Home Remedy Treatments for Breast Infections

Cracked and bleeding nipples brought on by those first few days of breast-feeding can leave you vulnerable to infection of the breast, called mastitis. While it is rarely serious, mastitis can be quite painful and cannot be cured without the use of an antibiotic.

Signs that you may have mastitis include:

a reddened area on the fleshy part of the breast that is painful to the touch and ranges from the size of a quarter to the whole side of the breast


a fever of up to 102 degrees Fahrenheit


general achiness


chills
The symptoms tend to come on rapidly, and you may experience only one or two of them or all of them at once.

While you will need to see a doctor if you suspect you have mastitis or any other breast infection, there are a few home remedies you should try on your own as your infection is being treated:

Continue nursing, starting with the infected breast each time. This may sound like sheer lunacy when you are in so much pain, but it helps clear the infection. And don't be worried that you'll hurt the baby; it's the area around the milk duct, not the milk itself, that is infected. Try nursing at least every two to three hours, and more frequently if the baby is willing.

Prior to nursing, pack the breast in heat. Use a warm towel with a plastic bag over it to better retain the heat. Once the breast is warm, massage it from the fleshy part where it attaches to the chest down to the nipple. Spend extra time gently massaging the sore spot.

Get in bed. You need to go on full bed rest while you fight the infection. This is your time to take care of yourself and let everyone else nurture you. Usually, it takes only about 24 to 36 hours for the pain to pass. Be sure to continue taking the antibiotics as directed for the full time prescribed, however, even if you feel better before then.

Relieve clogged milk ducts. Another problem that can cause breast discomfort is a clogged milk duct. It is characterized by a hard, uncomfortable lump in the fleshy part of the breast that can be very tender to the touch. It isn't usually accompanied by a fever. To relieve the pain of a clogged duct, pack the breast in heat before feedings, get the baby to nurse on the infected breast first, and massage the hard spot the whole time the baby is nursing to loosen up the milk and unclog the duct. A clogged duct usually resolves itself within 24 hours. If the pain and other symptoms of a clogged duct don't clear up in that time, contact your doctor. Milk that remains locked in a duct for more than a day raises the risk of infection, because the fluid may leak into the breast tissue, where it creates a moist environment for bacteria to reproduce.

It's important to keep in mind that a pattern of problems can occur when a minor problem with breast-feeding is not addressed properly. This pattern often begins with sore nipples. Unless adjustments are made to the breast-feeding technique and other care taken to ease the discomfort, the nipple soreness may prompt the mother to limit breast-feeding, which in turn can lead to engorgement. Engorgement may promote clogged ducts that, if slow to resolve, can lead to breast infection. On the other hand, paying prompt attention to sore nipples and engorgement can often prevent the clogged ducts and infection from ever developing.