Can I still breastfeed if I have breast inflammation?

You cannot breastfeed when your breasts are inflamed. You should drain the milk, then treat the inflammation first, and then breastfeed, so as not to introduce the virus into the baby's body. For a common disease like mastitis, if the breast is not festering, you can drain the milk, boil it and feed it to the baby, but it is best not to use breast milk. It is best to feed with milk powder during this period to avoid affecting the baby.

If a mother suffers from mastitis, the biggest concern is whether she can continue to breastfeed her baby and whether it will affect the baby's health. Can you breastfeed if you have mastitis during lactation? If it is acute mastitis, there is no need to stop breastfeeding. When mastitis causes abscesses, the mother should stop breastfeeding on the affected breast.

1. If a mother with mastitis only has red and swollen breasts but no pus has formed, and the milk discharged looks the same as normal milk, the milk can be heated and boiled before feeding it to the baby.

Because if breastfeeding is stopped, it will not only affect the baby, but the pregnant woman's milk may also accumulate. Therefore, if you feel breast pain, swelling, or even local redness of the skin, you should not stop breastfeeding, but feed your baby frequently and let the baby eat up as much breast milk as possible.

Before breastfeeding, the mother should apply a hot, wet towel on the breast and continue to breastfeed the baby, especially when breastfeeding with the painful breast, and let the baby open his mouth wide and hold the areola. Gently massaging the lump while breastfeeding, using your fingers to work your way from the lump toward the nipple, can help unblock a clogged duct. Wear loose clothing and rest as much as possible.

2. When local suppuration occurs in the breast, breastfeeding on the affected side should be stopped and the milk should be discharged. At the same time, the other healthy breast can still feed the baby. Breastfeeding should be completely stopped only when the infection is severe or the abscess needs to be drained, or when breast atrophy occurs, and measures to stop milk production should be taken under the guidance of a doctor.

Through the introduction in this article, we can know that whether breastfeeding is possible with mastitis during lactation depends on the patient's specific situation. If you are a breastfeeding woman, it is best not to stop breastfeeding as soon as you find mastitis. In fact, if mastitis is not too serious, it will not affect breastfeeding. The content of this article is worth timely reference for patients with mastitis.