NATURAL WEANING; OR, INVOLUNTARY? MASTITIS: OVERCOMING OBSTACLES IN BREASTFEEDING. (PART II)

Certainly, I did not think I had to write the second part of the post I did 7 months ago. It is a personal anecdote that I swore would not be repeated, but here we are; making heart and telling one more time what my experience was in relation to this pathology.

The repetition of this condition was what made me give way to the weaning of my one year and three months daughter; of what I will talk about later. It all started a month ago; I noticed that the pain was approaching my breast at the time of suckling, and with each shot the pain increased considerably. The cause that came to mind was the teething of my baby, which was appearing suddenly. She did not know how to control her impulses by scratching her gum, as is normal, and when it was time to breastfeed, it was as if she was venting on my nipple. Since her first teeth appeared, she bit me, so I was already a little familiar with this fact, but the pain was undeniable.

Gradually, the date of our trip was approaching (currently, I live in Bogotá, Colombia), a factor that kept in my psyche the decision to progressively reduce the breastfeeding I was giving her, so that the time came for me to start work full time, a gradual weaning would have already happened.
Having said that, you will imagine then the main reason why the mastitis returned to my body.

The causes or factors that predispose to mastitis are:

• Presence of cracks in the nipple.
• Milk retention or incomplete drainage of the breast.
• Treatment with antibiotics during pregnancy, delivery or postpartum.
• Abrupt change (decrease) in the frequency of the shots.

Source: https://www.cinfasalud.com/areas-de-salud/bebes-y-ninos/maternidad/mastitis-2/

Being the latter, the denominator factor in my case.

I admit openly being a bad patient, when I first faced mastitis it was an experience that I swore not to wish on anyone, nor would it repeat itself in my life; even when that involved injections, treatments, prohibitions, or breastfeeding exclusively from a single breast because my baby refused to nurse from the one who got sick at that time. However, by exposing my symptoms to my sister and my best friend, both doctors, the diagnosis was infallible. I was immediately exposed to antibiotic treatment; oral and intramuscular, and of course I stopped breastfeeding, because mastitis was obviously attacking the breast that the baby was breastfeeding. Fortunately I attacked the infection in time; I did not present any fever, but I still took analgesics for the pain because it was very present. The antibiotics worked normally, and my breast was deflated, as well as thanks to the homemade compresses that googled, it was drained constantly and no more milk was accumulated.

Image source: personal photography

WEANING "NATURAL"
This is a significant and crucial step in Barbara's life and mine. Who knows us knows that she is, "titlover" to 10000%; despite the mastitis that I suffered when she was 1 month old. She never stopped breastfeeding the other, even when she supplemented her feeding with goat milk (despite many setbacks), and eventually her regular complementary feeding.

Barbara is a very good eating girl, we already include in her daily diet all the proteins contained in lean meats, vegetables and fruits, carbohydrates, and occasionally sweets, in a small amount. She has not presented any allergies, and has ingested canned, nuts. I have not dared to give him fruits of the sea, although his pediatrician already recommended it to me.

Recently I decided to reduce breastfeeding, for reasons of pain and aesthetics (as one breast alone, the difference in size was becoming noticeable, leaving said to try a lot to take both breasts but after mastitis was impossible, she rejected it, and spit it in). As I explained, the treatment to attack the infection began, and the elimination of the breast milk for my baby took place.

I had to tell her that Mommy was sick and could not give her her "tit" anymore, a word that she curiously learned to say recently. And Barbara understood. In the early hours it is a bit complicated, because he wakes up looking for it; between her dad and I we fight her until she goes back to sleep, and she wakes up (very early I must admit) wanting "tete". My girl is a respectful princess! 😍❤🎉 And so we started a new stage Barbie and me.

Image source: personal photography
Thank you Steemian community for letting me in your screens and sharing these experiences, overwhelming but enriching.