Mastitis & C Section infection....

As it says, yep I had mastitis & C Section Infection at the same time after I gave birth to my Son! Pain wasn’t the word I had to bed rest after the C Section but to have 2 infections in my body is ridiculous.

Firstly to start with the Mastitis! Iv never felt such pain in my life in my breast before only when you have sore breast when you get pregnant and that wasn’t really that bad that could be handled! But this pain was next level you couldn’t literally touch your breast without the sending striking pains into your chest! When showering that hurt so much and milk was dripping due to the pressure and warmth of the water. I wasn’t able to breast feed as Dalton wasn’t latching. My breast were rock hard like I was something out of the fantastic 4! They were a little red also. I had to ride the storm as I had my baby’s to look after so I got plenty of bed rest and took ibruphen & paracetamol & kept up with my fluids to stay hydrate that seemed to have worked.

Mastitis is a condition which causes a woman's breast tissue to become painful and inflamed. It's most common in breastfeeding women, usually within the first three months after giving birth.

If mastitis is caused by breastfeeding, doctors may refer to it as lactation mastitis or puerperal mastitis. Non-breastfeeding women often have a type called periductal mastitis.  

Symptoms Of Mastitis

Mastitis usually only affects one breast, and symptoms often develop quickly. Symptoms of mastitis can include: • A red, swollen area on your breast that may feel hot and painful to touch

• A breast lump or area of hardness on your breast • A burning pain in your breast that may be continuous or may only occur when you are breastfeeding • Nipple discharge, which may be white or contain streaks of blood

* You may also experience flu-like symptoms, such as aches, a high temperature (fever), chills and tiredness. * 

Treating Mastitis

Mastitis can usually be easily treated and most women make a full recovery very quickly. Self-help measures are often helpful, such as: • Getting plenty of rest and staying well hydrated • Using over-the-counter painkillers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, to reduce any pain or fever • Avoiding tight-fitting clothing – including bras – until your symptoms improve • If you're breastfeeding, continuing to feed your baby and making sure they are properly attached to your breast 

At the same time as having Mastitis I had a C Section infection due to being so run down and a corner stitch coming loose a little ( Which I think is from coughing due to a cold I had ) The pain after a C Section is easily forgotten a year later but you remember slight pains from that very moment! It’s painful after I’m not gonna lie to you ladies BUT its bearable plus stay up to date with your pain killers and you will soon heal.

Still got a bit to go with loosing the kangaroo pouch & Stripes Of Honour (Stretch Marks) I did have 2 baby’s in the space of 11months apart & suffered quite a few health problems! But aslong as my health is blessed, My Baby’s Are Happy and My body is healing I can’t complain, Il tell you one thing I was scared in fact I was terrified but once I knew everything would be ok & to see my baby afterwards that was all you needed for forget what’s going on around you.

Caesarean Sections are carried out in hospital. You may be asked to come in for an appointment a few days beforehand, and you might need to stay in hospital for a few days afterwards.  

Preoperative appointment

If there's time to plan your caesarean, you'll be given an approximate date for it to be carried out. You'll also be asked to attend an appointment at the hospital in the week before the procedure is due to be performed. During this appointment: • You can ask any questions you have about the procedure

• A blood test will be carried out to check for a lack of red blood cells (anaemia) • You'll be given some medication to take before the procedure – this may include antibiotics, anti-sickness medication (anti-emetics) and medication to reduce the acidity of your stomach acid (antacids) 

• You'll be asked to sign a consent form • You'll need to stop eating and drinking a few hours before the procedure – your doctor or midwife will tell you when 

The procedure Preparation

• You'll be asked to change into a hospital gown when you arrive at the hospital on the day of the procedure. • A thin, flexible tube called a catheter will be inserted into your bladder to empty it while you're under the anaesthetic, and a small area of pubic hair will be trimmed if necessary. • You'll be given the anaesthetic in the operating room. This will usually be a spinal or epidural anaesthetic, which numbs the lower part of your body while you remain awake. • This means you'll be awake during the delivery and can see and hold your baby straight away. • It also means your birth partner can be with you. General anaesthetic – Where you're asleep is used in some cases if you can't have a spinal or epidural anaesthetic.

What happens during the procedure?

You lie down on an operating table, which may be slightly tilted to begin with a screen is placed across your tummy so you can't see the operation being done a 10-20cm cut is made in your tummy and womb – this will usually be a horizontal cut just below your bikini line, although sometimes a vertical cut below your bellybutton may be made your baby is delivered through the opening, This usually takes 5-10 minutes and you may feel some tugging at this point! Your baby will be lifted up for you to see as soon as they've been delivered, and they'll be brought over to you. You're given an injection of the hormone oxytocin once your baby is born to encourage your womb to contract and reduce blood loss your womb is closed with dissolvable stitches and the cut in your tummy is closed either with dissolvable stitches , stitches or staples that need to be removed after a few days. 

• The whole procedure usually takes around 40-50 minutes.

Afterwards

You'll usually be moved from the operating room to a recovery room straight after the procedure. Once you've started to recover from the anaesthetic, the medical staff will make sure you're well and continue to observe you every few hours. You'll be offered: • Painkillers to relieve any discomfort treatment to reduce the risk of blood clots – this may include compression stockings or injections of blood-thinning medication, or both • Food and water as soon you as you feel hungry or thirsty • Help with breastfeeding your baby if you want it • The catheter will usually be removed from your bladder around 12-18 hours after the procedure, once you're able to walk around.

For more information contact your consultant or doctor.