Treatment

Mastitis treatment might involve:

• Antibiotics. If you have an infection, a 10-day course of antibiotics is usually needed. It's important to take all of the medication to minimize your chance of recurrence. If your mastitis doesn't clear up after taking antibiotics, follow up with your doctor.
• Pain relievers. Your doctor may recommend an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others).

It's safe to continue breast-feeding if you have mastitis. Breast-feeding actually helps clear the infection. Weaning your baby abruptly is likely to worsen your signs and symptoms.

Your doctor might refer you to a lactation consultant for help and ongoing support. Suggestions for adjusting your breast-feeding techniques might include the following:

• Avoiding prolonged overfilling of your breast with milk before breast-feeding.
• Trying to ensure that your infant latches on correctly — which can be difficult when your breast is engorged. Expressing a small amount of milk by hand before breast-feeding might help.
• Massaging the breast while breast-feeding or pumping, from the affected area down toward the nipple.
• Making sure your breast drains completely during breast-feeding. If you have trouble emptying a portion of your breast, apply warm and moist heat to the breast before breast-feeding or pumping milk.
• Breast-feeding on the affected side first, when your infant is hungrier and sucking more strongly.
• Varying your breast-feeding positions.