Hi! I personally have had experience with persistent, repeated mastitis, and through a wonderful nurse midwife, who remembered something from one of her textbooks, discovered that some people are very sensitive to saturated fats in their diet.  

Many moons ago, when i had my first child, I got mastitis on day 3, and had mastitis 5 times in 8 weeks--ended up being told that I had to stop breastfeeding, and actually feeling relieved, because it had been the worst time in my life.

When pregnant with my second child, I started discussing the problem with the midwife.  We made a plan to cut way back on saturated fats as soon as the baby was born, and to take Lecithin as well, which they think makes the milk ducts more slippery.  So, I followed the plan, and had not problem at all.  We then experimented, and gradually increased my saturated fats, and if I overdid it, I would start to get sore, then I would back off.  I did this same thing for my subsequent child.  Of course, back then, they had nothing to tell me what had saturated fat in it.  I researched it myself, and found that if i avoided dairy and meat fats as much as possible, that fit the bill.

Whenever I have a mother with plugged milk ducts or mastitis, I recommend that they cut out as much dairy and meat fats as possible, and take Lecithin 3600-4800 mg lecithin per day, or 1 capsule (1200 milligram) 3-4 times per day. After a week or two with no blockage, mom can reduce the dosage by one capsule.   This is Jack Newman's recommendation, and you can find more information on this at <kellymom.com>

If this mother hasn't tried this, perhaps it will help her.

Kathleen L. Gale RN, IBCLC. RLC
Hospital Lactation Consultant

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