21 Apr Mastitis Natural Remedies
Are you looking for mastitis natural remedies? I love it when I’m faced with a challenge to beat an illness without the use of conventional medicine. Don’t get me wrong, conventional medicine definitely has a place and I’m grateful for it for necessary purposes, but many illnesses today are able to be supported with natural remedies! My passion for natural remedies consumes me! I live and breathe to figure out how to use what God has provided for us to live a healthy lifestyle. This past weekend, I had a chance to take a challenge against….my breast.
Oh, breastfeeding, the joy of breastfeeding. I love being able to feed my daughter the best thing a little human can have, even when I’m in pain from it! It all started so suddenly. The pain. The throbbing. The tenderness. I thought it was my nursing bra that might have been too tight, but even when I loosened my bra, the pain continued & it got worse as the day went on. Later that night, I started to feel flu-ish.
I had chills, achy muscles, painful boob, a little bit of a headache, flashes of nausea off & on, just an overall feeling of under the weather. I went to bed early to try and sleep it off. The next morning, I couldn’t even get out of bed, my breast felt so heavy & pained. When I looked at it, I saw it. The red streaks. I cried. I blame it on my hormones. Or the fact that I really really didn’t want to have mastitis. I was ready to beat this though, without antibiotics. I rarely take antibiotics.
What I Did During My Experience With Mastitis That May Help You
1) Nurse as much as you can! Seriously, don’t stop. It will only make it worse. Baby’s suckling is one of the strongest and best ways to unlodge a plugged duct (which is usually the main reason mastitis comes from). I always tried to start nursing off the infected breast first, but don’t let your other breast get too full to the point where it could end up getting a plugged duct. Note** I didn’t even realize I had a plugged duct! I usually do, I have had a few before, but for some reason not this time.
2) Massage! While nursing, massage firmly where the plugged duct is. Press down where the plugged duct is and firmly push towards the nipple. You can try also a clockwise motion as well. Try to massage a little bit before nursing, that way the duct can be loosened a little bit.
3) Hot/Cold Compresses! These were my best friends! They helped relieve the pain & calm down the inflammation. I have a compress that is full of rice that can be heated in the microwave. I mostly use the hot compress before, during, and after nursing to help the plugged duct become unplugged. Warmth definitely helps unlodge it. I did a couple of cold compresses throughout the day because it seemed to help the pain.
4) Rest! I’m sure you don’t want to do anything else anyway, but it’s an important factor in battling mastitis. Your body needs to rest. This was the only upside to having mastitis. Rest for this mama!
5) Daily Regime. Having a healthy daily regime can help. I do a handful of things every day. I do Vitamin C, Elderberry, Multi-Vitamin, Cod liver oil, Turmeric, Reishi Mushroom, etc. These are great immune boosters that help fight infections. I also do a cup of echinacea tea at least once a week; I do it more often when someone in my family is sick. Echinacea is great for boosting the immune system. It has antibiotic, pain-relieving, antioxidant, and has reduced inflammation properties.
6) Phytolacca! I had my husband run out and grab me some Borion homeopathic pellets, specifically phytolacca. There was a study in cows that showed phytolacca helped treat mastitis. KellyMom also suggested the use of using phytolacca, 30c 3 pellets & letting it dissolve in the mouth. A few of my mama friends also suggested this to me.
7) Raw Garlic! I chopped up a clove of garlic after every meal. After I minced up the garlic, I let it sit out for at least 10 minutes to activate the healing properties. After it sits out, I just swallow all the pieces like a pill. (I like to chase it down with homemade elderberry syrup, it helps with the taste.) Garlic has allicin, which is active in garlic that has extremely amazing antibiotic & antimicrobial properties.
8) Lavender Essential Oils! I make my own pre-made roller bottles; some roller bottles use blends of different essential oils and fractioned coconut oil and some I just mix one oil with fractioned coconut oil. Some single oil roller bottles I have are lavender and oregano. Lavender is great calming oil, it’s known for being anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, sedative, antispasmodic, and so much more! Lavender is an amazing oil! I rolled it on my breast where my clogged duct was and right under it as well. I did this throughout the day.
9) Warm Bath! Nothing felt better than submerging my breast into a warm bath mixed with epsom salts and some lavender essential oil. Not only did it feel amazing, but it helped me get into a deep sleep, which is important for healing any type of infection in the body.
I hope you feel encouraged to try some of these if you are battling with mastitis and are looking for natural remedies around the house. I’m thankfully recovering today and back to an almost normal breast. Natural Remedies for the win!
Do you have any mastitis natural remedies that have worked for you?
Blessings,
Lahana
