Dear Wise Ones, I have permission to post. Mom had severely cracked nipples upon hospital discharge. She was diagnosed with mastitis 2 and a half weeks postpartum. Had I&D for abcess in left breast. Incision was made about 3 cms from edge of areola at about 5 o'clock position. Copious amounts of milk drained from wound for three weeks. The incision is now mostly healed and it leaks just a tiny amount. Mom is having little success with pumping this breast, hand expression is not very effective either. Baby will occasionally nurse on that side with a nipple shield. He did not do well today on the left breast, probably due to little flow. Breast is always very firm. Reverse pressure softening doesn't really accomplish much. Mom has not been able to use moist heat very much from the beginning of mastitis diagnosis. Nipple is very flat and won't evert. Mom is by herself most of the day. Baby has continued to grow well nursing on the right breast. I have suggested moist heat for 15 minutes prior to attempting to nurse baby or pump and do reverse pressure softening just before latching or pumping or hand expressing. I wondered if a breast shell worn between feedings would help promote some leakage. We tried pumping while she was feeding baby, but didn't get much. Mom would like to dry up the milk in the left breast. Do you think cabbage would help? The doctor will most likely tell her on Thursday that she has to give up breastfeeding entirely as he feels that the breast will never involute without this occurring. This is contrary to what I have read in Jack Newman's Ultimate Breastfeeding Answer Book. Do you have any other suggestions for the mom? She has worked so hard to continue to nurse and her goal is for one year. Thank you for any advice. Mary-Jane Sackett, RN, BSN, IBCLC, RLC, CCE, CD(DONA) Registered Lactation Consultant, Certified Childbirth Educator and Certified Doula Maternal Child Health Visiting Nurse Pittsfield, MA *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html