Last year I cared for a woman post partum who had mastitis treated during
her first pregnancy (don't remember whether it was with an appropriate ab).
When she delivered she still had a palpable non-tender lump where the
mastitis had been.  It didn't change in early lactation and she was
discharged home breastfeeding quite happily.  Anyway 2 weeks pp she was
readmitted with an abscess to be drained - it had flared up and she
presented as a typical mastitis. (Thank heaven it wasn't cancer, as in a
recent post)
Our surgeons are positively barbaric the way they treat abscess - putting a
drain in through one aspect of the breast and out through the lower surface.
I've had mothers faint when they've seen the surgeons handy work for the
first time.  They keep leaving orders not to breastfeed off that breast, but
if the tube is far enough away from the nipple we do breastfeed the infant.
It distresses me just to think of it.
Denise
Brisbane, Australia