Hi, mommas. My name is Jess, and I’ve had mastitis seven times.
After a smooth and successful breastfeeding journey with my first child, I was completely caught off guard when mastitis became a recurring part of my life with my second. I truly believed I knew what to expect the second time around—until I learned, the hard way, that every postpartum journey is different.
My daughter, Olivia, was born in August 2018. Just as I was beginning to feel confident parenting a 1.5-year-old, we received joyful news: we were pregnant again. This time, we were expecting a baby boy. We assumed round two would be easier, more familiar, maybe even effortless. But within one month of Liam’s birth, everything changed. I started feeling sick, and that’s when I experienced my first bout of mastitis.
If you’re unfamiliar with mastitis, you’re not alone—I was too. I don’t remember any doctor, pediatrician, or lactation consultant ever warning me about it. Mastitis is a breast infection that typically happens when the breast isn’t fully emptied and a clogged milk duct forms. It affects only about 10% of breastfeeding women, which may be why it’s rarely talked about. But when it happens, it can be overwhelming.
It was December 2020, and I was just four weeks postpartum. Liam had finally fallen asleep, giving me the green light to rest. The moment I laid down, an intense chill washed over my body. I felt achy and weak, my breasts hard and painfully swollen. I struggled to lift my arms just to shower, brush my teeth, or wash my face. I climbed into bed and wrapped myself in three thick winter blankets, yet I couldn’t stop shaking. My temperature climbed to 101 degrees. How could I feel so cold while running a fever? The sensation reminded me of active labor—the uncontrollable, full-body chills.
Like most parents of a newborn, I was running on autopilot. I wanted so badly to be the best mom to both of my children. Even though my body was still healing from childbirth, my days revolved entirely around caring for them. Exhaustion had become my normal. I convinced myself the chills and fever were just from lack of sleep, or maybe a mild cold.
I remember giving myself a quiet pep talk: “Everything is okay. Just sleep it off. You’ll feel better tomorrow.” But my body had other plans. The chills worsened, my mental strength faded, and in my feverish haze, it never occurred to me to call my doctor. While I tried to rest, my husband fed Liam the milk I had worked so hard to pump. Knowing my carefully built supply was disappearing felt devastating.
When morning came, my breasts felt like solid bricks. I hadn’t pumped overnight, and I hadn’t nursed Liam in nearly eight hours. My left breast was fire-engine red, swollen, and incredibly painful. That’s when it hit me—I hadn’t listened to my body, and something was very wrong. I needed medical help.
I hesitated to call the doctor because I feared being prescribed medication. I worried about anything entering my body and passing through my milk to my baby. But by waiting so long, antibiotics were unavoidable. Along with medication, I was instructed to nurse every two hours, massage my breasts, and use hot compresses in between. It sounded manageable—until the pain set in. The pressure and tenderness were unbearable. My husband had to massage the painful lumps while I cried through it. Without his unwavering support, I truly believe I would have lost my milk supply completely.
Within 48 hours of starting antibiotics and following my doctor’s instructions, I felt like myself again. Unfortunately, my milk supply had taken a significant hit. It took nearly two weeks of persistence, pumping, and patience to rebuild it—and it was far from easy.
I wish I could say that was the end of my mastitis journey, but it wasn’t. Over the next six months, I experienced mastitis six more times.
Thankfully, four of those cases were mild enough that I could treat them at home with regular pumping, massage, and hot compresses. My biggest piece of advice is this: listen to your body. Stay ahead of mastitis. Don’t hesitate to call your doctor if something feels off. Follow their guidance, and trust that with proper care—even antibiotics—your milk supply can recover.
Liam is now almost eight months old, and I’m still nursing. I haven’t had mastitis in three months. Motherhood will always come with unexpected twists and challenges—sometimes in the form of mastitis—but no matter what we face, we are strong, resilient women. And we will overcome, one challenge at a time.
