Hello,

I have permission to post.  My recent outpatient visitor has an 11-week old baby boy and was breastfeeding fairly well despite a tight posterior tongue tie which they decided not to treat at this time due to family input.  She developed mastitis in the left breast a couple weeks ago with redness, fever and pus coming from the nipple.  The infection seemed to be centered very close to the areola on the inner quadrant and she said she could feel it almost coming up toward the skin.  She was treated with antibiotics and her MD told her to stop breastfeeding on that side, so she pumped instead of putting him to breast.  She says now that milk only comes out of the outer pores of that nipple.

Currently, the baby will latch and drink on the left but starts fussing quickly.  He took 0.6 oz from the left despite latching and relatching several times.  She has been pumping that breast after every feeding and is becoming worn out.  He latched onto the right and despite lots of clicking took 1.8 oz.  She seems to have an overactive letdown on the right and low supply on the left, so this guy seems pretty confused.  He has also had some bottles.

I gave her some handouts on herbal remedies for increasing supply, but I think the left may not come back to a better supply.  What do you think?  Is two weeks too soon to tell?  Will the herbs help the left or just overactivate the right?  Can there be permanent scarring of the ducts in addition to simple involution?  I have suggested to put him to the left breast first so he can do more vigorous sucking.  She does breast massage while he is eating.  We tried a lactation aid with a feeding tube but mom didn't like that.

Thanks so much for any input!

Marie Zahorick, LLLL, IBCLC
Silver Cross Hospital
Joliet, IL.

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