The
first year - Articles
Treating mastitis naturally
Mastitis
is the inflammation of the breast and is usually caused through infection.
Engorgement and blocked milk ducts can be early warning signs, and if
these are not treated they may lead to mastitis.
Having
had constant bouts of mastitis with my first child, I began to research it
more for the second and to apply some natural methods of healing, with
some success. With my third baby I added more of the spiritual healing and
visualisation and this combination totally ended it for me. With my fourth
baby I never had an episode of mastitis. The following ideas are some
suggestions that I found worked extremely well.
1.
Rest as much as possible- catch up in the daytime
if necessary, even if you can only do so while the baby sleeps next to
you.
2.
Drink a lot of water. Keep a jug full of water in
the fridge which has had a chamomile teabag added.
3.
A warm shower while massaging the blocked ducts
works wonders.
4.
Use a base oil to massage so you don’t chafe the
skin (eg. Jojoba oil)
5.
Keep breastfeeding your baby on the affected side,
and massage the blocked area towards the nipple while feeding.
6.
Try really hard to let down while feeding as
tension creates blockages. Play relaxing music, get comfortable, burn some
lavender essential oil, make sure you’re warm enough, drink a warm milk
drink just before feeding, close your eyes breathing slowly and deeply.
7.
Visualise while feeding and while massaging the
breast. See the milk ducts becoming unblocked and flowing freely with
healthy milk. See the inflammation being cooled with ice.
8.
An essential oil blend with lavender, geranium, and
peppermint works wonders in a base oil, as it has the properties of
healing, cooling, and balancing the hormones. However, you must always
check with a qualified aromatherapist before using essential oils as they
are very concentrated and only minute amounts are used. There are also
some contra-indications for use of certain oils. So please use with
caution.
9.
A bath with essential oils is great to kill off any
infection and is a relaxing way to massage the breast and unblock those
ducts. The warm water helps with the letdown reflex.
10.
When really stressed with the pain try some of Dr
Bach’s ”Rescue Remedy” or the equivalent gem essence “Emergency
Essence” to calm yourself and ease the immediate pain. Put a dab on the
affected area.
11.
If hot and inflamed a compress of lavender,
peppermint, and geranium essential oils diluted in cool water, placed over
the breast with cabbage leaves on top is very effective. Extremely
soothing and it helps heal the inflammation between feeds. Once again,
consult an aromatherapist. DO NOT apply oils to the nipple and wipe the
breast clean before a feed.
12.
If none of the above works, it is important to see
your doctor immediately as mastitis untreated can make you very, very ill.
Note
– There are also homoeopathic treatments available, however these cannot
be used in conjunction with essential oils. I chose the oils, so I can’t
relate experiences with homoeopathic. Maybe another reader can send in
what worked for them.
By
Faye Read
Mother of four beautiful children and Registered Midwife
|
