packs on the painful areas and hot showers can help soften the hardness. Good luck--I know how much it hurts! Take comfort in knowing that breatfeeding DOES get much, much easier, and most people don't have mastitis more than once.

I had the same thing early on in nursing. I thought I was going to die! It is all OK though. Pump out and use later what the baby does not take on his own, take the Tylenol, don't throw out any of that liquid gold. It is still good to go. Your body is just trying to burn away the intruding substance (milk) because it is not familiar with it yet. It's OK. Blessings as you recover!

Hi E.,

I had this problem when I had my first son, it's called mastitis. My doctor said the best thing to do was to keep feeding the baby (or pump) from the engorged breast to help unclog the milk duct, which really hurts, but helps a lot. There's an article and tips about it on Babycenter.com. I found that a warm bath helped with the flu symptons. Good luck :)

You can take Tylenol, or Motrin for the pain and fever and still nurse your baby. Also for the pain warm showers followed by hand expressing milk before nursing will help baby to latch on. If you pump and feed with a bottle pump every 2-3 hrs, as baby needs. engoraged breasts are normal for a few days while your milk supply is regulating itself.

Sounds like mastitis. I had it twice. My doctor put me on antibiotics because it is a serious infection. She said it needed to be treated right away so she met me at her office on a Sunday morning. The nice thing is that the medication works fast so you feel better quick. You can continue breast feeding. Warm compresses and massage help too.

Mmmm. I'm sure I'm not the first person to say this, but it sounds like you have mastitis.

I had it twice when I began nursing. And the first time was after the exact same thing - my husband took the middle-of-the-night shift. What happens is, in that time you're not feeding, a clog can form and become infected. I remember waking up feeling like I a had the flu, my left breast was splotchy red and sore and I had a fever (classic symptoms)

But to answer your questions first - you can totally give your baby the pumped milk. You can totally take tylenol (or even ibuprofin) and yes, you can nurse. Some women don't like to, but according to my kid's pediatrician and my best friend (who is a pediatrician), it's fine.

The main thing to do is call your own doctor. I was told that if it doesn't go away on its own (using lots of pumping, warm compresses and mild pain relievers), you'll need to be put on antibiotics.

Sorry. No fun.

Hope you feel better.

E., Whatever you do, do not quit breastfeeding. It will only make the engorgement worse and more painful. Try to pump as much as possible, as often as possible you can freeze all the extra. And don't worry about having a fever or taking tylenol. It should not affect your son at all. You can also try to take a warm shower and express as much milk when your breasts are soft. Keep at it so you don't get really sick. Good luck!

Hi, E..

The fever is not a result of illness or infection, but the engorgement, so you can still nurse and give your baby the pumped milk.

However, you should take the Tylenol immediately after you've nursed or pumped because by the time the next round of nursing or pumping takes place, you would have already worked the medicine out of your system.

If the fever was a result of illness, then it's best to pump and dump. Although, when I had the stomach flu when my baby was 5-months-old, I nursed my baby, although it wasn't as frequent and bottle-fed her with my stored milk. I could barely get up to nurse my baby or pump, so my milk supply dramatically dropped in the week after that illness.

As for pumping and relieving the engorgement, do not pump until your breasts are empty, just pump until you've relieved the pressure. This is train them to not produce as much to where it's painful. Don't worry, your baby will get enough milk.

I've been nursing almost a year now and it's been a great experience. I am so sad that I'll have to begin weaning soon. The engorgement will diminish, I promise.

Congratulations on your new little one!

All the best,

E.

Hi E.,

A lot of moms have mentioned Mastitis. When your breasts are engorged and you have fever, that is the first thing you must check for. It can be very, very dangerous, and can both the fever and the infection can escalate quickly. Your doctor has a weekend number, or head into emergency or an urgent care clinic. This isn't something to wait on.

One fantastic old wive's remedy to relieve engorged breasts is using cabbage leaves. Get a cabbage, keep in in your fridge and use the leaves (they are very big) like you would a cold pack and cover your breast including the nipple area. I used to tuck them into my sleep bra and engorgement would be gone by the morning. There is something in the cabbage that draws out a bit of milk and the coolness of the leaves work miracles. You'll smell a bit funny, but it was the best remedy I found.

Massaging the hardened engorged ducts until they unclog (your milk will express quickly in seconds of unclogging) helps relieve the pain, and gets bacteria out at the same time.

Hi. Sorry to hear you're not well, but I went through the same thing after my daughter was born, and of course on a weekend too :)
When I was sick, I called my OBGYN and told the doctor on call my symptoms and they called in a prescription to the pharmacy for me. If your doctor is not willing to do this ( which would surprise me, but all doctors are different) then I would recommend going to urgent care. Infections can get pretty nasty if they're not treated.
As far as nursing or pumping they encourage you to keep going as it helps draw out the infection, and the milk is perfectly safe for the baby. Taking Tylenol is safe too, but only Tylenol. Also make sure you let the person prescribing know you're breast feeding so they prescribe a safe medication. Massaging the breast down towards the nipple, and putting a warm washcloth on your breast should help ease some of the pain.
Good luck and I hope you feel better soon,G.

yes. It is still ok to feed your baby. Unless you have injections with steroids or morphone, something like that, you are fine to take over the counter meds for your fever and still breast feed!

Sounds like you have a breast infection (I had it with both my boys). Yes, nurse and continue to nurse even with a fever. Tylenol should be safe. Also put cabbage leaves (sounds strange but works) in your bra. If your fever doesn't go away by MOnday, go to your doctor to see if you need antibiotics. I totally sympathize with you! Get as much rest as you can.

it sounds like a clogged milk duct. if you can get antibiotics that would help. you can certainly still nurse or pump even if you take tylenol, i hope you feel better soon. congrats on the new baby.

Hi E. I wouldn't give your baby milk you pumped while runninga fever, cauase you don't know what caused the fever. Juli

Tylenol is really not good for the immune system as it tells it to stop working. Motrin has always been a worker bee in our house for myself and the children.

Epson Salts baths. I use them for a variety of causes and illnesses. Dissolve one to two cups in the bath water (warmer the better - hot to make you sweat is great/not for the kids, keep it a little cooler).

Your antibodies are working and that will never be a bad thing for your baby. Please read up also on vaccinations as you are going to be pressured into the One Size Fits All. Dr. Robert Sears has a new book called The Vaccine Book and there is an excellent one by Dr. Stephanine Cave, What Your Doctor May NOT Tell You About Children's Vaccinations.

Contact the La Leche League. They are wonderful providers of information as well in this area. Congratulations:o)

Yes, you can give the milk to the baby. The best way to get rid of the engorgement is to feed your baby more. Let him BF as long as he wants, any time he wants, and the engorgement will go away and stay away. If you don't keep up on it, it may turn into an abcess, which you don't want.

Hi, it sounds like you might have mastitis. I've had it twice. Mastitis's "calling card" is a red rash on your breast radiating out from the nipple. The fever and pain (I've found) come first and then the rash right after. I believe mastitis is ususally only in one breast. Call your dr as this can be serious without antibiotics.
But if it is mastitis, to answer your questions, yes, definitely pump regularly and often. It helps clear through the engorgement. And yes, the milk is fine for the baby, even if you take Tylenol. I always took Motrin. For the fever, when you are burning up, I found that draping cool washcloths over my head, neck, torso helped.
But please call your doctor asap!

Nurse Nurse Nurse Nurse!!! and while you do that massage any hard lumps or where any red soreness is. If the baby does not want to nurse or is full you can put warm cloths on the breast to help flow...you can also soak your breasts in a tub of warm water too. Sounds like plugged ducts to me. I would try and keep the breasts close to empty to avoid mastitis(sp?) If the engorgement is pretty bad make sure you don't sleep with a bra and lay on a towel to let the breasts just leak when they need to. I know it sounds messy but you want to keep them flowing not plugged so try and avoid laying on your side too. Once things open up you can worry then about how to slow your milk production if you need to:-)

Good Luck
M.

Is your fever related to mastitis or some other illness? If it's mastitis, I think you have to pumo and dump on that side so you don't risk infecting the baby...check with your lactation consultant.

If it's just a regular fever from something common like a cold or flu and not related to an infection on your breast, you can still feed your baby normally.

Tylenol is okay to take and still feed your baby. I would consult your lactation consultant before taking anything stronger than Tylenol though. There is also a book called Medications and Mothers Milk (or it might be Mothers Milk and Medications). Most LC's refer to this book.

you can definitely take tylenol and still breastfeed your baby...in fact, since you're engorged the more you nurse, the better you'll feel....definitely sounds like mastitis which i've had and which is extremely painful :(
try massaging your boobs in a hot shower, and also wet, warm compresses.....you can also pump between feedings.....the more you "empty" your milk, the better
also, your doctor MUST have someone on call?! you're possibly going to need an antibiotic which i take only when absolutely necessary.....you should try to page someone so this doesn't get out of hand, truly...
good luck, keep us posted!

Hello E. ...

I've been a lactation specialist for about 27 years. With an elevated temp and severe pain, you may have a mastitis, a breast infection. No, you don't have to throw away the milk you pumped. You do need to make an appointment to see your doctor who may prescribe antibiotics for you.
Another symptom of mastitis is red, lumpy/bumpy areas on the breast or under the arms and oftentimes they're warm/hot to the touch.
Continue to nurse your baby but do get medical attention.
Most likely your milk ducts are starting to back up and plug up. Nurse frequently and do some pumping in between feedings to keep the channels flowing.
Cool gel packs may feel soothing. Tylenol will help to bring the fever down, but it won't clear the infection.

Hang in there!
~M.

Yes..you can give him the milk that you pumped when you had the fever and when you took the tylenol. tylenol is safe. also, the baby will not be affected by your fever as most likely it is a reaction to your engorgement. Take hot showers or apply warm compresses to relieve the engorgement and then nurse or pump. good luck.

Hi E.:

Sound like you have breast infection. I also had it few times since my baby was born.
Answering your questions:

Can I still give my baby the milk I pumped while I had a high fever?
Yes, you can there is nothing wrong with it. I know how painful it is, but you were right to pump or breastfeed.
You need to get read of that milk and not to make the problem worse.

The breastfeeding can be very hard at the beginning, but you'll go through it. It is very important at the beginning to "work" with you new baby. Your body is getting use to the changes and will produce as much milk as your baby will need. So it is better not to pump and throw away the milk, because your body will "think" that you have twins and will produce more milk. I also learn from the experience that baby does better and quicker job,than the best pump.

And yes, it is ok to take Tylenol, just do no overdose. Also
warm compresses or massaging your breasts in a warm shower will help with engorgement. If it does not get better you should see the doctor and you probably would need to take antibiotics. If yes, my advise parallel to take probiotic for your stomach.

And last, if your wish to talk to an export call any lactation center in your area.

Hope it will help,
N.

WELL GO TO THE DOCTOR ENGORGE, PAIN AND FEVER COULD BE YOUR BODY GETTING USE TO NURSING OR IT MAY BE A SIGN OF MASTITIS. WHICH ISNT TO SERIOUS IF TAKEN CARE OF SOON ITS MORE PAINFUL AND FLU FEELING THAN ANYTHING. CHECK THE LINK BELOW THERE IS A BUNCHA INFO THERE ABOUT MASTITIS. I WAS ABLE TO TAKE IBUPROPHEN WHILE I NURSED AND IT WAS WITH A PREMIE. LA LECHE AND OTHER BF SITES I HAVE CHECKED SAY IT IS OKAY TO NURSE WITH A FEVER. HOPE THAT HELPS AND FEEL BETTER SOON.

http://www.babycenter.com/0_mastitis_251.bc?articleId=251...

If you can't take care of it with massage and nursing, you should probably go to the urgent care or doctor. They'll give you antibiotics, but you can still nurse your baby. You can take Tylenol and it won't harm your baby. I take it all the time for headaches. Hope you feel better soon.

Sounds like mastitis. One of your milk ducts probably got plugged up and is causing an infection that's why you have fever. It happened to me I know it's terrible when you're trying to care for your baby. You can take tylenol and still feed your baby even if you had fever it won't make your baby sick. I know it can be scary. But don't worry. Just get to the doctor and he should give you antibiotics which of course he'll give you ones you can take while your nursing. When this happened to me it was on the weekend and I went to afterhours clinic just for later reference if your medical group has one. Take care of yourself. Sincerely A.

You need to see your doctor asap. It sounds to me like you have mastitis. Also try a hot shower and massaging the area of your breasts that hurt. Your dr will prescribe an antibiotic that is safe during breastfeeding. It is okay to take tylenol or acetaminiphin while you are breastfeeding.

Sounds like you have mastitis. You cangive the baby the milk you pumped as there is nothing wrong with the milk. You can also nurse and you should. The baby may be successful in getting the duct clear. Do you feel any lumps. If so put heat and massage. lots of rest. Yeah right with a baby. If you still have the fever you may need to go to the doctor. The problem is that if they give you antibiotics you then have to worry about getting thrush/yeast. If you can get your fever down, have the baby nurse a lot to relieve the plugged duct, maybe you can beat it yourself. You are okay to take tylenol and should definitely nurse alot! Hope you get better soon.

Poor Mama, it sounds like you might have breast mastitis. Please go se an MD ASAP, you probably need antibiotics. Your milk if fine to give Baby, motrin/tylenol all ok, They will probably give you Keflex, an antibiotic that is okay when breast feeding. Please see a Doc soon, keep nursing and pumping to get through this. Best wishes!

Sounds like a clogged duct, or breast infection. there are many ways to respond but my experience is to drink tons of water and apply at least 4 HOT COMPRESSES all over the breast and then express the breasts immediately afterwards. it is painful but the only way to actually work out the clogged duct which can turn into an infection. when you go the the dr. they will probably tell you you have mastitis and give you antibiotics. i have had this sevaral times, always from not drinking enought h20 but never had to do antibiotics. if you don't do the above protocol, it probably won't work. good luck, it's really painful and also exhausting and achy.

With one of my first two children, I developed mastitis: engorged, fever, painful to touch, etc. Through Kaiser (they are so great), I was able to get diagnosed by phone and my husband picked up the recommended antibiotics.
If that's not an option for you, you can take tylenol without harm to your child. And yes, keep nursing or pumping, the milk won't harm your child, but keep those ducts flowing.
A warm bath to soak your breasts and massage them is very helpful.
Good luck

Hi E.,

Yes, you can nurse your baby through colds, fever, flu, and mastitis infections - which is what it sounds like you have. The baby will be fine. Yes you can take tylenol or motrin for the fever and pain - if possible, it's best to take it just after you nurse. Mastitis is an infection you can get when nursing - something about bacteria getting in through cracks in the nipples. It is characterized by fatique, engorged and painful breasts, low-grade fever, and red streaks that appear around the breasts and/or chest. You must try to nurse through the pain so your milk ducts don't clog and make things worse. I don't know of any way to take care of it outside of antibiotics, and you need to treat mastitis as soon as possible. The longer it goes, the worse you'll feel - some women can't get out of bed. I'm still finishing my antibiotics from an infection earlier this week. Between my two kids it's happened to me twice. So it's pretty common, but not something that happens all the time. Doesn't your ob/gyn have an exchange line - an answering service where they will pass your message on to a doctor on call? Most likely, your doctor would call in a prescription for you right away if you have all the symptoms. Otherwise, please call a.s.a.p. in the am -- but TRY today!! Good Luck, hope you're feeling better soon! If you have one of the "What to expect your first year" books, it's in there as well.

Your most likely getting sick.
One thing I never did was feed my baby while I was sick.
Keep pumping like crazy or your loose your milk.
But you do not want to give it to the baby and your baby gets sick.
And yes you can take extra strength tylenol but not the night time one. And yes you can pump and give the baby milk when you take tylenol. Nothing stronger though.
Hope you feel better.

Congrats on your new baby! I'm so sorry you aren't feeling well. Nurse the heck out of your little guy though. You having a fever or anything for that matter, will not hurt him. Even you if you must take Tylenol. However, a fever is how your body fights off infection so I'd only take something if you are really uncomfortable. Take very good care of yourself and try not to get engorged, you don't want to get mastis (spelling).

www.kellymom.com is a great resource for nursing Mom's.

Be well,
M.

it sounds like an infection of your breast, or mastitis. i am not a dr but i believe taking tylenol is fine, and i dont think you need to dump the milk IF its a breast infection. i also think the baby nursing will help clear any blocked ducts.

also, just b/c its the weekend doesnt mean you can't call the dr. they have drs on call 24hrs a day. its probably a good idea to do so. check out kellymom.com for a TON of good breast feeding info, including your issue. good luck!

I'm pretty sure you have mastitist. The symtoms are usually bady ache, fever, basically feels like the flu. I was told to keep nursing, but you may want to check w/ your DR. You can take Tylonal..usually. But the best thing is acidolphilus. I would buy the tablets you can get at CVS, or a lot of places. It works like a natural antibiotic. I've had Mastitis a few times, and acidophilus did the trick...w/out antibiotics. Acidophilus can work pretty quickly. Take that and hot shower, and you need to massage your breast in the shower. This helps clear the clogged duck. Feel Better! Jennifer

You probably have Mastitis. I got it while I was nursing too and when I stopped nursing I got it again. It is no fun at all. Yes you can still nurse in fact that would be best. The more empty you keep your breast the better. If you can not go to an urgent care today I would just call your Doctor on Monday. They will probably just give you a prescription over the phone.
Good luck.

I would continue to pump, but maybe supplement with formula until you've seen your doctor. There's no telling what you may have picked up in the hospital. If you had a c-section, or even a catheter with an epidural, you could have some sort of infection. I had a bladder infection two weeks after our third child was born from the catheter, that's why that came to mind. I hope you feel better soon! Congrats on the new baby. :)

Hi E.,
I got this with both of my past babies. It usually comes between 1 and 2 weeks after the baby is born. You can get meds for it but having your infant feed on the breast that is engorged will hurt at first but it will feel SOOOO much better afterwards. Your milk is totally safe for him. Have your husband go out and buy you a cabbage and put it in refrigerator and then put some of it on your breast. This will help soothe it. A warm shower will help too. I did not take meds for mine simply because it happened both times over a weekend and in just a couple of days it was gone. Hope this helps. and yes you can take tylenol.
H.

E. have you tried warm compresses? Maybe a hot shower? Yes you can still give the milk to the baby and you can take 400-600mg of Motrin every 4-6 hours to help with the pain and fever. They do not recommend Tylenol to new moms unless you are allergic to motrin. Are you breastfeeding exclusivly or doing breast and bottle? I could better help you if I knew more.

P.S. If you use cabbage leaves make sure to crush the whole leave by rolling over it with a rolling pin first before applying it to your breast for optimum results.

T.

sound like you have a plugged duct. you should feed him more on that breast to get it unplugged. if you feel a lump that is where the plug is at. place his chin there to suck it out. YES!! you can feed him when you have a fever, and tylenol should be fine when you BFed. Good luck, just keept nursing and it may just go away on its own.

yes you absolutely cangive your baby your pumped breast milk. i have to take pain medicine everday due to a muscle disease and i have breast fed two children while doing this with advice from my obgyn who prescribed meds. both my children are perfectly healthy. tylenolis completely fine as long as you take it as directed.
hope you feel better
R.

Even if you are sick, you are to still continue to breastfeed your baby, so that means she can have the pumped milk. Also, Tylenol is fine to take while breastfeeding, but not Ibuprofin. Do not take Motrin, as it has Ibuprofin. Hope this helps.

Hi, it's been almost a year since I stopped nursing my 2-year-old, but I had many episodes of blocked ducts and one that turned into fever & chills. Also on the weekend--of course! Not sure what a professional would say, but I was able to finally clear the duct by doing the old hot-shower trick, and massaging the duct while I was in there, and then pumping & massaging afterward. (If you're feeling awful and possibly in danger of passing out in the shower, you might have your husband sit in the bathroom with you.) After several attempts at this, I guess it finally cleared, and my fever went away in just a few hours. I feel for you! Best of luck!!

Yes you can take tylenol!! It doesn't cross over into the breast milk. I don't know if you have to throw it out due to your fever. I doubt it but I would double check! You could call your pediatrician mine always has a nurse on call, the lactation consultant at the hospital you delivered at should also be available and if not all the maternity ward nurses know what to tell you to do. Also invest in a thorough breast feeding how to book you'll have lots of answers at your finger tips that way. Hope you feel better soon! Congrats on your new baby boy!
*M.*

Sounds like you have Mastitis. I had that a couple of months ago. You can take tylenol to reduce your fever. Don't worry about having to pump and then feed your baby. Your baby can still breastfeed while you have a fever. Your baby can be your bestfriend while you have mastitis because they help keep that milk flowing. My doctor prescribed an antibiotic that really helped. I have a friend though that didn't want to take antibiotics for her mastitis and she ate raw garlic and that did the trick. If you can stand the taste, it is a good natural option. Good luck!